Jacob Robinson Institute

Jacob Robinson Institute for the History of Individual and Collective Rights. Founded by @AlfredLandecker, located in @HebrewU

[Jacob Robinson Institute @Robinson_Inst]

We are delighted to welcome Dr. Alexandra Herfroy-Mischler as an Affiliated Researcher at the Jacob Robinson Institute!🎉

Alexandra holds a PhD in Information and Communication Sciences from the Université de la Sorbonne Nouvelle in Paris, specializing in Media and History Studies, and rabbinical ordination from Beit Midrash Harel, Jerusalem.

Her research spans Holocaust and post-Holocaust justice, transitional justice, human rights accountability, archives and testimony, and the moral and religious dimensions of post-atrocity repair. Her current work develops the concept of anticipatory transitional justice, examining how civil society documentation initiatives build legal and commemorative frameworks under conditions of ongoing conflict, with particular attention to initiatives that emerged after October 7.

Alexandra has held post-doctoral fellowships at the Harry S. Truman Research Institute and the Smart Family Institute of Communications at Hebrew University. She also served as a contracted research associate at the CNRS Centre de Recherche Français de Jérusalem, and has published in leading journals including Journalism: Theory, Practice & Criticism and Studies in Conflict & Terrorism.

Welcome to the team, Alexandra! 💐

🔗 Read more about Alexandra's work here: https://t.co/fiVIgRGGWK

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🎓 Our PhD fellow Idan Frisher is the winner of the 2025 Israel Gutman Prize for his outstanding MA thesis on property restitution to Jews and non-Jews in post-communist Lithuania, and the question of who gets recognized as a "worthy" victim.

This past Wednesday, June 3rd, Idan presented his prize-winning research at the official award ceremony on Mt. Scopus. Thank you to everyone who came out to support him!

Congratulations once again, Idan. We couldn't be prouder. 👏

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Our Affiliated PhD Fellow, Adan Ershied, was selected to participate in the 2026 Graduate Student & Early Career Workshop of the Law and Society Association, held in San Francisco. 🌟

Chosen from a highly competitive pool, Adan joined a remarkable cohort of emerging scholars from around the world. At the workshop, she presented research from one of her PhD projects, examining the constitutional invisibility of religious communities in American religion law.

We are so proud of Adan and look forward to following her continued work. Congratulations! 🎉

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[Jacob Robinson Institute @Robinson_Inst]

📸 Highlights from our exhibition opening "In the Beauty Salon of History," held on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, at the Max and Iris Stern Little Gallery, Mt. Scopus Campus.

"In the beauty salon of history, they know how to comb a forelock, even in the hair of a monster." – Ronny Someck, "Tractors"

The opening brought together scholars, students, and guests for an evening of reflection on one of the most urgent moral and political questions of our time: How should societies confront historical injustice?

Opening remarks were delivered by Prof. Elisheva Baumgarten, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities (@HujiHum), Prof. Yitzhak Hen, Director of the Israel Institute for Advanced Studies (@IIAS_Jerusalem), as well as Prof. Gideon Reuveni (@SussexUni) and Dr. Iris Nachum, who were responsible for the exhibition’s scientific research.

Taking the 1952 Holocaust compensation agreement between West Germany, Israel, and the Jewish Claims Conference as its case study, the exhibition explores the possibilities and limits of reparations and reconciliation, drawing its title and guiding image from Someck's poem and its unsettling question of whether history can undergo a "beauty treatment."

The exhibition is the outcome of the Research Group "Paying for the Past: Reparations after the Holocaust in Global Context," which convened at IIAS in 2023/24.

Our deepest thanks to everyone who made this exhibition possible.
Curation: Dr. Michal Mor, Eli Ben-Arye
Research Assistant: Avishag Ben-Yosef
Artist: Maya Zack
Graphic Design: Idan Vaaknin
Exhibition Design and Production: Eli Ben-Arye, Yuval Ayali

The exhibition will be on display for one year at the Max and Iris Stern Little Gallery, Mt. Scopus Campus.

We warmly invite you to visit!

[Jacob Robinson Institute @Robinson_Inst]

On Sunday, May 10, we had the honor of welcoming the University’s extended leadership - including the President, Rector, Director General, Dean of Humanities, and senior management - to the Jacob Robinson Institute.

