25.09.25
Editorial Note
Five academics withdrew their participation from a Colloquium on the History of French Jews at the Musée d’Art et d’Histoire du Judaïsme (MAHJ) in Paris because of the war in Gaza.
The museum deplored this argument as an “unprecedented boycott.”
The Colloquium, “Jewish Histories of Paris (Middle Ages and Modern Era),” took place on September 15-16, 2025. The Colloquium intended to bring together 25 French and Israeli historians. One of the intended participants was a doctoral student from the Department of Medieval History at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
The five researchers who declined to participate cited the fact that the Hebrew University of Jerusalem funded the student. Some researchers argued that participation in the Colloquium ”amounted to support for the Israeli government.” Others referred to the war in Gaza to question the organizational involvement.
MAHJ published a strong statement arguing that the conference, “directed by Liliane Hilaire-Pérez and Évelyne Oliel-Grausz, in preparation since 2024 in collaboration with Israeli and French researchers, was initially scheduled to bring together 25 historians specializing in the medieval and modern periods. Five researchers recently canceled their participation, on the pretext that a medieval history research program at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJ)—directed by Elisheva Baumgarten, a prominent medievalist and Dean of Humanities at the HUJ—was funding the participation of a doctoral student, as is customary. Some argued that their participation amounted to support for the Israeli government. Others paradoxically justified their withdrawal with a motion (in November 2024, adopted by 35 of the institution’s 250 EHESS researchers) rejecting institutional partnerships while rejecting the researchers’ boycott. Others simply cited the war in Gaza to question the organization of the conference. Still others withdrew without giving an explicit reason. In total, out of 25 speakers, five are now missing.”
Adding that, “Even during the Cold War, universities have always welcomed researchers from all countries. This boycott is unprecedented in the long history of academic relations between French and Israeli researchers. It compromises the progress of knowledge in a field that is still poorly taught—the history of the Jewish presence in France—in which Israeli academics play an important role. It absurdly harms Israeli academia, some of whose representatives are among the most opposed to the continuation of the war in Gaza. It confuses researchers with political leaders, on the pretext that their research, like that of their French colleagues, is funded by the state. It denotes a complete misunderstanding of the academic situation in Israel.”
The Association of European Jewish Museums (AEJM) likewise condemned the five academics. The organization stressed that the “Jewish Museums have always been collaborating with researchers of Jewish history, culture, and religion, regardless of where they were born or where they conduct their research. It goes without saying that this includes collaborations with academic institutions and universities in Israel and with Israeli citizens.” Therefore, the Board of AEJM “strongly condemns the withdrawal of five French scholars from participation in the colloquium… We consider the explanation for their decision, justified by the participation of a PhD student from Israel whose travel costs are being covered by the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, as a flagrant violation of the scientific principle that the relevance of research does not depend on the country in which it takes place. Hostility toward Israeli academic or cultural institutions is gaining more and more momentum in the field of Jewish Studies and Jewish Museums. The AEJM Board observes this development with great concern. We strongly reject any attempt to boycott individuals who are affiliated with Israeli universities or cultural institutions.”
Prof. Évelyne Oliel-Grausz, a history professor at Paris-Cité University, currently on delegation to the French Research Center in Jerusalem (CRFJ), part of the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), is a co-organizer of the Colloquium. In response, she stated that “The increase in boycotts in our circles reveals an amalgamation, a dangerous confusion.” The successive withdrawals of the five speakers occurred gradually after the program was published in July, she said. “They argued that the extremely limited financial support from an Israeli university was unacceptable, while it is customary for a laboratory to pay for a doctoral student’s plane ticket. In our opinion, this participation has nothing political about it and cannot be linked to the war in Gaza.” She insisted that “This is not a partnership. And many Israeli researchers are committed to opposing this war; it’s a false accusation,” she said.
She added, “Israeli researchers are automatically accused of being complicit and responsible for the suffering of the war, and are marginalized because they are Israelis.” She called for “protecting scientific and cultural cooperation.”
Oliel-Grausz also stated that she was “shocked by this political manipulation” but rejected “the references to anti-Semitism… We do not wish to make any personal denunciations; we respect the choice of these perfectly estimable and respectable colleagues, who have every right to withdraw.” The museum decided not to disclose the names of the researchers in its press release.
