I. Message from Program Chair

Dear Colleagues:

As Vice President for Program, I am delighted to issue the Call for Papers for the 44th Annual Conference of the Association for Jewish Studies, to be held December 16-18, 2013 at the Sheraton Boston in Boston, Massachusetts. We welcome proposals for panels, seminars, roundtables, meetings, individual papers, digital media presentations, and a lightning session for graduate students. Please note that the AJS has also changed the guidelines regarding graduate student participation in the conference: graduate students at all levels of their programs are now eligible to submit paper and session proposals, and are no longer required to submit a letter of recommendation from their advisor. Graduate students are strongly encouraged to consult with their advisor regarding when in their training to submit a proposal for presentation at the conference and what is the most suitable format for presenting their research.

The deadline for submission of proposals is Wednesday, May 8, 2013. All proposals must be submitted electronically via the AJS website. This site will be available for submissions from Wednesday, March 20, 2013 through Wednesday, May 8, 2013. As part of the submission process, you will be asked to select the division, or subject area, in which you would like your proposal considered. Your proposal will then be forwarded to the appropriate Division Coordinator. You will find detailed instructions for submission below. You will also find more detailed information about the conference (FAQs, travel information, the proposal evaluation process) on the AJS website. If you have any questions about the program that are not covered in this Call for Papers, please feel free to be in touch with me. Our Executive Director, Rona Sheramy (ajs@ajs.cjh.org), will be happy to respond to any questions regarding membership, payment, and other organizational matters.

The AJS has arranged for extraordinary rates at the Sheraton Chicago and is currently raising funds to offer an extensive Conference Travel Grant Program. Please check the AJS website regularly for up to date information to assist you in your travel plans.

I am looking forward to an exciting and intellectually stimulating conference in Chicago.

Sincerely,
Reuven Firestone (rfirestone@huc.edu)
Vice President for Program

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II. Instructions for Submitting a Proposal

A. General Considerations

We invite proposals for critical analyses of themes, topics, problems, or issues arising from original scholarly research. There are three ways to submit a proposal:

1) as part of a pre-formed session (panel, roundtable, meeting, seminar);

2) individually (if accepted, to be placed in a panel by the Division Coordinator or, if a digital media presentation, in the Digital Media Workshop); or

3) for inclusion in the Graduate Student Lightning Session, an opportunity for MA and PhD candidates to give 5-minute presentations on some aspect of their research in an interdisciplinary forum and receive feedback from more senior scholars as well as other graduate students.

AJS members who are interested in organizing a session, or joining a session that others are forming, may post announcements to the Sessions Seeking Participants page on the AJS website.

A list of suggested themes and topics for select subject areas appears in Part IX, under the heading “Division Coordinators and Suggested Themes.” Prospective presenters and session organizers are encouraged to consider these suggestions in crafting their proposals.

B. Do's and Don'ts

In order to give as many members as possible the opportunity to participate in the conference, no one may submit or present more than one paper, nor chair the session in which they are presenting. Likewise, scholars may not agree to serve as chair, respondent, or discussant in more than one session. Individuals may, however, serve on up to three sessions in three different capacities (e.g., present a paper in one panel, chair another, etc.).

Paper and session proposals that will not be considered for presentation include: papers that have been published or presented in whole or in part elsewhere and sessions that summarize the proceedings of another conference. Sessions may not be devoted to one or more recently published books, although sessions may be structured around the arguments and methods of major and recent scholarly works. Members interested in promoting their books published in 2013 are encouraged to participate in AJS Honors Its Authors, a special event to celebrate AJS members' publications.

The Program Committee strongly encourages session organizers to create institutionally diverse panels (i.e., no more than two participants from the same institution); panels with gender diversity (i.e. no all male or all female panels ); as well as sessions that include at least one senior scholar in a presentation role (i.e., no all student panels). Graduate students organizing sessions must invite at least one senior scholar—defined as a tenured professor, an independent scholar with equivalent accomplishments in the field, or an academic professional, i.e. curator, archivist, librarian—to participate, either as a paper presenter, discussant, or respondent. Please be aware, though, that senior scholars may not sit on a panel with more than two of her/his current or former students. For further information, see section ''Graduate Student Presentations."

C. Session Sponsorship

Session organizers may request to have an academic institution, research center/archive, learned society, or AJS caucus or working group listed in the program book as the sponsor of their session (e.g., if the institution has provided funding for the research being presented, is subsidizing the participation of presenters, etc.). Magazines, journals, websites, foundations, and other non-academic organizations/publications will not be listed as sponsors in the conference program book.

D. Session Formats

Panels. In the traditional panel format, three or four participants present papers of a maximum of 20 minutes in length. Alternatively, panels may also consist of three papers and a respondent. A question and answer period generally will follow all of the papers, but an 8–10 minute question and answer period may follow each paper at the session chair’s discretion. All panel proposals must include a chairperson (who may also serve as respondent); paper presenters may not chair the session in which they are presenting.

