Application deadline: August 30, 2024
The Joseph Carlebach Working Group at the University of Hamburg (CAK) was founded in 1991. To this
day it is committed to promoting research and teaching on Jewish history, culture and religion in
the Hanseatic city. A central concern of the interdisciplinary working group, which includes
members of the University of Hamburg and the Institute for the History of the German Jews, is the
promotion of academic exchange between Germany and Israel. In close cooperation with the Joseph
Carlebach Institute at Bar-Ilan University in Ramat Gan/Israel, conferences and workshops are
organized on a regular basis. The establishment of a fellowship, which enables young scholars to
spend a research period in Hamburg, is intended to strengthen scientific exchange through such an additional funding format.
The fellowship is awarded in memory of Miriam Gillis-Carlebach (1922-2020), the daughter of Joseph
Carlebach. She stimulated research on Joseph Carlebach's writings through the founding of the
Joseph Carlebach Institute, and was active as an educator and scholar in Israel. Born in Hamburg,
she fled to what was then Mandatory Palestine in 1938, where she survived the Shoah. After
returning to the Hanseatic city for the first time in 1983, she worked tirelessly to re-establish
contacts to foster academic exchange and broader forms of remembrance. In 1995 Miriam
Gillis-Carlebach, who had already spent a year researching in Hamburg in 1988/89 at the invitation
of the Senate, was made an honorary senator of the University of Hamburg.
For 2025, the CAK is once again offering the Miriam Gillis-Carlebach Fellowship to promote
innovative academic projects in the field of Jewish Studies and to further intensify academic
exchange between Germany and Israel. The fellowship is aimed at young scholars (PhD candidates and
post-docs up until 7 years after the PhD) pursuing projects that are thematically anchored in the
CAK's research profile and field of activities (see: www.carlebach.uni-hamburg.de) and who
wish to use the rich specialized libraries and/or holdings in the various archives of the city and
region for their studies. It allows for a research stay of up to three months in Hamburg, which can
be freely chosen in 2025. Presence in Hamburg during the fellowship is required and participation
in CAK events is expected.
The fellowship amounts to 1,700 euros per month for PhD students and 1,900 euros per month for
PostDocs. In addition, one-time travel expenses of up to 600 euros will be covered. If possible and
needed, accommodation in a single apartment in the guest house of the University of Hamburg can be
arranged at the fellow’s own expense. Fellows are required to arrange for a visa and health
insurance in good time.
Applications in German or English must be received by 30 August 2024. The documents should include:
• a letter of motivation,
• project outline of up to 4 pages,
• a curriculum vitae including a list of publications (maximum 5 pages),
• and one letter of recommendation (only for applications of PhD students).
Please send a complete application in electronic form in one PDF file to:
kontakt@igdj-hh.de and bjoern.siegel@igdj-hh.de.
Inquiries about the Miriam Gillis-Carlebach Fellowship Program should be directed to:
Dr. Björn Siegel
Institute for the History of German Jews
Beim Schlump 83; 20144 Hamburg
bjoern.siegel@igdj-hh.de