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JEWISH DIASPORA, IDENTITY, AND SURVIVAL ON THE ASIAN CONTINENT (ONLINE)
This course invites participants to explore the rich yet often overlooked histories of Jewish communities across Asia. From antiquity to the present, Jews have lived in regions stretching from India to China and Southeast Asia, forming distinctive identities shaped by deep engagement with surrounding cultures and, in many cases, relatively low levels of antisemitism. By examining these communities, the course highlights how Jewish life evolved on the geographic and cultural peripheries of the Diaspora.
Focusing on key themes rather than a single regional narrative, the course examines the origins and early development of Jewish communities in India and China, with particular attention to processes of acculturation within Hindu, Confucian, and other cultural frameworks. It also explores the transformative impact of European colonialism and imperialism, especially through the expansion of the Baghdadi Jewish diaspora and its role in commercial and social networks across Asia.
The course further considers the experiences of Jews in Asia during the Holocaust, including the arrival of European refugees in Shanghai and the internment of Jewish populations in Japanese camps throughout Southeast Asia. These histories position Asia as a critical, though often overlooked, arena of wartime refuge and survival.
Finally, the course addresses the consequences of decolonization, tracing patterns of migration to Israel and examining the complex struggles of Asian Jewish communities for recognition by the Israeli Rabbinate. Through these interconnected themes, participants will engage with broader questions of identity, legitimacy, and belonging that continue to shape the global Jewish experience today.
The course is given in collaboration with Paideia – the European Institute for Jewish Studies in Sweden.
Course Structure
The course consists of a mixture of lectures and in-depth discussions of primary sources. Participants are expected to spend 30 minutes to an hour reading prior to each class.
Prior Knowledge
The course is given in English.
No prior knowledge about the subject is needed.
To apply for this course, you need basic computer skills and knowledge of how to use the digital platform Zoom.
Course Material
Course material is included in the cost for this course.
About the Teacher
Dr. Geraldine Gudefin is a French-born modern Jewish historian specializing in Jewish migration, family life, and legal pluralism. She holds an MA from Yale University and a PhD in History from Brandeis University. Her work has been published in American Jewish History and Nashim: A Journal of Jewish Women’s Studies & Gender Issues. She has received fellowships from the Memorial Foundation for Jewish Culture, the Posen Foundation, and the Center for Jewish History. Dr. Gudefin’s earlier research examined Jewish marriage and family law in France and the United States. Now based in Southeast Asia, she is currently researching Baghdadi Jewish family life across Asia.