The Munich Research Centre for Jewish-Arabic Cultures at LMU is pleased to invite you to a two-day masterclass with Dr. Rudy Kisler. The masterclass will take place as part of the Volkswagen Momentum Workshop “Rethinking Jewish Cultures Beyond Europe” (June 9–12, 2026).
In recent years, heritage sites have increasingly become arenas of social conflict. From the toppling of monuments tied to colonial histories to contested repatriation claims concerning cultural artifacts held in European museums, and the strategic use of archaeological sites to legitimize territorial claims, such conflicts prompt us to ask: what place and meaning does the past hold in our communities today?
In this masterclass, we will explore the relationship between representations of the past, contemporary cultural politics, and the present-day social norms and behaviors they promote. Drawing on his research on Jewish-Zionist heritage-making in contemporary Israel, Dr. Kisler will examine both state-sanctioned heritage policies designed to convey national mythologies and local heritage-making practices. In this context, he will present insights from his ongoing Volkswagen Momentum project on the cultural landscape of Bar’am/Bir’am.
Located near the Lebanese border, the Bar’am/Bir’am landscape encompasses several distinct heritage performances. One prominent feature is the impressive remains of a Galilean-style synagogue from the Talmudic era. Another is an active Maronite Christian church alongside the remains of the depopulated village of Bir’am. A third consists of several Jewish saints’ burial sites that form part of a longstanding pilgrimage tradition. Taken together, these sites allow us to examine the dynamics of meaning-making across different and at times competing heritage narratives.
The workshop is structured in three parts. In the first part, participants will be introduced to the concept of cultural heritage and its theorization in contemporary societies. We will discuss, among other approaches, the semiotics of heritage, material culture, and heritage politics. In the second part, we will engage in a participatory photovoice session. Through this activity, participants will experiment with photographing surrounding landscapes and objects and collaboratively reflect on the meanings and interpretations that emerge. In the third and final part of the masterclass, we will work on the creation of a potential alternative “Jewish heritage list.” Based on participants’ expertise and experiences, we will collaboratively develop this list and imagine new ways of thinking about Jewish chronology and historiography through the democratization of knowledge.
Dr. Kisler is a research fellow in the Volkswagen Momentum Program “From Pre-Modern to Modern Perspectives in Judaic Studies” at the Munich Research Centre for Jewish-Arabic Cultures. His current project examines how various groups in Israel interpret and narrate their cultural heritage beyond official Zionist heritage discourses. Using a rights-based qualitative case study approach, he centers the voices of marginalized communities through interviews, observation, and participatory photovoice methods. His work seeks to develop more inclusive models of heritage representation, education, and policy applicable in Israel-Palestine and other contested heritage contexts.
Dr. Kisler holds a PhD from McGill University’s Department of Integrated Studies in Education. He is the recipient of the Lady Davis Postdoctoral Fellowship and multiple FRQSC Doctoral Research Scholarships.
Image: Ruins of a synagogue at Bir’am. Taken from Van de Velde, 1857, Le Pays d’Israel
