Youth Conferences on Jewish Studies

Each summer during the students’ holidays (generally in the first half of June) Sefer organizes the International youth conference on Jewish Studies. Usually, Moscow or Moscow region hosts the conference.

Many sections covering such topics as Biblical study and semitology, Jewish thought, Jewish history, Ethno-cultural ties, Israel studies, Jewish literature, arts and music, social studies and psychology, and others are in work during the conferences. Attention of the conferences’ participants is also paid to the contemporary State of Israel, its internal situation and foreign affaires.

Students from Russian and FSU states of benefit from conferences, as they contribute to solving a problem of learning and teaching academic Jewish studies and its aspects, enlarging their knowledge in culture, history, arts and traditions of the Hebrew nation, learning Hebrew and the Yiddish languages. Technically it is done through organization of plenary sessions, lectures and presentations, discussion, subject-devoted panels for discussion of certain directions and aspects of the indicated topics.

Long-term practical experience proves the efficiency of such a way of holding youth conferences, as many students that were showing interest to the Jewish civilization and participating in the Sefer conferences, managed to launch scientific or teaching careers.

Students, post-graduates, young scientists and researchers (up to 35 years old) engaged into research in different fields of the Jewish history, culture and civilization are invited to take part in the conference.

The best reports made at the conference are published in Tirosh (annually published collection articles by students, post- graduates and researchers covering various aspects of Jewish studies).