Here, we present various formats that not only provide significant impulses and strengthen the dialogue on antisemitism but also demonstrate how creative, interactive and scientific approaches can foster a deeper understanding of the complex societal challenges associated with addressing antisemitism, while supporting long-term prevention efforts.

This lecture series provides a space for critical reflection and constructive exchange on the topic of antisemitism. Antisemitism is a reality within the university context – whether in academic debates, student initiatives, or everyday campus life. The series "Antisemitism at Universities – Reality, Reflection, Reaction" explores current academic perspectives on the issue and presents both analytical and practice-oriented approaches to identifying and countering antisemitic patterns of thought and behavior.

The public is warmly invited to participate in these events.

The series opens with a lecture on the empirical study of antisemitism:
When is it antisemitism? Academic answers to a frequently asked question
(May 12, Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Monika Schwarz-Friesel, TU Berlin).

This will be followed by:
Antisemitism and Intersectionality – Critique and New Perspectives
(May 19, Prof. Dr. Karin Stögner, University of Passau).

The third event focuses on practical strategies for documenting and addressing antisemitism:
The Berlin-based Department for Research and Information on Antisemitism (RIAS) and Mobile Counseling Against Right-Wing Extremism (MBR) will present civil society approaches that include the documentation of antisemitic incidents, support for those affected, and methods for dealing with antisemitism in universities and cultural institutions.
Workshop: Antisemitic Incidents in Berlin – With a Focus on Universities
(June 3, Julia Kopp, RIAS Berlin & Matthias Müller, MBR Berlin).

The series concludes with an analysis of the impact of October 7, 2023 on Jewish and Israeli communities in Germany:
Antisemitism in the Institutional University Context – Traditions, Blind Spots, and the Current State of Research
This lecture examines how antisemitism has evolved in everyday academic life before and after this date, and what challenges have emerged as a result.
(June 4, Prof. Dr. Friederike Lorenz-Sinai, University of Applied Sciences Potsdam).

The lecture series is organized by Dr. Michaela Conen, Process Coordinator for Antisemitism Prevention at the Berlin University of the Arts (UdK).

For years, claims such as "there is not enough research yet" or "we lack a precise scientific definition of antisemitism" have shaped the discourse and debates surrounding contemporary antisemitism. In this way, the extensive existing research on the topic is overlooked, and the much-needed enlightenment, as well as the societal fight against the growing hatred of Jews, is deferred to an indefinite future. In this lecture, using data-rich and scientifically validated findings from both historical and contemporary empirical research, the question of what antisemitism is (and what it is not), how it manifests, and how to recognize and deconstruct antisemitic attitudes will be discussed.

May 12, 2025
Monday, 6:00–8:00 PM, online (link will follow)

Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Monika Schwarz-Friesel, expert on antisemitism and cognitive scientist at the Technical University of Berlin; Chair at the Institute for Language and Communication. Her book publications include: Contemporary Antisemitism, a Phenomenon of the Center, Educated Antisemitism, The Language of Antisemitism in the 21st Century, Antisemitism on the Internet, Toxic Language and Mental Violence: How Antisemitic Thought and Emotional Patterns Have Shaped Our Communication for Centuries.

After October 7, it became clear that antisemitism is a significant gap within much of intersectional feminism. This reached a point where Jewish people and Israelis were denied intersectional solidarity. In a new approach to intersectional ideological critique, the lecture will analyze the interconnections between antisemitism, racism, and sexism.

May 19, 2025
Monday, 6:00–8:00 PM, Charlotte-Salomon-Saal, Hardenbergstrasse 33, 10623 Berlin

Prof. Dr. Karin Stögner is a Professor of Sociology at the University of Passau. She is the author of Antisemitism and Sexism: Historical-Social Constellations (Nomos 2014) and co-editor of Critical Theory and Feminism (Suhrkamp 2022).

