Jacob Robinson Institute - The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

19/05/2026

📸 Highlights from our exhibition opening "In the Beauty Salon of History," held on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, at the Max and Iris Stern Little Gallery, Mt. Scopus Campus.

"In the beauty salon of history, they know how to comb a forelock, even in the hair of a monster." – Ronny Someck, "Tractors"

The opening brought together scholars, students, and guests for an evening of reflection on one of the most urgent moral and political questions of our time: How should societies confront historical injustice?

Opening remarks were delivered by Prof. Elisheva Baumgarten, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities הפקולטה למדעי הרוח באוניברסיטה העברית, Prof. Yitzhak Hen, Director of the Israel Institute for Advanced Studies (IIAS), as well as Prof. Gideon Reuveni (University of Sussex) and Dr. Iris Nachum, who were responsible for the exhibition’s scientific research.

Taking the 1952 Holocaust compensation agreement between West Germany, Israel, and the Jewish Claims Conference as its case study, the exhibition explores the possibilities and limits of reparations and reconciliation, drawing its title and guiding image from Someck's poem and its unsettling question of whether history can undergo a "beauty treatment."

The exhibition is the outcome of the Research Group "Paying for the Past: Reparations after the Holocaust in Global Context," which convened at IIAS in 2023/24.

Our deepest thanks to everyone who made this exhibition possible.
Curation: Dr. Michal Mor, Eli Ben-Arye
Research Assistant: Avishag Ben-Yosef
Artist: Maya Zack
Graphic Design: Idan Vaaknin
Exhibition Design and Production: Eli Ben-Arye, Yuval Ayali

The exhibition will be on display for one year at the Max and Iris Stern Little Gallery, Mt. Scopus Campus.

We warmly invite you to visit!

13/05/2026

On Sunday, May 10, we had the honor of welcoming the University’s extended leadership - including the President, Rector, Director General, Dean of Humanities, and senior management - to the Jacob Robinson Institute.

It was a wonderful opportunity to share our research and ongoing projects. Thank you for the visit and for your continued support!

12/05/2026

🎬 Our postdoctoral fellow Dr. Tom Eshed was featured in the documentary “The Politics of Memory”, aired on HOT8 on April 14th, Holocaust Remembrance Day. In the film, Tom shares insights from his research on the history of Israeli Holocaust memory.

The film examines how Holocaust remembrance has evolved in Israel from the early years of the state to the present, including in the aftermath of October 7 and the ongoing war with Hamas.

The Politics of Memory | Directed by Duki Dror | Produced by Liat Kamai Eshed | Broadcast by HOT8 in collaboration with "Zikaron BaSalon" | Watch the full documentary on HOT8 or HOT VOD

A snippet of Tom from the film 👇

12/05/2026

✨TODAY at 16:15! ✨

Don't miss the opening of 'In the Beauty Salon of History' at the Max and Iris Stern Little Gallery.

See you there!

✨ The Jacob Robinson Institute for the History of Individual and Collective Rights is honored to invite you to the opening of the exhibition “In the Beauty Salon of History“ on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, at 16:15 at the Max and Iris Stern Little Gallery, Mt. Scopus Campus, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

The exhibition is the outcome of the Research Group “Paying for the Past: Reparations after the Holocaust in Global Context” which convened at the Israeli Institute for Advanced Studies (2023/24). Combining historical research and artistic expression, the exhibition explores one of the most urgent moral and political questions of our time: How should societies confront historical injustice?

Using the 1952 Holocaust compensation agreement between West Germany, Israel, and the Jewish Claims Conference as a case study, it invites reflection on the possibilities and limits of reparations and reconciliation. Inspired by Ronny Someck’s poem “Tractors,” the exhibition asks whether history can undergo a “beauty treatment” – and what might be gained or lost in the process.

The exhibition will be on display for one year.

We hope to see you there!

Scientific Research: Prof. Gideon Reuveni, Dr. Iris Nachum
Research Assistant: Avishag Ben-Yosef
Curation: Dr. Michal Mor, Eli Ben-Arye
Graphic Design: Idan Vaaknin
Exhibition Design and Production: Eli Ben-Arye, Yuval Ayali
Graphic Production: Kzat Aheret Ltd.

📅 Tuesday, 12.5.2026
🕐 16:15
📍 Max and Iris Stern Little Gallery, Mt. Scopus Campus, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

For campus entry permits, please contact Inbal Levin at [email protected]

27/04/2026

✨ The Jacob Robinson Institute for the History of Individual and Collective Rights is honored to invite you to the opening of the exhibition “In the Beauty Salon of History“ on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, at 16:15 at the Max and Iris Stern Little Gallery, Mt. Scopus Campus, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

The exhibition is the outcome of the Research Group “Paying for the Past: Reparations after the Holocaust in Global Context” which convened at the Israeli Institute for Advanced Studies (2023/24). Combining historical research and artistic expression, the exhibition explores one of the most urgent moral and political questions of our time: How should societies confront historical injustice?

