Prof. Ilia Rodov

Lectures at Colloquia and Symposia; Guest Lectures

• "Portraying the Soul’s Virtues: Zoomorphic Images on Jewish Tombstones," Urban Jewish Cemeteries in Central-Eastern Europe between Early Modern and the Present Times: Research and Valuation, Alba Iulia University, Romania, October 13-15, 2024

• “Zagadka najwcześniejszych aron ha-kodeszy w kazimierskich synagogach (Puzzle of the Earliest Torah Arks in Kazimierz Synagogues),” Jews in Krakow: History and Culture, Cracow, September 24, 2024

• "The Altneuschul: Architecture and Message," Jewish Life and Art in Prague, Prague, May 27, 2024, International Erasmus+ Workshop, Jewish Museum

• "Animal Proxies of a Human Anima in Medieval and Early Modern Jewish Art," Cosmic Ecologies: Animalities in Premodern Jewish Culture, Northwestern University and the Newberry Library Chicago, May 13, 2024

• “Reading the Unreadable: Understanding Foreign and Pseudo Inscriptions in Medieval and Modern Artworks,” Kobe University of Foreign Studies, April 22, 2024 (cancelled due to flight cancellations during the war)

• "Landscape: Template and Essence," Shlomo Bronstein, Portraying the Trees, Photograph Exhibition, Bar-Ilan University, March 10, 2024

• "National Trauma and Jewish Artistic Heritage," Creating Art after October 7. Bar-Ilan University, March 6, 2024

• “In the Footsteps of Jewish Folk Art in Romania,” Jewish Historical Seminars Guest Lectures, USA, Europe, Israel (online), February 20, 2024

• "Eternalizing Synagogues: Memories Rebuilt and Miniaturized," Adam Mickiewicz University, Institute of European Culture, Erasmus+ Lectures. Gniezno, Poland, March 19–26, 2024

• "Tower to Temple: Medieval and Renaissance Italian Torah Arks," Adam Mickiewicz University, Institute of European Culture, Erasmus+ Lectures. Gniezno, Poland, March 19–26, 2024

• “Nomadic Homes and Homey Travels: Introductory Remarks,” Art and Nomads: The Other Nature, Artplatform-on 2023 Online Conference, Gwangju, Republic of Korea, December 15, 2023

• "On the Eagles' Wings": Synagogue Art and National Resilience," Lectures in Spirit of Israel amid the War, The Faculty for Jewish Studies, Bar-Ilan University, November 23, 2023

• "Five Theses on Jewish Art Studies in Israeli Academy," “Night with the Obscurantists,” Simkhat Torah Marathon Series of Lectures Israel and worldwide, online, October 5, 2023

• “Scrolling Out: The Voluted Images in Jewish Contexts, Beyond the Texts," The 12th EAJS Congress Branching Out: Diversity of Jewish Studies, Frankfurt am Main, July 18, 2023

• "From Tower to Temple: Italian Renaissance Torah Arks," Umberto Nahon Museum of Italian Jewish Art. Jerusalem, July 10, 2023

• "Mirages and Contours: Israeli Artists' Interpretations of the Soviet Past," Beit Avi Hai, Jerusalem, June 5, 2023

• "Sacred Corporeality and Secular Holiness: Reconsidering Faith in the Works of Israeli Artists of Soviet Descent," Israeli-Russian Literature in International Contexts. International Conference. Bar-Ilan University, May 30, 2023

• "What's Jewish about Jewish Art?” Skizza Gallery, Jerusalem, May 28, 2023

• “Baggage – ‘Remembering the Roots’ in Israeli Art.” Skizza Gallery. Jerusalem, November 14, 2022

• "Revival of Antiquities, a Jewish Perspective: Catalonian Synagogue Ark in Rome," Umberto Nahon Museum of Italian Jewish Art           Jerusalem, October 13, 2021

• "Adventures of Italian Art in Early Modern Ashkenaz" (keynote lecture), Jewish Crossroads: Between Italy and Eastern Europe, The Foundation for Jewish Cultural Heritage in Italy and The Center for Jewish Art at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Jerusalem, July 22, 2021

• "Eternalizing Synagogues: Memories Rebuilt, Miniaturized, Fragmented, Digitized," Memory: In Search of Lost Time, Bi-Annual Conference of Jewish and Christian Perspectives, Tilburg School of Catholic Theology, Utrecht, May 9-12, 2022

• "Arca sacra ‘tedesca’ da Padova: comparsa e ricomparsa di un capolavoro rinascimentale," Under Gentile Eyes, Università di Pisa and Bar-Ilan University (online) Pisa, January 9, 2022