It was a wonderful opportunity to share our research and ongoing projects. Thank you for the visit and for your continued support!

[Jacob Robinson Institute @Robinson_Inst]

🎬 Our postdoctoral fellow Dr. @TomEshed was featured in the documentary “The Politics of Memory”, aired on HOT8 on April 14th, Holocaust Remembrance Day. In the film, Tom shares insights from his research on the history of Israeli Holocaust memory.

The film examines how Holocaust remembrance has evolved in Israel from the early years of the state to the present, including in the aftermath of October 7 and the ongoing war with Hamas.

The Politics of Memory | Directed by Duki Dror | Produced by Liat Kamai Eshed | Broadcast by HOT8 in collaboration with "Zikaron BaSalon" | Watch the full documentary on HOT8 or HOT VOD

A snippet of Tom from the film 👇

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✨ The Jacob Robinson Institute for the History of Individual and Collective Rights is honored to invite you to the opening of the exhibition “In the Beauty Salon of History“ on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, at 16:15 at the Max and Iris Stern Little Gallery, Mt. Scopus Campus, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

The exhibition is the outcome of the Research Group “Paying for the Past: Reparations after the Holocaust in Global Context” which convened at the Israeli Institute for Advanced Studies (2023/24). Combining historical research and artistic expression, the exhibition explores one of the most urgent moral and political questions of our time: How should societies confront historical injustice?

Using the 1952 Holocaust compensation agreement between West Germany, Israel, and the Jewish Claims Conference as a case study, it invites reflection on the possibilities and limits of reparations and reconciliation. Inspired by Ronny Someck’s poem “Tractors,” the exhibition asks whether history can undergo a “beauty treatment” �� and what might be gained or lost in the process.

The exhibition will be on display for one year.

We hope to see you there!

Scientific Research: Prof. Gideon Reuveni, Dr. Iris Nachum
Research Assistant: Avishag Ben-Yosef
Curation: Dr. Michal Mor, Eli Ben-Arye
Graphic Design: Idan Vaaknin
Exhibition Design and Production: Eli Ben-Arye, Yuval Ayali
Graphic Production: Kzat Aheret Ltd.

📅 Tuesday, 12.5.2026
🕐 16:15
📍 Max and Iris Stern Little Gallery, Mt. Scopus Campus, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

For campus entry permits, please contact Inbal Levin at [email protected]

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We are delighted to welcome Lara Raabe as a Guest PhD Fellow at the Jacob Robinson Institute! 🎉

Lara is a PhD candidate at the Chair for Research into the History and Impact of the Holocaust at Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, and holds an MA and BA in History from Humboldt University, Berlin. Her research focuses on the history of National Socialism, Nazi war crimes trials, and the persecution of Sinti and Roma, including their "second persecution" after 1945. Her PhD project examines West German trials for crimes committed against Sinti and Roma in Auschwitz-Birkenau, tracing these legal proceedings against the backdrop of broader societal changes from the 1960s through the 1990s.

Lara has several forthcoming publications in 2026, including contributions to the Encyclopaedia of the Nazi Genocide of the Sinti and Roma in Europe and an edited volume on compensation and restitution after Nazi injustice.

Welcome to the team, Lara! 💙

Photo credit: Anna-Maria Lück

[Jacob Robinson Institute @Robinson_Inst]

📸 Highlights from our Premium Tasting Tour! Our team enjoyed a wonderful evening exploring Mahane Yehuda and Nachlaot together. Starting at Agripas Street, we spent three hours discovering the market's flavors and wandering through the beautiful alleyways of Nachlaot. Good food, good company, and great memories 💫

[Jonathan Grossman @CatRobotIL]

יצא קול קורא למלגת הפוסטדוק של מכון רובינסון ואני ממליץ מאוד מאוד מאוד להגיש אם רלוונטי. זה מקום עבודה נהדר שמציע מלגות מרשימות, תמיכה סופר נדיבה במחקר, אווירה חברתית כיפית ואספקה מוגבלת אך מכובדת של עו��יות עבאדי. המכון הזה קידם אותי המון ובזכותו הגעתי לתקן. אולי את.ה הבאים בתור!