Pierre Gervais, a professor from the English Department at Sorbonne-Nouvelle University, one of the speakers who withdrew from the Colloquium, explained, “The problem was neither the presence of colleagues from Israel, nor their funding, but the display of Israeli governmental or para-governmental institutions as partners in the conference – and not just a university, but also the Israel Science Foundation, whose funding covers all fields, including those with military applications.” Gervais, stated that he “wrote it out in full” in emails announcing his withdrawal from the event. He denounces a “deliberate lie” from the museum in its press release. He emphasizes that his withdrawal is not a “pretext” linked to the travel expenses of a doctoral student, but “the decision to display, on the French side, the support of Israeli institutions, with all the political implications that this entails,” with the mention of the Israel Science Foundation on the Colloquium program in July, making Israeli participation institutional. “I asked the organizers for a correction, which they refused,” he regrets.
Oliel-Grausz confirmed that the Colloquium was going ahead, with the aim of “a scientific approach to shedding light on the history of the Jews of France, many aspects of which remain opaque in the national narrative.”
Interestingly, the identities of the historians are disclosed on social media.
It is worth reiterating that even at the height of the Cold War, Western scholars welcomed colleagues from communist regimes to academic forums, and today, researchers from authoritarian and totalitarian states continue to be included in international panels. For example, despite Iran’s brutal human rights record – more than a thousand people have been hanged so far this year and its war by proxy against Israel – Iranian scholars have participated in international gatherings. To single out Israeli Jewish scholars for exclusion is not only a violation of academic freedom, but also a stark example of double standards that undermines the very principles of scholarly exchange that such boycotts claim to defend.
REFERENCES:
Les histoires juives de Paris (Moyen Âge et Époque moderne)
Lundi 15 septembre : Bibliothèque de l’Arsenal
Mardi 16 septembre : mahJ (complet)
Les histoires juives de Paris. Historiographies, sources et recherches en cours (Moyen Âge et Époque moderne)
Lundi 15 septembre à la Bibliothèque de l’Arsenal (10h)
Mardi 16 septembre au mahJ (9h30)
Colloque organisé par Liliane Hilaire-Pérez (Université Paris Cité, ECHELLES / EHESS, CAK) et Evelyne Oliel-Grausz (CRFJ-CNRS / Université Paris Cité, ECHELLES)
À l’exception de quelques figures ou événements, souvent liés à l’émancipation, l’histoire des juifs à Paris avant 1800 demeure méconnue. Elle est pourtant riche et complexe, et demande à être explorée, tant sur le plan de l’espace urbain, que sur celui du rôle économique et culturel des juifs.
Dès l’époque médiévale, des archives notariales, policières, ou carcérales ont été produites au sujet des juifs parisiens. Ce colloque reviendra sur leur histoire en mettant en perspective ces sources, et en s’intéressant à des périodes de la vie juive parisienne peu étudiées comme la fin du XVIIIe siècle et la Révolution.
