World Congress of Jewish Studies: Call for Proposals

Dear Colleagues,

The Fifteenth World Congress of Jewish Studies will take place from August 2-6 of 2009. If there is sufficient interest I would like to organize a session on “The Jewish Book in Early Modern Europe.” I have left the theme deliberately vague so as to allow for submissions on authors and their texts, printing, distribution and the ultimate fate of the books produced. (I am open to narrowing the focus of the session theme). I was thinking of speaking on Christian awareness of Hebrew printed books, specifically on Conrad Gesner’s Bibliotheca universalis (3 vols., 1545-1555). While Gesner’s listings are not very extensive, they did provide enough titles to form the basis for a meaningful Christian encounter with Judaism by way of its classical texts.

If I have read the call for papers correctly we will all have to submit a preliminary registration form, and I would also submit materials for a complete session, providing the following information:

“Those interested in proposing a complete session (up to four lectures) are requested to specify the subject of the session and the names of the scholars whose agreement to participate has already been obtained. A brief explanation and a short abstract of the proposed lectures should also be submitted.”

So I would need paper topics and short abstracts from each presenter before I turn in all of the information. The submission deadline is May 18, 2008.
Are there any takers?

Best wishes,
Stephen Burnett
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
sburnett1@unl.edu

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