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📸 On January 8, 2026, the Jacob Robinson Institute proudly hosted the launch of Judge Dr. Yehudit Dori Deston’s book “The Last Trial: The Demjanjuk Trial and the End of Nazi Prosecution in Israel”, recently published in Hebrew by The Hebrew University Magnes Press. The book offers a compelling and critical re-examination of the Demjanjuk Trial in Jerusalem (1986–1993), one of the most complex and controversial Holocaust trials in Israel’s history. Based on extensive archival research, the study sheds new light on the legal, moral and historical challenges of prosecuting Holocaust crimes through criminal law.

The evening brought together leading scholars and jurists and opened with welcoming remarks by Prof. Ronit Ricci, Vice Dean for Research at the Faculty of Humanities. Insightful responses were offered by Prof. Elyakim Rubinstein, former Vice President of the Supreme Court of Israel and former Attorney General of Israel; Supreme Court Justice Prof. Daphna Barak-Erez; and Prof. Yfaat Weiss, Professor of Modern Jewish History at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Director of the Leibniz Institute for Jewish History and Culture – Simon Dubnow. In her concluding remarks, Judge Dr. Dori Deston reflected on the legal, moral and historical implications of revisiting the Demjanjuk Trial. The event was moderated by Dr. Iris Nachum, Deputy Director of the Jacob Robinson Institute.

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🌍 Call for Applications: Visiting PhD Fellowships 2026/2027!

The Jacob Robinson Institute is offering up to two visiting PhD fellowships for the 2026-2027 academic year. We welcome doctoral candidates from non-Israeli universities whose research aligns with the Institute’s thematic areas, including minority politics, national self-determination, collective and individual rights, reparation for grave human rights abuses, Israel's statehood and diaspora relations, forced displacement, human rights and humanitarianism, as well as democracy and the rule of law.

Fellows receive a stipend of approximately 8,000 NIS per month and office space on Mount Scopus campus, where they will pursue their ongoing research. Full-time dedication to research is expected. Fellows are also expected to participate in the Institute's academic activities.

📅 Deadline: February 25th, 2026

📩 Submit the online application form, a CV (up to two pages), a list of publications, and a statement of purpose (up to four pages) as a single PDF to [email protected]

For further information, see the flyer below or visit https://t.co/m031KMorBT

#callforapplications #PhDFellowship

[Jacob Robinson Institute @Robinson_Inst]

📢 Call for Applications: Post-Doctoral Fellowships 2026/2027!

The Jacob Robinson Institute invites applications for up to two post-doctoral fellowships for the 2026-2027 academic year. We seek researchers whose studies aligns with the Institute’s thematic areas, including minority politics, national self-determination, collective and individual rights, reparation for grave human rights abuses, Israel's statehood and diaspora relations, forced displacement, human rights and humanitarianism, as well as democracy and the rule of law.

Eligibility: Candidates within five years of PhD approval (extended by one year per child). Applicants who have not yet completed their PhD may apply, provided they submit their dissertation by October 1, 2026. Open to researchers affiliated with Israeli and non-Israeli universities.

Fellows receive a stipend of approximately 12,000 NIS per month, office space on Mount Scopus campus, and are expected to dedicate their time fully to research while participating in the Institute's academic activities. Upon completion of their stay, fellows are expected to submit a manuscript for peer-reviewed publication.

📅 Deadline: February 25th, 2026

📩 Submit the online application form, a CV (up to two pages), a list of publications, and a statement of purpose (up to four pages) as a single PDF to [email protected]

For further information, see the flyer below or visit https://t.co/m031KMorBT

#callforapplications #PostdoctoralFellowship

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🌟Join us this Wednesday for a lecture by Prof. Moritz Föllmer from the University of Amsterdam on "The Quest for Individual Freedom in Twentieth-Century Germany."

Prof. Föllmer challenges the conventional narrative that individual freedom only took root in Germany during the Federal Republic's liberalization around 1960. Instead, he argues that the pursuit of individual freedom spanned Germany's entire twentieth century, manifesting in diverse forms that sometimes paradoxically aligned with National Socialism itself.

The lecture will explore how post-1945 narratives about the absence of free individuals in the Third Reich functioned to obscure personal responsibility, examine Cold War contestations over freedom, and situate these debates within broader cultural transformations since the 1960s. Prof. Föllmer's work bridges critical periods in German history, offering fresh perspectives on how concepts of freedom evolved through Germany's periods of dictatorship, division, and reunification.