Using the 1952 Holocaust compensation agreement between West Germany, Israel, and the Jewish Claims Conference as a case study, it invites reflection on the possibilities and limits of reparations and reconciliation. Inspired by Ronny Someck’s poem “Tractors,” the exhibition asks whether history can undergo a “beauty treatment” – and what might be gained or lost in the process.

The exhibition will be on display for one year.

We hope to see you there!

Scientific Research: Prof. Gideon Reuveni, Dr. Iris Nachum
Research Assistant: Avishag Ben-Yosef
Curation: Dr. Michal Mor, Eli Ben-Arye
Graphic Design: Idan Vaaknin
Exhibition Design and Production: Eli Ben-Arye, Yuval Ayali
Graphic Production: Kzat Aheret Ltd.

📅 Tuesday, 12.5.2026
🕐 16:15
📍 Max and Iris Stern Little Gallery, Mt. Scopus Campus, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

For campus entry permits, please contact Inbal Levin at [email protected]

19/04/2026

We are delighted to welcome Lara Raabe as a Guest PhD Fellow at the Jacob Robinson Institute! 🎉

Lara is a PhD candidate at the Chair for Research into the History and Impact of the Holocaust at Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, and holds an MA and BA in History from Humboldt University, Berlin. Her research focuses on the history of National Socialism, N**i war crimes trials, and the persecution of Sinti and Roma, including their "second persecution" after 1945. Her PhD project examines West German trials for crimes committed against Sinti and Roma in Auschwitz-Birkenau, tracing these legal proceedings against the backdrop of broader societal changes from the 1960s through the 1990s.

Lara has several forthcoming publications in 2026, including contributions to the Encyclopaedia of the N**i Genocide of the Sinti and Roma in Europe and an edited volume on compensation and restitution after N**i injustice.

Welcome to the team, Lara! 💙

Photo credit: Anna-Maria Lück

28/01/2026

📸 Highlights from our Premium Tasting Tour! Our team enjoyed a wonderful evening exploring Mahane Yehuda and Nachlaot together. Starting at Agripas Street, we spent three hours discovering the market's flavors and wandering through the beautiful alleyways of Nachlaot. Good food, good company, and great memories 💫

26/01/2026

📸 The final class of Dr. Iris Nachum's course "Law in Times of Crises: The Jurist Jacob Robinson (1889-1977)" for this semester at our Institute.

How do you know it was a course on Robinson? Hint: the papillons!

Wishing all students the best of luck as they enter the exam period 💫

26/01/2026

📸 On January 8, 2026, the Jacob Robinson Institute proudly hosted the launch of Judge Dr. Yehudit Dori Deston’s book “The Last Trial: The Demjanjuk Trial and the End of N**i Prosecution in Israel”, recently published in Hebrew by The Hebrew University Magnes Press. The book offers a compelling and critical re-examination of the Demjanjuk Trial in Jerusalem (1986–1993), one of the most complex and controversial Holocaust trials in Israel’s history. Based on extensive archival research, the study sheds new light on the legal, moral and historical challenges of prosecuting Holocaust crimes through criminal law.

The evening brought together leading scholars and jurists and opened with welcoming remarks by Prof. Ronit Ricci, Vice Dean for Research at the Faculty of Humanities. Insightful responses were offered by Prof. Elyakim Rubinstein, former Vice President of the Supreme Court of Israel and former Attorney General of Israel; Supreme Court Justice Prof. Daphna Barak-Erez; and Prof. Yfaat Weiss, Professor of Modern Jewish History at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Director of the Leibniz Institute for Jewish History and Culture – Simon Dubnow. In her concluding remarks, Judge Dr. Dori Deston reflected on the legal, moral and historical implications of revisiting the Demjanjuk Trial. The event was moderated by Dr. Iris Nachum, Deputy Director of the Jacob Robinson Institute.

22/01/2026

🌍 Call for Applications: Visiting PhD Fellowships 2026/2027!

The Jacob Robinson Institute is offering up to two visiting PhD fellowships for the 2026-2027 academic year. We welcome doctoral candidates from non-Israeli universities whose research aligns with the Institute’s thematic areas, including minority politics, national self-determination, collective and individual rights, reparation for grave human rights abuses, Israel's statehood and diaspora relations, forced displacement, human rights and humanitarianism, as well as democracy and the rule of law.

Fellows receive a stipend of approximately 8,000 NIS per month and office space on Mount Scopus campus, where they will pursue their ongoing research. Full-time dedication to research is expected. Fellows are also expected to participate in the Institute's academic activities.

📅 Deadline: February 25th, 2026

📩 Submit the online application form, a CV (up to two pages), a list of publications, and a statement of purpose (up to four pages) as a single PDF to [email protected]

For further information, see the flyer below or visit www.robinson.huji.ac.il