Since October 7, 2023, both universities and the arts and cultural sectors in Berlin have come under increased public and media scrutiny due to antisemitic incidents. How can these developments be understood, and what actions can be taken against antisemitism?

In this workshop, the Research and Information Center on Antisemitism (RIAS) Berlin will present current data and developments related to antisemitic incidents in Berlin, with a focus on universities and a look at the arts and cultural sector as well. Based on participants' experiences, the workshop provides a space to explore aspects of antisemitism through input and practical exercises led by Mobile Counseling Against Right-Wing Extremism (MBR) Berlin, addressing specific challenges. The focus will be on the perspective of those affected by antisemitism.

The Research and Information Center on Antisemitism (RIAS) Berlin is a key civil society partner in the UdK Berlin's network for antisemitism prevention. Founded in 2015, RIAS Berlin was the first nationwide civil society contact point for victims and witnesses of antisemitic incidents. Since then, it has established a citywide reporting network for antisemitic incidents in cooperation with Jewish and non-Jewish organizations. RIAS Berlin annually publishes the report Antisemitic Incidents in Berlin, the most comprehensive overview of antisemitism in the city. RIAS Berlin is partial and aligns with the needs and perceptions of the victims, their families, or the witnesses of an incident. More information at RIAS Berlin.

The Mobile Counseling Against Right-Wing Extremism (MBR) Berlin has been a contact point since 2001 for anyone seeking to become confident in dealing with specific right-wing, right-wing populist, racist, and antisemitic incidents, whether in a professional or private context. MBR Berlin works with clients to develop situational action strategies, both in the short and long term. More information at MBR Berlin.

Workshop by Julia Kopp (RIAS Berlin) and Matthias Müller (MBR Berlin)

June 3, 2025
Tuesday, 2:00-6:00 PM, Charlotte-Salomon-Saal, Hardenbergstrasse 33, 10623 Berlin

In this lecture, the question will be explored of how antisemitism manifests in the institutional everyday life of universities both before and after October 7, and how it impacts Jewish and Israeli communities in Germany. The lecture will address societal traditions in dealing with Jews and antisemitism in contemporary society, introducing the analytical category of institutional antisemitism. It will then present and discuss findings from current studies on experiences of antisemitism in the university context.

June 4, 2025
Wednesday, 6:00-8:00 PM, Charlotte-Salomon-Saal, Hardenbergstrasse 33, 10623 Berlin

Prof. Dr. Friederike Lorenz-Sinai is a Professor of Social Work Methods and Social Work Research at the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam. Her research focuses on the processing of (sexualized) violence, everyday experiences in the prison system and perceptions of prison architecture, institutional antisemitism, as well as the impact of October 7, 2023, on Jewish and Israeli communities in Germany. Together with Marina Chernivsky, she co-leads a research area at the Competence Center for Antisemitism-Critical Education and Research. Current publications, each co-authored with Marina Chernivsky, include: Institutional Antisemitism as an Analytical Category – Traditions, Findings, and Research Gaps (2025); Analysekategorie institutioneller Antisemitismus“How come you don’t say anything when Jewish women are raped?” – Sexualized Violence in the Context of October 7 from Jewish Perspectives in Germany (2025), in: Glöckner, Olaf/Jikeli, Günther (eds.): Antisemitism in Germany After October 7. Georg Olms Verlag: Hildesheim; October 7 as a Turning Point for Jewish Communities in Germany (2024), Der 7. Oktober als Zäsur für jüdische Communities in Deutschland in: APuZ - Aus Politik und Zeitgeschichte: Antisemitismus, 74th year, 25-26 2024, pp. 19-24.

The OnCurating Academy provides a space for experimental, critical, and meta-curatorial practices, following an interdisciplinary approach that connects different fields of knowledge. Led by Dorothee Richter, the team engages with the profound transformations in contemporary societies, the restructuring of labor processes, cultural policy, and the political dynamics of inclusion and exclusion. Furthermore, the academy addresses questions that emerge at the intersections of various disciplines and social discourses.