Les histoires juives de Paris. Historiographies, sources et recherches en cours (Moyen Âge – Époque moderne) Lundi 15 et mardi 16 septembre 2025 Paris Bibliothèque de l’Arsenal Musée d’art et d’histoire du Judaïsme (mahJ) Organisatrices Liliane Hilaire-Pérez (Université Paris Cité, ECHELLES / EHESS, CAK) Evelyne Oliel-Grausz (CRFJ-CNRS / Université Paris Cité, ECHELLES) Carte de commerce de Samuel Wolf Openheim (British Museum : Heal 126.13) Entrée libre mais inscription obligatoire Lundi 15 septembre à la Bibliothèque de l’Arsenal : liliane.hilaire-perez@u-paris.frevelyne.oliel-grausz@u-paris.fr Mardi 16 septembre au mahJ : mahj.org 15 septembre 2025 BnF – Bibliothèque de l’Arsenal 1 rue Sully 75004 Paris Accueil 10h00 10h15 Introduction Traces et présences des Juifs à Paris avant 1800 10h30 Session 1 – Vies juives à Paris au Moyen Âge Claire Soussen (Sorbonne Université, Centre Roland Mousnier), discutante 10h30-11h00 Manon Banoun (Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, ARSCAN) Les communautés juives parisiennes et leurs quartiers (XIIe -XIVe s.), entre mobilités et (dis)continuités. 11h00-11h30 Hannah Teddy Schachter (The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Contending with Crises) The Queen of France and the Talmud Trial of Paris, 1240. 11h30-12h00 Pinchas Roth (Bar Ilan University) From Judah Sirleon to Yehiel of Paris: The Thirteenth-Century Rabbinic Center in Paris. 12h00-12h30 Discussion Pause déjeuner 14h00 Session 2 – Les Juifs et l’emprisonnement à Paris (Époque moderne) Natalia Muchnik (EHESS, CRH), discutante 14h00-14h30 Claire Lesage (Bibliothèque de l’Arsenal) Les ressources sur l’histoire des juifs à Paris aux XVIIe et XVIIIe siècles dans les archives de la Bastille et des autres prisons parisiennes. 14h30-15h00 Ulrike Krampl (Université de Tours, CeTHiS) La police de Paris face aux écrits en « hébreu moderne » des prisonniers juifs au XVIIIe siècle. 15h00-15h15 – Discussion Pause Session 3- Les grandes enquêtes et la fabrique de l’histoire des Juifs à Paris au XVIIIe siècle Michael Gasperoni (CNRS, IHMC), discutant 15h45-16h15 Mathias Dreyfuss (CRH, EHESS) Enquête sur l’enquête. Autour des Documents sur les Juifs de Paris au XVIIIe siècle (1913) de Paul Hildenfinger. 16h15-16h45 – Discussion 16 septembre 2025 Musée d’art et d’histoire du Judaïsme (mahJ) Hôtel de Saint-Aignan, 71 rue du Temple 75003 Paris 9h30 Accueil 9h45-13h00 Session 4 – Vivre et travailler avec les Juifs à Paris aux XVIIe et XVIIIe siècles Guillaume Calafat (Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, IUF, IHMC), Catherine Lanoë (Université Versailles Saint-Quentin, DYPAC), discutant.e.s 9h45-10h15 Simona Crosta (Université Paris Cité – Université de Bologne) Juifs et nouveaux chrétiens à Paris au début du XVIIe siècle : Élie de Montalto et l’entourage de Leonora Galigaï. 10h15-10h45 Isabelle Bretthauer (Archives nationales) Au croisement des archives judiciaires et des archives privées : l’apport des fonds des institutions d’Ancien Régime sur la présence juive à Paris au XVIIIe siècle. Pause 11h00-11h30 Nicolas Lyon-Caen (CNRS, IHMC) Nouvelles perspectives sur les juifs avignonnais à Paris au XVIIIe siècle. 11h30-12h00 Liliane Hilaire-Pérez (Université Paris Cité, ECHELLES/EHESS, CAK), Bernard Vaisbrot (Centre Medem) Juifs et non juifs à Paris au XVIIIe siècle : analyser les continuités. 12h00-12h30 Discussion Pause déjeuner 14h00 Session 5 – Les Juifs et la Révolution : une histoire en chantier 14h00-14h30 Evelyne Oliel-Grausz (CRFJ-CNRS / Université Paris Cité, ECHELLES) Agentivité, savoir du politique et espace parisien : la députation des juifs de Bordeaux à Paris sous la Constituante. 14h30-15h00 Sylvie-Anne Goldberg (CRH, EHESS) Entre ce que l’on sait déjà et ce que l’on ignore encore : de la clandestinité à la citoyenneté, que faire des Juifs dans l’histoire de la Revolution ? Discussion 15h30-16h30 Session 6 – Conférence de clôture Jay Berkovitz (University of Massachusetts Amherst, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem) Piecing Together a History of Jewish Paris in the Aftermath of the Revolution: Echoes of the Exceptional and the Everyday. Avec le soutien du laboratoire ECHELLES UMR 8264, de la BnF-Bibliothèque de l’Arsenal et du musée d’art et d’histoire du Judaïsme (mahJ), de la Fondation du Judaïsme Français et de la Fondation Rothschild – Institut Alain de Rothschild Nous remercions le programme de recherche Contending with Crises (Israel Science Foundation/ The Hebrew University of Jerusalem) pour sa participation aux frais de mission.