Panel organizers must submit a 350-word session abstract that describes the overall questions and goals of the session, as well as abstracts for each paper in the session. The paper abstracts, written by the individual scholars but submitted by the session organizer, should explain the presentation’s purpose, methodology, sources, argument and specific contribution to scholarship in the field. Sample abstracts and tips for writing abstracts can be found on the AJS website.

The Program Committee reserves the right to make adjustments to pre-arranged sessions (i.e., add or remove a paper, change the chair, discussant, or respondent position) in response to program needs. The Committee will make every effort to notify the session organizer regarding such changes.

Seminars. Seminars are built around discussion of a single paper or group of papers distributed in advance of the conference, or of a major work in a field read in advance. Paper authors will usually begin the session with comments about their work, followed by responses from prepared discussants and discussion with the audience. All seminar proposals must include a chairperson, discussant(s), as well as an abstract of the paper(s) to be discussed. Sample abstracts and tips for writing abstracts can be found on the AJS website. Completed paper(s) must be available for posting on the AJS website by November 15, 2013. The AJS also plans to provide an online forum through which seminar presenters can receive comments and engage in dialogue with other scholars before the seminar meeting.

Roundtables. Roundtables are structured discussions revolving around  pre-circulated  questions; the session consists of three to five discussants and a moderator, who takes a more active role in the session than a traditional panel chair. The roundtable is not a forum for the presentation of short papers; discussants may not read papers and may prepare no more than 3-5 minute responses to the questions being discussed.  The purpose of this format is discussion and interchange among a group of scholars about a debate, question, or issue in the field.  Participants will be seated in a semi-circle, and will speak to each other rather than from a podium.  The moderator will pose the questions and control the time given to each discussant to respond.

Those submitting a roundtable proposal must submit a session abstract that describes the overall goals of the session; the questions (usually three or four) that the discussants will address; and the perspective that each discussant will represent  (i.e., a two-three sentence description of each participant’s role, including that of the moderator). Sample abstracts and tips for writing abstracts can be found on the AJS website. Roundtable proposals that do not adequately detail the session’s guiding questions, and each participant’s role/contribution will not be accepted. All roundtable proposals must include a moderator.

Each rubric will be chaired by a senior scholar, with questions and discussion following each collection of presentations.

Graduate students should submit a short abstract (150 word max.) describing their proposed presentation, and identifying the rubric in which it fits. Graduate students should also email a CV to the AJS office (ajs@ajs.cjh.org), with "Graduate Student CV – Lightning Session" in the subject line. Please also include the following information in the email text: your name, institution, and proposal title. Please note that lightning session proposals cannot be accepted from graduate students who are also submitting a proposal for a traditional session panel.

Digital Media Workshop. The Digital Media Workshop, an expansion of the digital media presentations at previous conferences, is a hands-on, interactive session in which individual scholars or teams of scholars can demonstrate their digital Jewish Studies projects and interact informally with conference attendees. Projects may include research and teaching tools, or born-digital scholarly works of particular interest to Jewish studies professors and students. The Digital Media Workshop will take place during a regular conference time slot. Presenters will be provided a monitor to display their work, and conference attendees will circulate from presentation to presentation. Digital Media Workshop Proposals follow the same format as for other individual presentations, i.e.: a 350-word abstract describing the purpose of the presentation, its use of the digital medium, and its specific contribution to Jewish Studies scholarship, research, or pedagogy. Please note that only open-access and non-profit digital research projects and tools will be considered for the Digital Media Workshop.

Meetings. A limited number of meetings or workshops grouped around a variety of purposes—for example, exploring issues in the field or discussing an ongoing project—are meant to provide a more informal setting for conversations. Such meetings, which usually take place during a breakfast or lunch, might feature a short opening presentation, followed by attendee discussion. Members may contact the Vice President for Program (Reuven Firestone at rfirestone@huc.edu) or AJS Executive Director (Rona Sheramy at ajs@ajs.cjh.org) to discuss ideas for such gatherings.

Works-in-Progress. (need to create description)

E. Online Submission of Proposals

Submission. All proposals must be submitted online via the AJS website no later than Wednesday, May 8, 2013 at 5:00 p.m. EST. There are no exceptions to this procedure, and it applies to both individual paper proposals, full session proposals, and proposals for other formats. You must use the self-contained, complete, and secure process directly linked to the AJS website. Proposals submitted by any other means or emailed directly to Division Coordinators will not be evaluated.

