Beginning in spring 2025, this Volkswagen Momentum fellowship program invites applications from junior and senior scholars engaged in research on Judaism and the Jewish communities of the Near and Middle East from the early modern to modern periods.
Funded by: Volkswagen Foundation
Timeframe: 2025 – 2028
Program Overview
The fellowship program is designed to bridge the traditionally segmented fields of pre-modern and modern Jewish history in the Near East. The fellowship program adopts an interdisciplinary perspective that encourages a continuous examination of Jewish history across time. This approach facilitates an integrated understanding of historical phenomena, enabling scholars to investigate how pre-modern developments shaped modern Jewish communities and identities and, conversely, how modern contexts illuminate the legacy of the past.
Structured to foster intellectual exchange, the fellowship program encourages close collaboration between fellows and the research team at the Munich Research Centre for Jewish-Arabic Cultures, directed by Prof. Dr. Ronny Vollandt. The program emphasizes an interdisciplinary methodology that draws from fields such as anthropology, sociology, political science, law, philology, and religious studies. Furthermore, the program is committed to challenging Eurocentric and Ashkenazi-focused narratives in Jewish historiography by amplifying the voices and experiences of Mizrahi Jews, particularly those from Arabic-speaking countries.
Fellowship Opportunities
To implement the expanded perspective in research and teaching, the project awards fellowships for both experienced and young scholars:
- Senior Fellowships (more than seven years after PhD):
Monthly stipend of €4,200 for a duration of 3–12 months. - Junior Fellowships (PhD candidates, or early career scholars up to seven years post PhD):
Monthly stipend of €3,200 for a duration of 6–12 months.
Each fellow will be affiliated with LMU’s Center for Advanced Studies and is invited to participate in its activities. We provide a workspace, administrative support, and access to resources.
Fellows are expected to be in residence in Munich and to engage actively with the team at the Munich Research Centre for Jewish-Arabic Cultures.
During the Fellowship
Scholars are encouraged to:
- Conduct independent research on Judaism and the Jewish communities of the Near and Middle East from the early modern to modern periods, and interact with LMU faculty and fellows.
- Deliver one public lecture and contribute a blog post on their research for the Centre’s website.
- Lead a Munich Masterclass in Judaic Studies, a hands-on workshop on their field of expertise open to graduate students and scholars across Germany and beyond.