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Pour la première fois depuis sa création en 1998, le musée d’art et d’histoire du Judaïsme voit un des colloques scientifiques qu’il coorganise boycotté par des chercheurs. Proposé le 15 septembre 2025 à la bibliothèque de l’Arsenal et le 16 septembre au mahJ, le colloque « Les histoires juives de Paris (Moyen Âge et Époque moderne) », sous la direction de Liliane Hilaire-Pérez et d’Évelyne Oliel-Grausz, en préparation depuis 2024 en collaboration avec des chercheurs israéliens et français, devait initialement réunir 25 historiens, spécialistes des époques médiévale et moderne. Cinq chercheurs ont récemment annulé leur participation, au prétexte qu’un programme de recherche en histoire médiévale de l’Université hébraïque de Jérusalem (UHJ) – dirigé par Elisheva Baumgarten, éminente médiéviste et doyenne des humanités à l’UHJ –, finançait la participation d’une doctorante, comme c’est l’usage. Certains ont argué du fait que leur participation équivalait à soutenir le gouvernement israélien. D’autres ont paradoxalement justifié ce retrait par une motion (de novembre 2024, adoptée par 35 chercheurs de l’EHESS sur les 250 que compte l’institution), refusant les partenariats institutionnels tout en rejetant le boycott des chercheurs. D’autres ont simplement fait référence à la guerre à Gaza pour remettre en cause les modalités d’organisation du colloque. D’autres enfin se sont désistés sans motif explicite. Au total, sur 25 intervenants, cinq manquent désormais à l’appel. Cette attitude est une offense à l’autonomie de la recherche et à l’indépendance de la République des Lettres. Même pendant la guerre froide les universités ont toujours accueilli des chercheurs de tous les pays. Ce boycott est sans précédent dans la longue histoire des relations académiques entre chercheurs français et israéliens. Il compromet les progrès de la connaissance dans un domaine encore mal enseigné – l’histoire de la présence juive en France – pour lequel les universitaires israéliens jouent un rôle important. Il dessert absurdement le monde universitaire israélien, dont certains représentants figurent parmi les plus opposés à la poursuite de la guerre à Gaza. Il confond les chercheurs et les responsables politiques, au prétexte que leurs recherches sont financées, comme celles de leurs collègues français, par l’État. Il dénote une totale incompréhension de la situation académique en Israël. Dominique Schnapper, présidente du mahJ Paul Salmona, directeur du mahJ Liliane Hilaire-Pérez, université Paris Cité Évelyne Oliel-Grausz, Centre de recherche français à Jérusalem-Cnrs / université Paris Cité Lien vers le programme du colloque remanié pour tenir compte de ces désistements : https://cutt.ly/jrCqfzxy Communiqué de presse 10 septembre 2025 mahj.org Carte de commerce de Samuel Wolf Oppenheim, marchand de Paris établi à Londres © The Trustees of the British Museum Visuel du colloque « Les histoires juives de Paris. Historiographies, sources et recherches en cours (Moyen Âge – Époque moderne) » Musée d’art et d’histoire du Judaïsme Hôtel de Saint-Aignan 71, rue du Temple 75003 Paris www.mahj.org métro: Rambuteau, Hôtel-de-Ville RER: Châtelet – les Halles bus: 29, 38, 47, 75 parking: Beaubourg, Hôtel-de-Ville 
Dominique Schnapper, présidente du mahJ Paul Salmona, directeur Muriel Sassen, responsable de la communication et des publics Relations presse Sandrine Adass 01 53 01 86 67 06 85 73 53 99 sandrine.adass@mahj.org Un colloque sur l’histoire des juifs de France boycotté par des universitaires
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For the first time since its creation in 1998, the Museum of Jewish Art and History has seen one of the scientific conferences it co-organizes boycotted by researchers.
