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 MENA region from the early modern to modern periods.
Funded by: Volkswagen Foundation
Timeframe: 2025 – 2028
Open Call 2025
We invite applications from scholars for the Volkswagen Momentum Fellowship Programme “From Pre-Modern to Modern Perspectives in Judaic Studies”. Eligible candidates work on Judaism and the Jewish communities of the MENA region from the early modern to modern periods.
Please submit the application materials (CV, project proposal, writing sample of maximum 30 pages, contact information for references, and preferred duration of stay) as PDF files by 3 November 2025 to Marina Shcherbakova, m.shcherbakova@lmu.de.
Program Overview
The Volkswagen Momentum Fellowship Programme “From Pre-Modern to Modern Perspectives in Judaic Studies” is designed to bridge the traditionally segmented fields of pre-modern and modern Jewish history in the Near East. The programme 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 Volkswagen Momentum Fellowship Programme 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 Centre emphasizes an interdisciplinary methodology that draws from fields such as anthropology, sociology, political science, law, philology, and religious studies. Furthermore, the programme 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 programme 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.