The first step in the submission process is payment of dues for the 2013–2014 membership year (September 1, 2013 to August 31, 2014) together with the appropriate conference registration fee via our online secure server. The AJS is unable to consider individual or session proposals submitted without these fees, and you will not be able to access the submission site, nor have your name added to a session proposal, if you have not completed payment for these items. Pre-payment of both membership and conference registration fees is meant to ensure the highest level of commitment to presenting at the conference if your proposal is accepted. If your proposal is accepted and you then cancel your participation, you eliminate a spot in the program that could have been taken by another scholar. If your proposal is not accepted and you do not plan to attend the conference, please notify the AJS office by November 15, 2013 and your conference registration fee will be refunded in full; membership dues are not refundable. See Section VI, Cancellation and Refund Policy for further information.

Divisions. When submitting your online proposal, you will need to identify the subject area division (see part IX, “Division Coordinators and Suggested Themes”) in which you choose to have your proposal considered. You may submit your proposal to one division only. However, Division Coordinators will work to place worthy proposals in more appropriate divisions if such proposals cannot be placed in the division to which they were submitted. Please contact Division Coordinators or the Vice President for Program with any preliminary questions regarding the best placement of your proposal.

Abstract. The core of the proposal is a 350-word abstract, which is to be entered directly on the web. Please exercise great care in formulating and editing your abstract, following the University of Chicago Manual of Style or MLA Style Sheet guidelines. Sample abstracts are available on the AJS website. All abstracts of accepted proposals will be made available online. Submitters may not change the paper title or abstract after the submission deadline.

Individual Paper Proposal. Those who are submitting a paper individually (not as part of pre-formed sessions) are required to submit a 350-word abstract, in addition to their contact information, division, and A.V. request. The abstract for an individual paper must explain the presentation’s purpose, methodology, sources, argument and specific contribution to scholarship in the field. In composing your abstract please bear in mind the time allotted for your presentation (20 minutes for a paper in a standard panel). The Division Coordinators and the Program Committee will assign accepted proposals to a session.

Digital Media Workshop Proposal. Those who are submitting a proposal for inclusion in the Digital Media Workshop are required to submit a 350-word abstract, in addition to their contact information. The abstract should describe the purpose of the presentation, its use of the digital medium, and its specific contribution to Jewish Studies scholarship, research, or pedagogy. Presenters will automatically be assigned a digital monitor.

Graduate Student Lightning Session Proposal. Those who are submitting a proposal for inclusion in the Lightning Session should submit a 150-word abstract describing their proposed presentation (a summary of research, a specific case-study, or a methodological problem), and the rubric (Ritual, Translation or Other) in which it fits. Please note that proposals cannot be accepted from graduate students who are submitting a proposal for a traditional panel session.

Session Proposal. For those proposing full panels, roundtables, seminars, and meetings, the organizer must create a session proposal with a 350-word abstract that explains the session's rationale and scholarly significance, and also lists the names and, in brief, contributions of each participant. Session organizers are responsible for submitting all other relevant information—paper titles, abstracts, AV requests, etc.—for each session participant. The abstract for each paper in a session, written by the individual scholar but submitted by the session organizer, should explain the presentation's purpose, methodology, sources, argument and specific contribution to scholarship in the field. Session organizers must make sure that each participant has paid his/her respective membership dues and conference registration fee, or else they will not be able to add that person to their session. Session organizers should also direct graduate student participants to submit their CV to the AJS office (ajs@ajs.cjh.org), with "Graduate Student CV" in the subject line. Graduate students should include the following information in the email text: name, institution, proposal title, session title, and division to which it was submitted. Session organizers should be aware that the Program Committee reserves the right to make adjustments to pre-arranged sessions (i.e., add or remove a paper, change the chair, discussant, or respondent position) in response to program needs. The Committee will make every effort to notify the session organizer regarding such changes. Session organizers should also direct graduate student participants to submit their CV to the AJS office (ajs@ajs.cjh.org), with "Graduate Student CV" in the subject line. Graduate students should include the following information in the email text: name, institution, proposal title, session title, and division to which it was submitted.

Audio-Visual Equipment. The AJS is able to provide one of the following pieces of equipment per presenter: CD player, TV/DVD, and a limited number of LCD projectors. A maximum of two pieces of equipment will be provided to pre-formed sessions. The online proposal form will ask you to specify your audio-visual needs and to explain how the requested equipment will be used in your presentation or session. Given the high cost of audio-visual equipment rental (e.g., $800 for a LCD projector; $400 for a DVD player/monitor), the AJS cannot guarantee that all audio-visual requests will be accommodated. The best way to ensure accommodation of your request is to provide a detailed and compelling need for its use (e.g., why the material cannot be shared by handout). Using digital projectors to present outlines of talks or simple text displays does not constitute a compelling need. Those using LCD projectors must provide their own laptops. The AJS cannot accept audio-visual requests after May 8, 2013. Do not request a piece of equipment unless it is essential for your presentation; unnecessary equipment adds significantly to the cost of the conference and registration fees, and limits the resources the AJS can allocate to other conference programs (i.e., travel grants ).