Proposed on September 15, 2025, at the Arsenal Library and on September 16 at the MahJ, the conference “Jewish Histories of Paris (Middle Ages and Modern Era),” directed by Liliane Hilaire-Pérez and Évelyne Oliel-Grausz, in preparation since 2024 in collaboration with Israeli and French researchers, was initially scheduled to bring together 25 historians specializing in the medieval and modern periods. Five researchers recently canceled their participation, on the pretext that a medieval history research program at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (UHJ)—directed by Elisheva Baumgarten, a prominent medievalist and Dean of Humanities at the UHJ—was funding the participation of a doctoral student, as is customary. Some argued that their participation amounted to support for the Israeli government. Others paradoxically justified their withdrawal with a motion (in November 2024, adopted by 35 of the institution’s 250 EHESS researchers) rejecting institutional partnerships while rejecting the researchers’ boycott. Others simply cited the war in Gaza to question the organization of the conference. Still others withdrew without giving an explicit reason. In total, out of 25 speakers, five are now missing. This attitude is an offense to the autonomy of research and the independence of the Republic of Letters. Even during the Cold War, universities have always welcomed researchers from all countries. This boycott is unprecedented in the long history of academic relations between French and Israeli researchers. It compromises the progress of knowledge in a field that is still poorly taught—the history of the Jewish presence in France—in which Israeli academics play an important role. It absurdly harms Israeli academia, some of whose representatives are among the most opposed to the continuation of the war in Gaza. It confuses researchers and political leaders, on the pretext that their research, like that of their French colleagues, is funded by the state. It denotes a complete misunderstanding of the academic situation in Israel. Dominique Schnapper, President of the mahJ
Paul Salmona, Director of the mahJ
Liliane Hilaire-Pérez, Paris Cité University
Évelyne Oliel-Grausz, French Research Center in Jerusalem-CNRS / Paris Cité University
Link to the conference program, revised to reflect these cancellations: https://cutt.ly/jrCqfzxy
Press release
September 10, 2025 mahj.org
Trading card of Samuel Wolf Oppenheim, a merchant from Paris who settled in London
© The Trustees of the British Museum
Visual of the conference “Jewish Histories
of Paris.” Historiographies, Sources, and Current Research (Middle Ages – Modern Period) »
Museum of Jewish Art and History
Hôtel de Saint-Aignan
71, rue du Temple 75003 Paris
www.mahj.org
Metro: Rambuteau, Hôtel-de-Ville
RER: Châtelet – Les Halles
Bus: 29, 38, 47, 75
Parking: Beaubourg, Hôtel-de-Ville Dominique Schnapper,
President of the mahJ Paul Salmona,
Director Muriel Sassen,
Head of Communications
and Public Affairs Press Relations
Sandrine Adass
01 53 01 86 67
06 85 73 53 99
sandrine.adass@mahj.org
A conference on Jewish history of France
boycotted by academics
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https://www.leparisien.fr/societe/cinq-universitaires-annulent-leur-venue-a-un-colloque-sur-lhistoire-des-juifs-de-france-lorganisateur-denonce-un-boycott-11-09-2025-MWA43ZGVWZGUTPJGULV2244HSU.php
Five academics cancel their attendance at a conference on the history of French Jews; the organizer denounces a “boycott”
According to the organizer, the Museum of Jewish Art and History (Mahj), these researchers notably affirmed that “their participation was equivalent to supporting the Israeli government.”By Le Parisien with AFP September 11 , 2025 at 3:26 p.m.
Several academics have cancelled their participation in a conference on the history of French Jews , citing reasons linked to the war in Gaza , the Museum of Jewish Art and History (Mahj) announced on Thursday, deploring an “unprecedented boycott”.
“Five French researchers recently canceled their participation” in the conference “Jewish History of Paris (Middle Ages and Modern Era)” organized on September 15 and 16 in the capital, the museum stated in a press release . This is “the first time since its creation in 1998” that such an event has occurred, it added, without citing the names of the researchers concerned.
The war in Gaza is the cause
The researchers canceled the conference “on the grounds that a research program” at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem “was funding the participation of a doctoral student,” according to the statement. Some “argued that their participation amounted to support for the Israeli government (…). Others simply referred to the war in Gaza to question the organizational arrangements,” added the museum, which maintained the conference but revised it.
“This boycott (…) absurdly serves the Israeli academic world, some of whose representatives are among those most opposed to the continuation of the war in Gaza” and “confuses researchers and political leaders,” he adds.
