Call for Papers: Back to Herzl and his Diaries in the Original
Ben-Gurion Institute in Sde Boker, September 2-3, 2026
Organized by the Azrieli Center for Israel Studies (MALI), the Ben-Gurion Institute for the Study of Israel and Zionism, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, in collaboration with the Central Zionist Archives (CZA), Jerusalem.
This research workshop continues the initiative launched at the conference “Back to Herzl,” marking 120 years since his passing, held in Jerusalem in December 2024. The current workshop aims to examine key scholarly questions in the study of Theodor Herzl and his intellectual legacy, as well as to explore the research potential offered by a new scholarly infrastructure: the “Herzl Online” project of the Central Zionist Archives.
Participants will be asked to submit a detailed draft article prior to the workshop and to present their research during the workshop (approximately 15 minutes). Following peer review, full articles will be published in an international scholarly volume devoted to Herzl.
We welcome proposals addressing (but not limited to) the following themes:
• The tension between particularistic Jewish identity and liberal-national thought in Herzl’s writings.
• Herzlian policy: between colonialism and decolonial perspectives.
• Capitalism versus socialism in Herzl’s political vision.
• Preliminary findings based on the use of the Herzl Online platform.
• Herzl and his resonance in Israeli society.
• Pedagogical challenges in teaching about Herzl in the 21st century.
The workshop is open to scholars focusing on Israel Studies, the history of Zionism, Jewish history, political science, sociology, Israeli culture, or other relevant disciplines (including those who did not attend the December 2024 conference). Preference will be given to projects that make significant use of the “Herzl Online” initiative.
Scholars interested in participating in the project are invited to submit proposals (up to 250 words), accompanied by a short biography (up to 200 words).
• Proposals must be submitted by 15 May 2026 to: israelis@post.bgu.ac.il
• Notifications will be sent to applicants by 10 June 2026.
• Participants are required to submit a 2,000-word draft lecture by 1 August 2026.
• The deadline for submitting full articles for the edited volume will be announced at a later stage.
• Proposals may be submitted in Hebrew or English.
Steering Committee:
Daniel Gutwein, Avi Bareli, Arieh Saposnik, Adi Portughies, Suzanne Berns, Shimon Israeli
___________________________________________________________________________________
About the “Herzl Online” Project
Herzl Online provides, for the first time, full access to Herzl’s handwritten German diaries and the manuscript of his novel Altneuland, including deletions and revisions exactly as he wrote them, without editorial intervention. The project includes digital editions of the diaries and Altneuland in German, Hebrew, and English, along with access to hundreds of documents and photographs, equipped with extensive search capabilities.This initiative opens new research possibilities for scholars of Herzl, Zionism, and Israeli history.