Confirmation. You must complete the entire online sequence in order for the AJS office to receive your proposal. Confirmation of your proposal’s receipt will be sent to your email address (this is different from the email confirming online payment). If you do not receive the submission confirmation, your proposal may not have reached the AJS office. In this case, please follow up with the AJS office to confirm receipt. Please submit your proposal in a timely fashion as the website for submitting proposals will close at 5:00 p.m. EST, on Wednesday, May 8, 2013.

Notification. The AJS office will notify you of decisions by email in July. Other than the email acknowledgment at the end of the online proposal process, there will be no other acknowledgment of receipt before July. If your proposal is not accepted and you do not plan to attend the conference, the AJS will refund your conference registration fee upon request until November 15, 2013. Membership dues are not refundable.

F. Graduate Student Presentations

The AJS welcomes graduate students to submit proposals for all conference formats: papers, sessions, digital media presentations, and the Lightning Session.

Graduate students at all stages of their training are now eligible to submit proposals. In addition, graduate students no longer need to submit a letter of recommendation from their advisor, but will need to submit a CV as part of the application process. The AJS strongly encourages graduate students to consult with their advisor about the best time in the course of their studies to submit a proposal (e.g., after a certain amount of coursework, while engaged in dissertation research, or when on the job market), and which format would be most appropriate (e.g., a twenty-minute paper or a five-minute lightning session presentation). Graduate students submitting proposals must email their CV to the AJS office (ajs@ajs.cjh.org), with "Graduate Student CV" in the subject line. Please also include the following information in the email text: your name, institution, proposal title, session title, and division to which it was submitted.

Please note that the Program Committee will not accept panel sessions in which all presenters are students; graduate students organizing sessions must invite at least one senior scholar—defined as a tenured professor, an independent scholar with equivalent accomplishments in the field, or an academic professional, i.,e. curator, archivist, librarian—to participate, either as a paper presenter, discussant, or respondent. Please note that senior scholars may not sit on a panel with more than two of her/his current or former students. Several special travel grants are available to graduate students on a competitive basis (see part VIII, “Travel Grants”).

G. Proposals from Scholars/Professionals Outside of Jewish Studies

The AJS welcomes scholars whose primary research is not within Jewish Studies but whose work has a direct impact on Jewish Studies and whose participation would enhance the annual meeting. A reminder: in order to submit a proposal and present at the conference, scholars outside the field must be or become AJS members.

The AJS will waive the membership fee requirement for a limited number of people

H. Session Chairs

The AJS seeks volunteers to serve as chairs of panels in their fields. If you are interested in serving as a session chair, please register yourself as a chair volunteer in the online conference submission site. You will be contacted if an appropriate spot becomes available. If you require a chair position for institutional funding, make sure to identify yourself as a volunteer by the submission deadline. Graduate students may not serve as session chairs. Further chair guidelines are available on the AJS website.

I. Sessions Seeking Participants

Session organizers seeking participants for their proposed panels, roundtables, meetings, or seminars may list their proposed session topics on the AJS website, along with their contact information. Those interested in joining one of the sessions may contact the organizer directly about submitting a proposal. For more information, go to www.ajsnet.org/session.htm. The page includes instructions on how to submit a proposed topic and contact a session organizer.

J. The Evaluation Process

Proposals will first be sent for review to the Division Coordinator, who is an expert in the field and has been appointed by the Vice-President for Program. Division Coordinators evaluate proposals, for both individual presentations and pre-formed panels, on the basis of several criteria, including contribution to the field, originality, methodology, and clarity of expression. When evaluating an individual proposal, coordinators will recommend either acceptance or rejection. If recommending acceptance, they will then try to place the proposal in a session with other individual submissions. Division Coordinators also evaluate session proposals and make recommendations for acceptance or rejection.

Division Coordinators then rank all the sessions (both those submitted as panels and those the coordinators have created) that it has recommended accepting. The Program Committee, a multi-disciplinary panel of experts in Jewish Studies, meet in early June to review the recommendations of Division Coordinators and make final decisions. Other senior scholars in the field may also assist in this final review process. Their names will be posted online once they have been selected. The Program Committee takes into consideration topics covered by all the divisions, as well as the limitations of time and space. Taking into account the entire gamut of proposed papers and sessions across divisions, the Program Committee attempts to find a place for individual papers that the Division Coordinators accepted but could not place into sessions.

Please Note: The AJS office staff does not make acceptance/rejection decisions regarding proposals but serves as the liason between the Program Committee and applicants regarding the status of their proposals, and ensures that all application requirements (e.g. payment of dues and fees) have been met.