“This must call for sanctions,” Yonathan Arfi, president of the CRIF (Representative Council of Jewish Institutions in France), told AFP, saying he was “unfortunately not surprised, because we are in a period where a kind of lead blanket is being imposed everywhere with a cultural hegemony of obsession and hatred of Israel.”
For its part, the Licra denounced X as an “ideological spit” which “undermines the very principle of research by calling into question its autonomy.”
“Making participation in this event conditional on the Gaza conflict constitutes a dangerous confusion between unrelated realities, and an amalgamation that weakens academic freedom,” said Ariel Goldmann, president of the Fondation du Judaïsme Français, in a statement.
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https://france3-regions.franceinfo.fr/paris-ile-de-france/paris/polemique-boycott-d-un-colloque-sur-l-histoire-des-juifs-de-france-un-chercheur-explique-son-retrait-et-craint-un-cyberharcelement-inevitable-3216110.htmlCONTROVERSY. “Boycott” of a conference on the history of French Jews: a researcher explains his withdrawal and fears “inevitable” cyberbullying
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Published on12/09/2025 at 6:39 p.m.
Faced with the withdrawal of five researchers from a conference on “Jewish History in Paris,” the Museum of Jewish Art and History has denounced this “boycott.” Pierre Gervais, one of the speakers who canceled his participation, explains his approach.
This is a first in its history, according to the Museum of Jewish Art and History (mahJ). In a statement released Wednesday, the institution located in the Marais deplores the ” boycott ” of a scientific conference it is co-organizing. Scheduled for Monday, September 15 and Tuesday, September 16, this event dedicated to ” Jewish history of Paris ” in the Middle Ages and the modern era was to bring together 25 French and Israeli historians. But ” five French researchers recently canceled their participation, on the pretext that a research program in medieval history at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (…) was funding the participation of a doctoral student ,” according to the text.
” Some argued that their participation amounted to supporting the Israeli government. Others paradoxically justified this withdrawal with a motion [adopted by members of the School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences (EHESS), Editor’s note] refusing institutional partnerships while rejecting the boycott of researchers. Others simply referred to the war in Gaza to question the organization of the conference. Still others withdrew without explicit reason ,” the mahJ states.
The increase in boycotts in our circles reveals an amalgamation, a dangerous confusion.Évelyne Oliel-Grausz, co-organizer of the conference
The successive withdrawals of the five speakers occurred gradually after the program was broadcast in July, explains Évelyne Oliel-Grausz, co-organizer of the conference, to France 3 Paris Île-de-France. ” They argued that the extremely limited financial support from an Israeli university was unacceptable, while it is customary for a laboratory to pay for a doctoral student’s plane ticket. In our opinion, this participation has nothing political about it and cannot be linked to the war in Gaza. As in France, the research of Israeli colleagues is funded by the state ,” argues this history professor at Paris-Cité University, currently on delegation to the French Research Center in Jerusalem (CRFJ), which is part of the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS).
” This is not a partnership. And many Israeli researchers are committed to opposing this war; it’s a false accusation ,” argues Évelyne Oliel-Grausz. ” The proliferation of boycotts in our circles reveals a confusion, a dangerous amalgam. Israeli researchers are automatically accused of being complicit and responsible for the suffering of the war, and are marginalized because they are Israeli ,” denounces the historian, who calls for ” protecting scientific and cultural cooperation .”
Accusations of “anti-Semitism” and “political exploitation”
The press release sparked numerous reactions in support of the museum from associations such as the International League Against Racism and Anti-Semitism (Licra), which denounced an ” ideological spit ” that ” undermines the very principle of research by calling into question its autonomy ,” as well as the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions in France (CRIF), whose president Yonathan Arfi called for ” sanctions ” in the face of ” a cultural hegemony of obsession and hatred of Israel ,” according to AFP .
Several elected officials also reacted. On the right, Rachida Dati (LR), Minister of Culture and Mayor of the 7th arrondissement, declared that ” these repeated calls for boycotts of artists, shows, conferences, and blockades of establishments are becoming pretexts for outright and assumed anti-Semitism .”