The project "Let's talk about ... anti-democratic, anti-queer, misogynist, antisemitic, right-wing spaces and their counter-movements", initiated by the OnCurating Academy, is developed in collaboration with Daniel Laufer, artist and founding curator of DAGESH – Jewish Art in Context, as well as Dr. Michaela Conen from the University of the Arts Berlin. DAGESH fosters the visibility of diverse artistic expressions by Jewish artists and has served as a platform and network since its inception, exploring a contemporary, confident, and forward-looking Jewish identity.

The project is funded by the "Action Fund Against Antisemitism" of the Senate Department for Culture and Social Cohesion, Division of Culture.

Dorothee Richter is an author, art historian, and curator of contemporary art. She is a Professor of Contemporary Curating at the Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of Reading. She is also the founder and editor of the publication platform OnCurating, based in Zurich, as well as the OnCurating Academy Berlin.

Daniel Laufer is an artist and curator. He teaches artistic-aesthetic practice at Leuphana University Lüneburg and the State Academy of Fine Arts Karlsruhe.

Art making at the time of Emergencies – Between despair and hope. The short history of Chto Delat collective.

 
Radialsystem, Kubus and Zoom

What does it mean to make art in the midst of political, social, and existential crises? How can artistic practice remain critical while remaining deeply caring?
In this talk, Dmitry Vilensky—artist, educator, and founding member of the Chto Delat collective—offers a personal and political reflection on the group's evolving journey. From its early days in the early 2000s to its present work across disciplines and borders, the history of Chto Delat is inseparable from the waves of activism, intellectual engagement, and political unrest that have shaped its course.
We’ll ask:

– How can we confront the urgencies of our time through artistic means?
– What does it mean to “criticize with care and care with critique”?
– And how do we sustain collective practices in the face of fragmentation and repression?

Drawing connections between key moments in contemporary history and the collective's own practice, the presentation explores how art can respond to a state of ongoing emergency—not by retreating, but by offering tools for resistance, imagination, and solidarity.

Dmitry Vilensky (born in Leningrad in 1964) is an artist, educator and cultural environmentalist with no art degrees. He elicits situations and relationships. No one knows what he is up to right now: perhaps he is editing a new issue of Chto Delat’s newspaper, or maybe administering the Chto Delat Mutual Aid Fund, or editing a film, or talking with the participants of the School of Emergencies, or making a set for a new play (or installation), or preparing another Mad Tea Party… Most likely, he is doing all this and dozens of other activities at the same time, surrounded by various comradely compositions of bodies and minds in Chto Delat Emergency Project Room in Berlin, at Zoom and in many other...
See more at www.chtodelat.org
And https://emergency-project-room.art/

See all workshops here

• Artistic Practice: The Self as a Data Trace. lecturer: Kim Albrecht, 8 March, apply
  here
• Artistic Practice: Inquiring a Digital Self, lecturer: allapopp, 15 March, apply here
• Artistic Practice: Fantasizing through drag, dreaming with deepfakes, lecturer: Orhun Mersin, aka Kekik, 22 March, apply here
• Curating Social Practice: Addressing Postcolonialism in Solo Exhibitions, lecturer Klaudia Ofwona Draber, 5 + 12 April 2025, apply here
• Curating as an Act of Translation, lecturer Emily Butler, 3 + 17 May, apply here

The Institute for New Social Sculpture, in cooperation with the Berlin University of the Arts and the Jewish Student Union of Germany, is founding the Jewish Art School Berlin (JKB). This institution offers Jewish and antisemitism-critical students and young adults an innovative platform for artistic development and critical engagement.

The JKB is led by internationally renowned artists such as Victoria Hanna, David Adika, and Yehudit Sasportas. Through masterclasses and workshops spanning various disciplines—from performing to visual arts—Jewish and antisemitism-critical students and young adults will be supported in their artistic growth. 

The collaboration with the University of the Arts Berlin (UdK Berlin) further supports the project.