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III. Special Conference Events

A. Films

The AJS will screen a select number of short and feature-length films at the conference. If you would like to suggest a film for screening or submit a film for consideration, please contact Professor Lawrence Baron (San Diego State University), chair of the Conference Film Committee, at lbaron@mail.sdsu.edu.

B. AJS Honors Its Authors

The AJS invites its members who have published books in Jewish Studies and related fields in 2013 to submit their book information for listing in a special brochure, to be shared with conference attendees at a coffee reception in honor of AJS authors on Monday, December 16, 2013. Authors, who must be AJS members, will be asked to submit information about their book to an online submission form, which will me made available this summer.

Members may also provide a copy of their book for a special display during the reception. Details will be circulated in Fall 2013.

C. Digital Media Workshop

The AJS will host a digital media workshop at the conference, where scholars may present research projects, research tools, teaching tools, and other born-digital projects. The workshop will be informal and interactive, with several digital monitors stationed in one room, allowing presenters to share their projects with small groups as people circulate from station to station. This workshop is meant to share innovative work in the digital humanities being conducted by AJS members, as well as to encourage Jewish Studies scholars to mentor eachother in the incorporation of digital media into their teaching and research. Members interested in participating in the Digital Media Workshop should submit a proposal through the online submission form. Please note that only open-access and non-profit digital research projects and tools will be considered for the Digital Media Workshop.

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IV. Pre-Registration, Badges, and Program Books

For presenters, chairs, discussants, and respondents, full payment of both membership dues and the advance conference registration fee is part of the submission process. This requirement is to ensure the highest level of commitment to presenting at the conference if your proposal is accepted. Click here for the AJS Refund policy. Other attendees may pre-register until 5:00 p.m., November 15, 2013 via the AJS website. Thereafter registration will take place on-site at the Sheraton Boston. Attendees must display badges at all times for admission to conference sessions and the book exhibit. Program books will be distributed on site at the conference hotel to all participants. A downloadable pdf of the program book will be available on the AJS website in early November. Those wishing to have the program book mailed to them first-class in advance of the conference may order one for $10.00 on the AJS website.

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V. Hotel, Meals, Travel, and Childcare

The Sheraton Boston has extended the AJS an extraordinary rate of $129.00 per room, single and double occupancy, not including taxes, with a limited number of rooms for students at $119.00. Reservations can be made by calling the Sheraton reservations line at 1-888-627-7954; it is very important for your reservation to be included in the AJS room block, so please make sure to ask for the Association for Jewish Studies rate.

To make reservations online, please click here for the AJS rate. Students only: please click here for the student room rate. Please do not use the regular Sheraton.com website or other hotel booking sites to make your reservation; the only way to access the special AJS reduced rate is through our group's special reservations links.

Kosher meals will be catered by Catering by Andrew, under the supervision of  the Vaad Harabonim. We look forward to having many attendees dining together throughout the conference, and especially at the Gala Banquet on Sunday, December 15, 2013. All meal reservations must be made by November 15, 2013.

The Parents Childcare Co-op hopes to again organize childcare support for parents wishing to participate in the conference. Please check the AJS website over the summer for information.

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VI. Cancellation and Refund Policy

Once a paper or session is submitted, it is expected that the author(s) will present their paper at the conference if the proposal is accepted. Participation in the conference is highly competitive, and a cancelled presentation eliminates a spot that could have accommodated another scholar. As a courtesy to AJS members, conference presenters, and attendees, the AJS strongly discourages presenters from canceling their participation in the conference. Please notify the AJS directly by September 15, 2013 if you are scheduled to participate in the conference program in any capacity and have a compelling need to cancel. No-shows (those who cancel without prior notification) will not be allowed to submit a proposal for the 2013 conference.

The refund policy is as follows: For program participants (chairs, presenters, discussants, etc.): requests for refunds of conference registration fees and meal payments must be received by September 15, 2013. No refunds will be issued after that date. For non-participants, requests for refunds of conference registration fees and meal payments must be received by November 15, 2013. No refunds will be issued after that date. All refunds will be charged a $20.00 processing fee ($10.00 for students), with the exception of refunds requested by those whose papers were not accepted. Membership dues are not refundable.

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VII. Conference Standards

In order to maintain a professional and comfortable environment for its members, conference registrants, and staff, the Association requires certain standards of behavior. These standards include, without limitation, courtesy of discourse, respect for the diversity of AJS members and conference attendees, and the ability to conduct business and participate in the AJS conference in a non-threatening, collegial atmosphere. AJS members and conference participants who do not uphold these standards may jeopardize their membership or conference participation.