📆Wednesday, January 21, 2026 | 12:30-14:00
📍Jacob Robinson Institute, Building 41, 5th Floor, Mount Scopus Campus
📧RSVP: [email protected]

[Jacob Robinson Institute @Robinson_Inst]

��� Call for Papers Now Open! **Extended Deadline**

We invite scholars to submit proposals for "Opposing Racial Discrimination: Historical Struggles and Legal Perspectives," our international conference marking the 60th anniversary of ICERD.

The symposium will examine the Convention's history and legacy, alongside broader questions of anti-racist and anti-antisemitism activism, international law, and civil society's role in confronting racial hatred.

We welcome research from historical, legal, and political perspectives. Submit your abstract (up to 350 words) and bio (up to one page) to Dr. @TomEshed at [email protected] by February 8, 2026.

Join us in Jerusalem this May! 🌍
#CallForPapers

[Jacob Robinson Institute @Robinson_Inst]

Our Post-Doctoral Fellow, Dr. Avital Ginat, presented at the 57th Annual Conference of the Association for Jewish Studies (AJS) on December 14, 2025, in Washington, DC! 🌎

Avital delivered a lecture titled "Single By Choice: Practices undertaken by Eastern-European Jewish women to remain alone in the second half of the nineteenth century and early twentieth" as part of the panel "Gender, Care, and the Cultivation of Jewish Identity within the Home and in Institutions Outside of It."

Avital's research examines the strategies adopted by Jewish women from Eastern Europe between the second half of the 19th century and World War I to remain unmarried and challenge the stigma associated with women living alone. At a time when family constituted the most fundamental social unit in Jewish life, the emergence of the Jewish Haskalah brought significant transformations.

Her paper explores how increasing numbers of women achieved economic independence and resisted arranged marriages, employing strategies including emigration, divorce, higher education, conversion, and prostitution to legitimize their status outside conventional couple and family structures. Avital's research takes a holistic, cross-disciplinary approach, examining women in their personal spheres from a societal perspective and highlighting their unique experiences as they navigated and crossed cultural boundaries.

🔗For more details & full conference program: https://t.co/Ocm7EMxryl

[Jacob Robinson Institute @Robinson_Inst]

We are thrilled to welcome Georg Wehse, a new Post-Doctoral Fellow, to our team! 🌟

Georg recently submitted his PhD dissertation at the University of Leipzig, titled "Jüdische Philanthropie und Amerikanische Diplomatie: Das Wirken Henry Morgenthaus in den Jahren 1913 bis 1919" (Jewish Philanthropy and American Diplomacy: The Diplomatic Career of Henry Morgenthau in the Years from 1913 to 1919). His research focuses on Jewish diplomatic history, minority protection in the early twentieth century, and Jewish-American history. He earned his BA in History, Political Science and Sociology and his MA in History from TU Dresden, and has worked as a research associate at the European Traditions project at the Saxon Academy of Sciences in Leipzig since 2017.

His current research examines Henry Morgenthau's role as head of the League of Nations Refugee Settlement Commission in 1923-24, exploring the intersection of refugee resettlement, minority protection, and traditional Jewish diplomatic practices in interwar Greece.

Welcome to the team, Georg!

[Jacob Robinson Institute @Robinson_Inst]

🔔New Date
The Jacob Robinson Institute is honored to invite you to the launch of the book by Judge Dr. Yehudit Dori Deston, “The Last Trial: The Demjanjuk Trial and the End of Bringing Nazis and Their Collaborators to Justice in the State of Israel”. Published by Magnes Press in Hebrew, the book examines one of the most significant Holocaust trials held in Israel and engages with fundamental questions of justice and collective memory, exploring their legal and social significance in the State of Israel.

The evening will open with welcoming remarks by Prof. Ronit Ricci, Associate Dean for Research, The Faculty of Humanities. Speakers include: Prof. Elyakim Rubinstein, former Deputy President of the Supreme Court of Israel; Justice Prof. Daphne Barak-Erez, Justice of the Supreme Court of Israel, and Prof. Yfaat Weiss, The Hebrew University.

📅 Thursday, January 8, 2026
🕕 18:30 gathering and refreshments | 19:00 beginning of the event
📍 Room 530, Mandel Building, Mount Scopus Campus

We look forward to welcoming you to the event!

For further details, see the attached flyer.