• "Survival or Revival? The Menorah in Early Modern European Synagogue Art"       The Menorah and the Seven-Branched Candelabrum: Jewish and Christian Manifestations in the Medieval and Early Modern Periods, International conference, Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, November 11, 2022

• "Telescope vs. Microscope or Why Should One Define Jewish Art?" The First Moscow International Interdisciplinary Session on Jewish Art, The State Institute for Art Studies, Moscow, May 20-21

• “'Va, Pensiero': Psalm 'By the Rivers of Babylon' in Traditional Jewish Art," The State Institute for Art Studies and Eshkolot, Moscow, May 18, 2021

• "Quoting the Origin: On Migrant Identities in European Synagogue Architecture," Symposium on Swedish Synagogue Architecture (1795-1870) and the Cultural Milieu of the Early Jewish Immigrants to Sweden, April 19, 2021

• "Rosa Mystica in Medieval European Synagogues," Mysticism in Art and Art in Mysticism, 8th Conference on Judaism, Spirituality, and Mythology, Jerusalem, February 20, 2020

• "Literature and Art," Launching Conference of the Russian-Jewish and Russian-Israeli Literature Academic Track", January 22, 2020

• "Romanian Synagogue Art," Conference "We, The Romanians," The Aharon and Rachel Dahan Center for Culture, Society & Education in the Sephardic Heritage, January 21, 2020

• "Contemplations in the Desert on Nature, Creation, and Art," Art and Biology: The Meeting Point, International Symposium, Beer-Sheva, December 19, 2019

• "Mikhail Yakhilevich and Ella Byshevskaya, 'Seeing the Voices': Illustrations to the Bible." The Cymbalista Jewish Heritage Center, Tel Aviv University, November 6, 2019

• "Poetics of Obscenity in Contemporary Israeli Art: Grobman, Okun, Gamburd," homage to Prof. Ziva Amishai-Maisels on the occasion of her 80th anniversary, The Hebrew Universiry of Jerusalem, November 4. 2019

• "Reading the Unreadable: Hebrew Script in Christian Art," Bar-Ilan Intersemiosis Research Group Lecture, October 24, 2019

• "In the Shadow of Empires, in the Light of History: Research of Jewish Architecture in Galizia," Book Presentation: " Sergey Kravtsov's new book, In the Shadow of Empires," April 29, 2019

• “Decalogue's Debut, Menorah's Comeback, and Subversive Lions at a Sephardi Synagogue in Renaissance Rome,” Harry G. Friedman Society Lecture, New York, April 7, 2019

• “Shared Expressions, Opposed Messages: Sacred Shrines in Medieval Synagogues and Churches,” Many Rooms: Space and Sanctity in Judaism and Christianity, Hayim Perelmuter Conference, Catholic Theological Union and University of Notre Dame, Chicago, April 1, 2019

• “The Lodestar in the Journey of Life: Symbolic Allusions of the Bimah in Kerala Synagogues,” Jews in India, Jews of India, International Conference, Sri Vishnu Mohan Foundation, Cochin, India, January 9-12, 2019

• "Honig und Wissen in der traditionellen jüdischen Kunst," Bienen und Honig in den Religionen und in unserer heutigen Welt," Konferenz, Köln, Melanchton Akademie, September 6, 2018

• “Personal, Collective, and Eternal: Patronage of Synagogue Architecture and Art in Medieval and Early Modern Ashkenazi Communities,” “Art Patronage and Jewish Culture,” ISF International Workshop, I-Core and Department of Jewish Art, Bar-Ilan University, June 25, 2018

• “Mystery Encircled and Enclosed: Pediments of Medieval Ashkenazi Torah Arks,” International Workshop "Framing the Sacred: Shrines in European Architecture," Bar-Ilan University, June 20, 2018

• "Studying Jewish Architecture: Unity in Diversity," Innovation and Design Education Webinar, the Design and Learning Lab, Smart Learning Institute of Beijing Normal University, March 23, 2018

• "Academic Teaching of Jewish Art: Tradition and Variety," Bitola, St. Clement of Ohrid University, Macedonia FYR. November 15, 2017

• "Visual Dimensions of Human Geography," Ohrid campus, St. Clement of Ohrid University, Macedonia FYR, November 13, 2017

• "The Holy Land in European Synagogue Art," Hallisch-Frankisches Museum, Schwabisch Hall, Germany, October 16, 2017

• “Synagogue as Museum: Ritual and Exposition,” Synagogue and Museum, The Third International Congress on Jewish Architecture, Technische Universität Braunschweig, November 21–23, 2016

• "Sacred and Real Geography in Modern Ashkenazi Art,” Guest lecture, Centro de Estudos Judaicos, Faculdade de Filosofia, Letras e Ciências Humanas, Universidade de São Paulo    São Paulo, September 21, 2016

