Spring Conference 2026
Diversifying the Israeli Diaspora
April 13-14, 2026
The conference will interrogate the dynamic and evolving experiences of Israeli identity beyond Israel, as it intersects with new trends of migration, and multilayered cultures in diverse destinations. Guided by the research our 2025-2026 Institute for Advanced Israel Studies fellows are pursuing this year, we will analyze the ways in which this identity intertwines with the increasingly diverse Jewish, Israeli, and Palestinian diasporas, as well as other diasporas of Israeli residents without Israeli citizenship.
This two-day program will open with a keynote panel discussion, The Israeli Diaspora in Global Perspective featuring Sa'ed Atshan (Swarthmore College), Joshua Lambert (Wellesley College), and Faith Smith (Brandeis University), and chaired by Alexander Kaye (Brandeis University).
"Diversifying the Israeli Diaspora" is presented by the Schusterman Center for Israel Studies, with support from the Azrieli Center for Israel Studies (MALI) at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.
About the Institute for Advanced Israel Studies
Our annual Spring conference is the culmination of our annual Institute for Advanced Israel Studies (IAIS) fellowship. The only program of its kind, the IAIS convenes a cohort of scholars from around the world to work together on an important theme in the field of Israel studies. This theme shapes our conference, which lets the fellows share innovative research and fresh insights into complex issues with the public.