On the Socialist Party side, Emmanuel Grégoire described the boycott as ” shameful ” while Karen Taïeb , the deputy mayor of Paris in charge of heritage, history and relations with religions, wrote on X: ” How long are we going to let this fester? “
Évelyne Oliel-Grausz stated that she was ” shocked by this political manipulation ” and rejected ” the references to anti-Semitism .” ” We do not wish to make any personal denunciations; we respect the choice of these perfectly estimable and respectable colleagues, who have every right to withdraw, ” the historian emphasized, recalling that the museum decided not to disclose the names of the researchers concerned in the press release.
Researcher denounces museum’s “deliberate lie”
When contacted, Pierre Gervais, one of the speakers who withdrew from the conference, fears that ” cyberbullying is inevitable .” While an article in Le Point has already made the speakers easily identifiable, this professor from the English-speaking world department at Sorbonne-Nouvelle University has authorized us to publish his name, to tell the story of his approach.
” The problem was neither the presence of colleagues from Israel, nor their funding, but the display of Israeli governmental or para-governmental institutions as partners in the conference – and not just a university, but also the Israel Science Foundation, whose funding covers all fields, including those with military applications ,” replies Pierre Gervais, who specifies that he ” wrote it out in full ” in emails announcing his withdrawal from the event.
He denounces a ” deliberate lie ” from the museum in his press release. He emphasizes that his withdrawal is not a ” pretext ” linked to the travel expenses of a doctoral student, but explains it by ” the decision to display, on the French side, the support of Israeli institutions, with all the political implications that this entails ,” with the mention of the Israel Science Foundation on the conference program in July, making Israeli participation ” institutional .” ” I asked the organizers for a correction, which they refused ,” he regrets.
For her part, Évelyne Oliel-Grausz confirmed that the conference will indeed take place, with the aim of ” a scientific approach to shedding light on the history of the Jews of France, many aspects of which remain opaque in the national narrative .”
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Statement of the AEJM Board with regard to the decision of five French academics to boycott the Colloquium “Jewish histories of Paris”
Posted on:September 14th, 2025By:AEJM
Jewish Museums have always been collaborating with researchers of Jewish history, culture and religion, regardless of where they were born or where they conduct their research. It goes without saying that this includes collaborations with academic institutions and universities in Israel and with Israeli citizens.
Therefore, the Board of the Association of European Jewish Museums (AEJM) strongly condemns the withdrawal of five French scholars from participation in the colloquium “Jewish Histories of Paris” which the Musée de l’Art et de l’Histoire du Judaisme (mahJ) plans to hold on 15-16 September. We consider the explanation for their decision, justified by the participation of a PhD student from Israel whose travel costs are being covered by the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, as a flagrant violation of the scientific principle that the relevance of research does not depend on the country in which it takes place.
Hostility toward Israeli academic or cultural institutions is gaining more and more momentum in the field of Jewish Studies and Jewish Museums. The AEJM Board observes this development with great concern. We strongly reject any attempt to boycott individuals who are affiliated with Israeli universities or cultural institutions.
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France17 Sep 2025
Furore after researchers boycott Paris Jewish history conference
By James Brooks
Scholars’ withdrawal draws petition and is labelled “antisemitic” by culture minister
The decision by five researchers to withdraw from a conference on Jewish history in Paris, on the grounds that it was supported by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, has stirred controversy in France.
In a statement on 10 September, the Museum of Jewish Art and History (MAHJ) in Paris said the five researchers, who have not been named, would no longer participate in a two-day conference on Jewish history in Paris on 15 and 16 September.
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Researchers cancel their attendance at a conference on the history of French Jews, regrets the Museum of Judaism in Paris
Article from LIBERATION, AFP•
1s•
2 min readThis is
“the first time since its creation in 1998” that such an event has occurred, the Museum of Jewish Art and History (Mahj) in Paris emphasized in a press release published Wednesday, September 10. Five academics have canceled their participation in a conference on the history of French Jews, scheduled for September 15 and 16 in Paris.
The researchers, whose names were not cited, partly canceled their attendance because a research program at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem is funding “the participation of a doctoral student. […] Some argued that their participation amounted to support for the Israeli government. Others simply referred to the war in Gaza to question the organization of the conference. Still others withdrew without giving an explicit reason,” the press release states.