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VIII. Travel Grants and Awards

Since 2009, the AJS has awarded more than $95,000 in travel grant funding to its members. The AJS remains committed to supporting wide participation in the conference. In particular, the AJS seeks to support untenured faculty, graduate students, unemployed scholars, and international scholars who receive little to no institutional support for conference travel. The AJS will be posting information about additional travel grant opportunities in the coming months. Please check back this spring. If you wish to contribute to the AJS Conference Travel Grant Fund, please click here.

A. Travel Grants for Faculty, Graduate Students, and Independent Scholars

1. AJS Graduate Student Travel Grants. The AJS will offer a limited number of travel grants to graduate students presenting papers or digital media presentations at the conference. Priority will go to graduate students receiving little to no institutional support for conference travel. Applicants may use the common application form, available this summer.

2. Rosalie Katchen Travel Grant sponsored by the HBI (Hadassah-Brandeis Institute) The Rosalie Katchen Travel Award is available to junior scholars presenting papers at the AJS annual meeting which deal with Jewish women and gender issues. Scholars who completed their dissertation within the past five years are invited to apply. Four travel grants of up to $250 each are awarded each year. Grants are paid to awardees following the AJS meeting. Grant Guidelines available on the HBI website: www.brandeis.edu/hbi/grants/kat_grant.html
Deadline: October 20, 2013

B. Other Travel Grants and Awards

1. AJS Women’s Caucus Travel Grant.  The AJS Women's Caucus awards travel grants to graduate students and independent scholars whose papers contribute to the study of women, feminism, and gender in Jewish Studies and have been accepted for presentation at the 2013 conference. Graduate students in all areas of Jewish studies who have not previously received a Women's Caucus Travel Grant are encouraged to apply.  The travel grants can be applied towards any conference-related costs (hotel, conference registration, childcare costs, etc.).  The application consists of: the AJS abstract/paper proposal; a paragraph explicitly stating how the paper broadens the current understanding of Jews and gender; a copy of the letter of acceptance from the AJS; a CV; and a proposed budget that includes other potential sources of financial support. Application documents may be electronically submitted as email attachments by September 15, 2013 to Melissa Klapper, klapper@rowan.edu. The Travel Grant Committee will notify applicants prior to the conference. Winners will also be announced at the Women's Caucus Breakfast, to which they are invited at no cost, and may therefore plan to attend.

2. AJS Women's Caucus Prize for Innovative Scholarship in Gender and Jewish Studies. The AJS Women's Caucus announces a prize for a paper presented at the AJS annual meeting within any discipline of Jewish studies that opens up new areas of inquiry or advances Jewish feminist or gender studies. The prize carries a cash award of $500. Papers must have been prepared especially for presentation at the 2013 AJS annual meeting. Papers should be submitted electronically in publishable form (with full citations and bibliography) by March 15, 2013. Submissions may be sent to Caryn Aviv at caryn.aviv@colorado.edu.

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IX. Division Coordinators and Suggested Themes

From those listed below, please identify the subject area in which you wish to have your proposal considered. Note: Several divisions include suggested themes for exploration. These suggestions do not preclude proposals on other topics.

1. Bible and the History of Biblical Interpretation

Literature of the Bible; world of the Bible; early post-Biblical literature (Apocrypha, Pseudepigrapha, Dead Sea Scrolls); interpretation of the Bible from antiquity to modern times. Sessions and papers related to any of these areas are welcomed.

Division Coordinator: Moshe Bernstein (Yeshiva University)*
mjbrnstn@yu.edu | (212) 960-5302
*Bible sub-committee: Alan Cooper (JTS) and Yitzhak Berger (Hunter College)

2. Rabbinic Literature and Culture

Talmudic law and literature; Midrash; Rabbinic texts from the end of the Second Temple period up through the Geonim. Please note: this division is historically delineated. It recognizes that some proposals may touch on aspects of the Second Temple period and/or medieval Jewry, but submissions that focus primarily on the Second Temple period or the medieval era or later should be submitted to other divisions. Please contact the Division Coordinators for recommendations of appropriate placement.

2013 Suggested Themes:

1. New Approaches to Purity Concepts, Language, and Laws
2. Palestinian Talmud: Text and Context
3. Relationship between Second Temple Period Texts and Rabbinics
4. Rabbinic Literature as a Provincial Literature
5. The division also welcomes proposals that invite a group of scholars to analyze the same text from a variety of perspectives.

Division Coordinators:

Beth Berkowitz (Jewish Theological Seminary)
beberkowitz@jtsa.edu

Aaron Panken (HUC-JIR)
apanken@huc.edu

3. Yiddish Studies

Yiddish literature and its history. Proposals for sessions conducted in Yiddish are welcome.