The Jewish Art School Berlin (JKB) is now accepting applications for the second semester from Jewish, Israeli, and antisemitism-critical students and young adults up to the age of 39. The masterclasses, workshops, and lectures across various artistic disciplines are led by internationally renowned artists, including David Adika, Yael Ronen, and Ilit Azoulay.

The program focuses on fostering the artistic development of art students, alumni, and individuals interested in the arts. Its goal is to create new networks and provide diverse perspectives on the art and cultural sector. The "artistic safer spaces" established within the Jewish Art School are located at various sites across Berlin. Studios, ateliers, and workspaces are freely available for participants during the program.

At the end of the semester, a public presentation will take place in Berlin. Participation is free of charge.

Find all further information here.

Contact: curator@neue-soziale-plastik.org

INTERDISCIPLINARY WORKSHOP LANA LUX (versatile artist/ writer)

​Creative Clarity: A Workshop Series for Neurodivergent Artists



Join Us for "Creative Clarity: A Workshop Series for Neurodivergent Artists"!
Are you a neurodivergent artist looking to enhance your creativity and overcome challenges? This empowering workshop series, designed by Lana Lux is just for you!
What You'll Gain:

• Journaling Techniques: Unlock self-reflection and creativity.

• Overwhelm Management: Learn practical strategies to find calm.

• Planning Skills: Organize your creative projects effectively.

• Procrastination Solutions: Discover tools to boost your productivity.

• Connect with fellow artists in a supportive environment, share experiences, and develop skills tailored to your unique journey.

The class will be taught in English and German.

MIXED MEDIA
 MASTERCLASS ILIT AZOULAY  (Multimedia Artist)

Art & Belief Systems

This seminar is divided into two parts running for two consecutive years. The first year explores the intersection of art, belief systems, and the transformative power of creative practice. Through research, collaboration, and artistic production, students critically examine how belief systems, shaped by myths, rituals, symbols, and visual narratives, construct identities, ideologies, and cultural memory.

In the first year, students of all fields of study of huminites and art will build a multidisciplinary archive, employing innovative methods of data collection, including oral histories, archival research, and spiritual practices. This phase fosters collaborative exploration and challenges conventional academic boundaries, encouraging participants to uncover untold stories and rethink dominant perspectives.

After finishing the first part the participating artists will be invited to continue in the second year a smaller group to focus on transforming research into art, culminating in an exhibition that embodies the seminar's themes. Students will develop individual and collective works, supported through mentorship and a hands-on approach to artistic practice.

By engaging with diverse viewpoints and fostering dialogue, the seminar empowers students to use art as a tool for connection, empathy, and reimagining belief systems.

The class will be taught in English and German.
 

FILM
MASTERCLASS NIR EVRON (Filmmaker/ Artist)



Truth (and Other Stories)

This seminar is open to students and emerging artists working in fine art, photography, and media art who have a strong interest in the relationship between history, memory, and moving images. While no prior filmmaking experience is required, participants should be familiar with visual media and conceptual research. Applicants should submit a brief statement outlining their interests and experience, along with examples of previous work if available. The course encourages both the development of new projects and the expansion of existing ideas, guiding participants through archival research, theoretical inquiry, and hands-on visual experimentation. Through lectures, screenings, discussions, and personal mentoring, students will engage critically with contemporary artistic strategies, culminating in a final project that integrates these themes into their practice.


The class will be taught in English.



PAINTING MASTERCLASS JOSSEF KRISPEL (Painter and Head of the Department of Fine Arts at Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, Jerusalem)

Hunting Images

The idea of pursuing and hunting images as a principle for the artistic painting action. How does painting respond to applications, networks and features that reality is embedded in? What is the role of painting in relation to the truth? Do they carry any duty or morality of the subjects depicted? Since the dawn of time painters have been motivated by inventing images in relation to reality. When it comes to figuration of images, a complete set of questions is considered in the act of painting. In this intense workshop we will examine the interrelationship between capturing representations versus questions of studio-action and pictorial solutions.



