When did Sephardic identity emerge? In Iberia? After the Iberian expulsions? As anusim (marranos) in Portugal? After the Iberian expulses arrived in Italy, the Ottoman Empire, or in North Africa? How did Sephardic identity fare when encountering Romaniote, Ashkenazi, Judeo-Arab, or Judeo-Berber identity? The section papers will examine Sephardic identity as expressed in pre and post-expulsion Spain and Portugal; as well as afterward in the late medieval and modern period in a wide range of academic disciplines; language, literature, history, music, poetry, rabbinic thought, sociology and anthropology. Doctoral students and younger scholars are encouraged to submit one page abstracts as well as senior scholars. Please include a short bio as well as contact details. Deadline: March 1, 2006. Panelists in the fields of language and literature must be MLA members by April 7, 2006. Those from abroad (outside the USA) or not in language or literature must request exemption from MLA membership from the Sephardic Session organizer before April 7, 2006. Deadline for multi-media equipment is April 1, 2006. Acceptance decisions will be announced in late May 2006. Submission of abstract and bio should be sent to both Yitzchak Kerem and Karin Bagnall of the MLA.Sephardic Session Organizer.Yitzchak Kerem Aristotle University and The Hebrew University of Jerusalem P.O. Box 10642 Jerusalem 91102 IsraelCorreo electrónico: ykerem@actcom.co.il;ykerem@yahoo.com Fax: +972 2 5709564Tels: +972 2 5795595 / 544 870316