2013 Suggested Themes:

1. Yiddish Literature as World Literature
2. Yiddish Culture and Technology
3. Yiddish Culture and "the New Woman" in the Twentieth Century
4. Yiddish Culture as Jewish Culture

Division Coordinator: Marc Caplan (The Johns Hopkins University)
acaplan4@jhu.edu

4. Modern Jewish Literature and Culture

American Jewish literature; European Jewish literature; modern Sephardic literature; and their cultural contexts

2013 Suggested Themes:

1. What is Jewish Literary Criticism? What is a Jewish Literary Critic?
2. Ancient Texts/Modern Midrash
3. Work and/or Leisure in Modern Jewish Literature
4. The Impact (or Lack thereof) of Jewish Studies on Women's Studies in Literature

Division Coordinator: Meri-Jane Rochelson (Florida International University)
rochelso@fiu.edu

To join the listserve for the Modern Jewish Literature and Culture division, send an email to modernlit-ajs+subscribe@googlegroups.com.

5. Modern Hebrew Literature

Hebrew literature from the Haskalah on, including contemporary Israeli literature

2013 Suggested Themes:

1. The History of Hebrew Literary Criticism and Scholarship
2. New Directions in the Study of Hebrew Modernism
3. Hebrew Literature in Europe, America and the Middle East
4. Mapping Contemporary Israel Literature

Division Coordinator: Shachar Pinsker (University of Michigan)
spinsker@umich.edu

6. Medieval Jewish Philosophy

Jewish philosophy and its history in medieval and late medieval times.

2013 Suggested Themes:

1. Has Medieval Jewish Philosophy Fallen on Hard Times?
2. Rehabilitating Medieval Jewish Philosophy
3. Medieval Jewish Philosophy and the Natural Sciences
4. Philosophy and Kabbalah: Antagonisms and Crosspollinations

Division Coordinator: Aaron Hughes (SUNY Buffalo)
aaronhug@buffalo.edu

To join the listserve for the Medieval Jewish Philosophy division, email medievalphil-ajs+subscribe@googlegroups.com.

7. Jewish Mysticism

Literature, history, and phenomenology of Jewish mysticism in all periods

The Jewish Mysticism division is looking for proposals on a wide array of topics. It is especially interested in papers or panel proposals relating to the below themes.

2013 Suggested Themes:

1. Lashon ha-Kodesh and/in Kabbalah
2. Hasidism unexplored, Hasidic thinkers or trends that have not been the focus of scholarship
3. Kabbalah and Scholasticism
4. Sabbateanism Revisited
5. Contemporary Kabbalah
6. Kabbalah and the Scholar of Kabbalah

8. Modern Jewish Thought and Theology

Jewish philosophy and thought in modern times; modern Jewish religious movements

2013 Suggested Themes:

1. Rhetorical Strategies in Modern Jewish Thought and Theology
2. The role of Nature in Modern Jewish Thought and Theology
3. Ethics and the Good Life
4. New Trajectories in Modern Jewish Thought and Theology

Division Coordinator: Ken Koltun-Fromm (Haverford College)
kkoltunf@haverford.edu | (610) 896-1026

To join the list serve for the Modern Jewish Thought and Theology division, send an email to modernthought-ajs+subscribe@googlegroups.com.

9. Jewish History and Culture in Antiquity

History of the Jews and Judaism in the Persian, Greco-Roman, and Byzantine periods. This division particularly encourages submissions related to secular Jewish history in antiquity, encompassing such topics as agricultural or administrative histories, economics, including labor and trades, etc.

Division Coordinator: Seth Schwartz (Jewish Theological Seminary)
srs166@columbia.edu

10. Medieval and Early Modern Jewish History, Literature, and Culture

Jewish history in Muslim and Christian realms; Jewish literatures including but not limited to belles lettres, piyyut, and exegesis; medieval and early modern Jewish art, artifacts, and architecture.

Division Coordinator: Jonathan Decter (Brandeis University)
decter@brandeis.edu

11. Sephardi/Mizrahi Studies

The Sephardi/Mizrahi Studies division seeks submissions that are area specific and interdisciplinary on the history and culture of Sephardi and Mizrahi Jewry. The division also encourages scholars to propose sessions that bring together junior and senior faculty.

2013 Suggested Themes:

1. Sephardi/Mizrahi and Popular Culture (Film, TV, Music, etc.)
2. Sephardim/Mizrahi Living among and Interacting with Others
3. Sephardim in the Americas and in Israel
4. Ladino Culture

12. Modern Jewish History in Europe, Asia, Israel, and Other Communities

2013 Suggested Themes:

1. Jewish Modernities
2. Jewish Religious Identities
3. Jews in the Imperial Context
4. Legal Foundations of Jewish Life

Division Coordinator: Jeffrey Veidlinger (Indiana University)
jveidlin@indiana.edu | (812) 856-6013

To join the list serve for the Modern Jewish History in Europe, Asia, Israel, and Other Communities division, send an email to modhist-world-ajs+subscribe@googlegroups.com.

