Throughout its history, the Caribbean has been the site of encounters, convergences, conflicts, transcultural flows, and (post)colonial fragmentation. Jewish communities across the region, in particular, offer an intriguing case study of the currents of Caribbean cultures. They both belong and are outsiders, easily fit into the ethnic and racialized landscapes of their adopted homelands and disrupt the underlying assumptions that govern them, contribute to the rich array of religious diversity and practice their faith in ways that prove confusing if not heretical to their neighbors. This symposium brings together scholars who study the art, culture, history, and literature of Caribbean Jewish communities from the 18th century to the present. Through careful analysis of diverse Jewish cultures and societies across the Caribbean basin, we hope to engage in a critical dialogue about the intersections of Jewisihness and Caribbeanness and what can be learned from the experiences, expressions, contradictions, difficulties, and worldviews of the Jewish Atlantic world.
The symposium will be held over Zoom. Each presentation will be followed by a prepared response, and then we will open the session to conversation. The event will conclude with a roundtable, which is intended to provide a space for further discussion and reflection on what we have learned and how the presentations speak to one another and to larger issues raised over the course of the 2 days. We hope that you will be able to join us for as much of the symposium as you are able. It is free and open to the public.
Registration is required. You can register here, after which you will receive a confirmation message and the link for the Zoom session. The conference program is attached. If you have any questions, please contact the Program in Jewish Culture & Society.