The class will be taught in English.



SCULPTURE 
MASTERCLASS  HILLA TOONY NAVOK (Sculptor, Prof. in sculpture at Bezalel and Shenkar College)

Art seeking shelter

When and where do we feel protected, and when do we feel exposed?
How quickly do we transition from one state to the other?
Our sense of safety and vulnerability as human beings and artists in our everyday surroundings will be key points in the workshop. Through a series of sculptural actions in city public spaces such as -  the campus, the way home, the shopping mall, ect. we will explore sculpture that emerges from the connection between the environment and our immediate bodily sensations.
Participants will experiment with temporary installations in urban spaces, engaging in discussions and presentations in the studio and in a long-term personal project.

The class will be taught in English.

DIRECTING/ WRITING
 MASTERCLASS YAEL RONEN (writer/ theatre director)

Turning Biography into Group Art

Masterclass on devised theater, where personal stories become the foundation of collective artistic creation. This workshop is designed for actors, writers, directors, and creatives who seek to explore the intersection of personal narrative, group dynamics, and artistic expression. The workshop will begin with a short dive into group therapy methods, guiding participants through introspection and creative exercises that lay the foundation for a shared artistic process.

The class will be taught in English.



PHOTOGRAPHY/ VIDEO
 MASTERCLASS DAVID ADIKA  (Photographer and Head of the Photography Department at Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design Jerusalem)

Identities & Human Rights



This workshop will explore the intricate relationship between photography, identity, and human rights. Participants will engage in critical discussions on photography’s role in representing reality and shaping diverse identities while reflecting on the intersections of these identities with human rights and equality. We will examine contemporary photography projects that challenge and expand traditional views of reality through a pluralistic lens, recognizing equality and human rights as fundamental values and guiding principles. By exploring various identity expressions across different spheres of life, we will focus on “the missing image”— a visual representation that reveals what is often overlooked or unseen. Participants will be encouraged to develop a personal project that captures reality through the lens of one or more identity perspectives. Throughout the workshop, we will embark on both individual and collective visual journeys, including city walks to visit photography exhibitions. We aim to create shared, empowering experiences that foster a deeper understanding of how photography can reflect and amplify diverse identities.


The class will be taught in English.

PERFORMANCE WORKSHOP ALONA RODEH (Multimedia and visual artist)

​Performance without Performers

This workshop invites students to explore Performance without Performers, a form of work where time, movement, light, and sound take center stage at the expense of the human body. Inspired by Object-Oriented Ontology*, participants will experiment with creating performative environments devoid of human stage presence over time, using technology, spatial design, and objects as their primary tools. Concurrently, the workshop will examine automated performances in our surroundings, addressing their environmental, social, and political dimensions. *Object-Oriented Ontology (OOO) is a 21st-century philosophical school rejecting the supremacy of human existence over that of non-human entities.

The class will be taught in English.

ACTING WORKSHOP YOUSEF SWEID (Actor)



On-Camera Acting



This intensive workshop consists of 6 sessions, approximately 3 hours each, designed to develop your on-camera acting skills through various methods and practical experiences.
Key Focus Areas: 


• Personal Brand Development: Discovering your unique qualities, understanding your casting type, and learning how to expand your range.


• Audition Technique: Mastering the crucial first impression and audition room presence.
 

• Emotional Connection: Developing authentic intimacy in scenes, building genuine chemistry with scene partners, and creating real love connections.


• Performance Techniques: Understanding tension and suspense, developing character physicality, and adding emotional depth and color to your performances
 

• Professional Development: Learning effective communication with scene partners and directors, plus practical guidance on building a sustainable acting career.

Each session includes hands-on practice with dialogues and monologues, all captured on video. This allows participants to review their work, observe their progress, and learn from their fellow actors throughout the workshop process.


The class will be taught in English.