International Consortium for Research on Antisemitism and Racism

The International Consortium for Research on Antisemitism and Racism (ICRAR) involves leading scholars from universities and institutes across Europe, Israel and the US who share the common goal of revitalising and reshaping the study of antisemitism. It was launched in November 2011. David Feldman, Director of the Pears Institute, was co-founder of the Consortium.

The Consortium aims to reshape and revitalise the study of antisemitism through rigorous, independent inquiry. Founded by a group of historians, through its collective endeavours the Consortium reaches out across disciplinary boundaries and encourages scholars to re-evaluate the tools they use to analyse antisemitism, to question the predominant theoretical and methodological approaches they use, and to innovate and to extend the topics considered part of the field.

ICRAR promotes a contextualised and comparative understanding of antisemitism, which seeks to uncover the content, meanings, functions and dynamics of antisemitism – as it occurred in the past and recurs in the present. It will also explore the connections between antisemitism and other racisms both historically and in contemporary society.

Publications

The Consortium has partnered with Palgrave Macmillan for a book series Palgrave Critical Studies of Antisemitism and Racism. The series encompasses antisemitism and racism from the ancient world to the present day. It considers topical and theoretical questions and brings historical and multidisciplinary perspectives to bear on contemporary concerns and phenomena. Importantly, it also explores the connections between antisemitism and other forms of racism and prejudice. Series editor: David Feldman.

Conferences

Events organised by the Consortium are interdisciplinary in scope, explore the cross-currents of time and place and address topical and theoretical questions and issues. Both historical and multidisciplinary perspectives are used to aid our understanding of contemporary concerns and phenomena.

• Gender, Memory and Genocide, Berlin, 4-6 June 2015, hosted by the Center for Research on Antisemitism, Berlin Institute of Technology.
• Narratives of Violence, Budapest, 16-18 June 2014, hosted by the Jewish Studies Program at Central European University.

• Boycotts – Past and Present, London, 19-21 June 2013, hosted by the Pears Institute for the study of Antisemitism.

ICRAR members