As a result, the institution deplores a decision which “absurdly serves the Israeli academic world, some of whose representatives are among those most opposed to the continuation of the war in Gaza . “
“Anti-Zionist McCarthyism”
The announcement provoked a strong reaction, even from the outgoing Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati. “These repeated calls for boycotts of artists, shows, conferences, and blockades of establishments are becoming pretexts for blatant and assumed anti-Semitism,” she said in a message on X. “It’s no longer a question of opinion, it’s a question of justice and criminal policy,” she added.
For his part, the president of the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions of France (CRIF), Yonathan Arfi, believes that these academics “must be punished.” He continued: “This anti-Zionist McCarthyism is a danger for French Jews, but also for the pluralism of our public debate.” He considers this event to be one more “list of cases of intimidation […] against a backdrop of permanent assignment to the conflict in Gaza,” including the exclusion—ultimately reversed—of Raphaël Enthoven from a literary festival in Besançon. The philosopher stated ahead of the event that “there are NO journalists in Gaza. Only killers, fighters, or hostage-takers with press cards.”
The International League Against Racism and Antisemitism (Licra) denounced the X-rated article as an “ideological spit” that “undermines the very principle of research by calling into question its autonomy,” and offered its “support” to the museum. The president of the Fondation du Judaïsme Français, Ariel Goldmann, considers that “making participation in this event conditional on the Gaza conflict constitutes a dangerous confusion between unrelated realities, and an conflation that undermines academic freedom.”
For now, the Museum of Jewish Art and History has maintained the conference scheduled for next week, although it has been revised to accommodate the cancellations.
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L AFFAIRE du MAHJ avec ces 5 universitaires français qui boycottent un colloque sur le judaisme du moyen âge avec comme prétexte la guerre à Gaza. En fait de simple ANTISEMITE bien que le MAHJ ne prononce pas ses termes Après une enquête assez simple je vous donne les résultats de mes recherches Ces cinq noms ont disparu de la liste des intervenants entre celle publiée en juillet et celle de septembre Présents en juillet → absents en septembre : Julie Claustre, Vincent Denis, Davide Mano, Simon Castanié, Pierre Gervais. Tous les autres noms figurent dans les deux versions. Julie Claustre (Université Paris Cité) – intervention prévue sur les sources médiévales. Ancienne eleve de l’école Normale supérieure Vincent Denis (Université de Rouen / EHESS) – intervention sur l’histoire moderne. Davide Mano (CNRS / Université de Strasbourg) – intervention sur les réseaux juifs. Maître de conférence Universitaire Simon Castanié (Université Rennes II, mentionné comme agrégé d’histoire). Agrégé d’histoire Pierre Gervais (Université Sorbonne Nouvelle) – table ronde. Professeur du monde anglophone —26347?lang=frLes photos par ordre Julie claustre Vincent Denis Davide Mano Simon Castanie Pierre Gervais
Google Translate
THE MAHJ AFFAIR with these five French academics boycotting a conference on medieval Judaism using the war in Gaza as a pretext. In fact, it’s simply ANTISEMITIC, although the MAHJ doesn’t use these terms.
After a fairly simple investigation, I present the results of my research.
These five names disappeared from the list of speakers between the one published in July and the one published in September.
Present in July → absent in September:
Julie Claustre, Vincent Denis, Davide Mano, Simon Castanié, Pierre Gervais.
All other names appear in both versions.
Julie Claustre (Université Paris Cité) – planned presentation on medieval sources. Former student of the École Normale Supérieure
https://www.linkedin.com/in/claustre-julie-758b3356?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app
Vincent Denis (University of Rouen / EHESS) – talk on modern history.
https://x.com/denisvi04434346?s=21
Davide Mano (CNRS / University of Strasbourg) – talk on Jewish networks. University Lecturer
https://x.com/davide_mano?s=21
Simon Castanié (University of Rennes II, listed as an agrégé in history). History Professor
https://centrerolandmousnier.cnrs.fr/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/cv_castenie_032024.pdf
Pierre Gervais (Sorbonne Nouvelle University) – Roundtable. Professor of the English-speaking world
https://shs.cairn.info/publications-de-pierre-gervais—26347?lang=fr
Photos in order
Julie Cloustre Vincent Denis Davide Mano Simon Castanie Pierre Gervais
israel-academia-monitor.com 