„Ambivalent Pasts: On Jewish Colonial Experiences“

In the public discussion, the intersection of Jewish and colonial histories often produces simplistic stereotypes. To counter these, this project offers a nuanced investigation of Jewish entanglements with colonial rule, with anti-colonial struggles, and with decolonization. It emphasizes the ambivalent Jewish position between inclusion and exclusion, indigenous and foreign, colonizer and colonized. Through a focus on the Mediterranean region during the turbulent decades of the mid-20th century, it decenters the prevalent emphasis on the Arab-Jewish conflict over Palestine/Israel and explores forgotten experiences from other contexts. The study of these experiences may inform contemporary debates on colonialism, racism, and antisemitism.

The project is funded as part of the Leibniz Cooperative Excellence program and is being carried out by the IEG in collaboration with the Leibniz Institute for Jewish History and Culture – Simon Dubnow (DI) and Marburg University.