13. Modern Jewish History in the Americas

This division seeks proposals that deal with some aspect of Jewish history in the Americas.

2013 Suggested Themes:

1. Comparative and/or Transnational Perspectives on American Jewish History
2. Explorations of Jewish Culture in the Americas (theater, literature, film, television, the arts, etc.)
3. Examinations of Gender and Jewish History in the Americas
4. Theoretical and Methodological Innovations in the Field, including New Approaches to Social, Economic, Ethnic, and Religious History.

Division Coordinator: Beth Wenger (University of Pennsylvania)
bwenger@sas.upenn.edu | (215) 898-5702

14. Israel Studies

Multi- and interdisciplinary studies of Israeli society, culture, and politics

2013 Suggested Themes:

1. Israel at 65: The Impact of Sovereignty on Jewish History and Culture
2. Israeli and Jewish Identities: Convergences and Divergences
3. Jews and Non-Jews in the Jewish State and Beyond: Identities, Histories, and Changing Relations
4. Holy Land and Homeland: Israeli Statehood and the Changing Meanings and Images of the Land
5. New Trends in Scholarship on Israel

Division Coordinator: Arieh Saposnik (UCLA)
asaposnik@humnet.ucla.edu

15. Holocaust Studies

The Holocaust Division considers individual paper and organized panel proposals on any area of Holocaust Studies.

2013 Suggested Themes:

1. Jewish Self Help During the Holocaust
2. The Documentary Imperative: Archives, Diaries, Journals
3. Cultural Life under Nazi Occupation
4. Dilemmas of Jewish Leadership

Division Coordinator: Samuel Kassow (Trinity College)
samuel.kassow@trincoll.edu | (860) 297-2390

16. Jews and the Arts

Representation of Judaism and Jews in visual art, music, theater, and dance; the role of the arts in Jewish history and civilization. The following themes serve as suggestions and are to be interpreted broadly. Submissions need not be limited to these themes.

2013 Suggested Themes:

1. Enforcing and Breaking Genre Boundaries
2. Arts Funding and Jewish Philanthropy
3. The "Place" of the Arts in Jewish Studies
4. Creative Expression and Strategies of Jewish Identity

Division Coordinator: Judah Cohen (Indiana University)
cohenjm@indiana.edu | (812) 855-0141

To join the list serve for the Jews and the Arts division, send an email to
arts-ajs+subscribe@googlegroups.com.

17. Social Science, Anthropology, and Folklore

Sociology, anthropology, folklore, political science, and social psychology as applied to Jewish communities.

2013 Suggested Themes:

1. Jewish Identity on the "Borderland" — Fluidity, Malleability, and Hybridity
2. Diaspora-Israel Relations
3. Jews and American Politics
4. Jewish Organizations: Transformation or Decline

To join the list serve for the Social Science, Anthropology, and Folklore division, send an email to socsci-ajs+subscribe@googlegroups.com.

Division Coordinator: Ted Sasson (Middlebury College/Brandeis University)
sasson@middlebury.edu | (802) 443-5304

18. Gender Studies

The Gender Studies division welcomes organized panels dealing with women or men, femininities and masculinities, in Jewish civilization and religion, specifically as these studies relate to issues of gender. Seminars, roundtables, and other innovative formats for sessions are particularly encouraged.

Division Coordinator: Chava Weissler (Lehigh University)
chava.weissler@lehigh.edu | (610) 868-6604

19. Linguistics, Semiotics, and Philology

Linguistic, semiotic, or philological studies of Hebrew, Yiddish, and other Jewish languages; language instruction in Hebrew, Yiddish, other Jewish languages.

2013 Suggested Themes:

1. The Languages of Mizrahi/Sephardi Jews
2. Jewish Languages and Migration
3. Jewish Languages in the Twenty-first Century
4. Jewish Languages in Israel

To join the list serve for the Linguistics, Semiotics, and Philology division, send an email to linguistics-ajs+subscribe@googlegroups.com.

20. Special Topics, Interdisciplinary

For interdisciplinary and other areas. Proposals that address pedagogy are especially encouraged.

Division Coordinator: Andrea Most (University of Toronto)
andrea.most@utoronto.ca | (416) 946-0828

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X. Program Committee

Reuven Firestone (HUC-JIR, Los Angeles), chair
Jay Berkowitz (UMass, Amherst)
Judith Hauptman (JTS)
Shaul Kelner (Vanderbilt University)
Pamela Nadell (American University)
Lisa Leff (American University)
Adam Teller (Brown University)
Wendy Zierler (HUC-JIR, New York)

Yedida Eisenstat (JTS), student representative
Jeffrey Shandler (Rutgers), ex officio
Rona Sheramy (AJS), ex officio

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XI. Important Dates and Deadlines

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