• “Images of the Holy Land in the East European Synagogue Art,” Guest lecture, Núcleo Interdisciplinar de Estudos Judaicos e Árabes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro    Rio de Janeiro, September 20, 2016

• Synagogue Space, Its Dimmed Images, and Their Elusive Meanings,” Synagogue Wall Paintings: Research, Preservation, Presentation, International Workshop, The Center for Jewish Art, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, September 13–14, 2016

• “Between the Earth and Heaven: Concepts of Spiritual and Intellectual Ascent as Reflected in Synagogue Art,” Series of lectures, Sefer: The Center for University Teaching of Jewish Civilization, Webinar (online lectures), February 11, 18 and 25, 2016

• “Reframing Traditional Jewish Art,” Constructing and Deconstructing Jewish Art, International Conference, Bar-Ilan University, September 9, 2015

• Gate to the Lord: Symbolic Language of East-European Synagogue Art, series of lectures and research workshop, Kiev-Mohyla Adademy, Kiev, May 18-22, 2015

• "To Hell": Images of Devil in Jewish Art, gueat lecture, Nativ - Government Bureau on Communications with the Jewish communities, Kiev, May 17, 2015

• Polish Dov and Jewish Niedźwiedź: Intercultural Contexts of East-European Synagogue Art, "The Jewish Neighborhood in the Middle Ages and Early Modern Period: Interrelations and Aesthetic Considerations," International Conference, Tel Aviv University, April 12-14, 2015.

• Between Exile and Redemption: The Land of Israel in the Art of East-European Synagogues, quest lecture, The Yeshiva University, New York, March 30, 2015.

• Allegories of Virtues in Traditional Jewish Art, "Jewish Symbolism: Marks of a People," Alfred and Jean S. Moldovan Memorial Symposium, The Harry G. Friedman Society, The Jewish Museum, New York, March 22.

• Mundane Wanderings and Ascension on High:Development of Didactic Allegories in Jewish Art, The Narkiss Prize for Excellence in Research on Jewish Art Lecture, The Center for Jewish Art, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Umberto Nahon Museum of Italian Jewish Art, Jerusalem, December 17.

• Art of Romanian Synagogues, "Jews of Romania: Cilture and Heritage," The Aharon and Rachel Dahan Center for Culture, Society and Education in the Sephardic Heritage, Bar-Ilan University, December 11, 2014

• The Bimah in Medieval Ashkenazi Synagogues: Interpretations of Archaeological, Visual and Textual Evidence, The David Slager Jewish Student Centre, Oxford, July 9, 2014.

• Architecture as a Matrix of Custom: On the Bodily Behavior in Medieval Ashkenazi Synagogues, International Medieval Congress, University of Leeds, July 7–10, 2014

• Relics or Junk? On Preservation of Art in Modern Central- and East-European Synagogues, Geisteswissenschaftliche Zentrum Geschichte und Kultur Ostmitteleuropas (GWZO) an der Universität Leipzig, April 4, 2014.

• On the Liturgy in Medieval Ashkenazic Synagogues, "Jewish Architecture: New Sources and Approaches," International conference, Technische Universität Braunschweig, April 1–3, 2014.

•  Seeing the Invisible: Symbolism of the Divine Name in Synagogue Art, Eshkolot Lectures, Moscow, February 5, 2014.

•  Under the Blue Sky: Depictions of Jerusalem in East-European Synagogues, The Museum of the Jewish History in Russia, Moscow, February 4, 2014.

• The Pavilion-Shaped Bimah in Medieval Ashkenazi Synagogues, the Twenty-First Sefer Academic Conference in Jewish Studies, The Center for University Teaching of Jewish Civilization, Moscow, February 3–5, 2014.

• Capturing the Untouchable: Symbols of Light and Fire in Synagogue Art, Eshkolot Lectures, Moscow, February 3, 2014.

• Hebrew Inscriptions in Renaissance Art, Instituto Italiano di Cultura, Moscow, February 2, 2014.

• From a Family Archive to Collective Memory: Sculptor Joseph Dinaburg and His Work in Synagogues, "Documentation and Preservation of Synagogues in Israel: Field Work to Research," inter-university symposium, The Department for Jewish Art, Bar-Ilan University, ICOMOS (Israel), The Center for Jewish Art, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, November 12, 2013.

• What Did Rabbi Moses Isserles Look Like? The Sixteenth World Congress of Jewish Studies, Jerusalem, July 28–August 1, 2013.

• Preservation of East-European Synagogues in the Post-Communist Age, Conference of the Committee for Wall Painting, ICOMOS (Israel), Museum of Rishon Lezion, November 16, 2012.

• In Search for Meanings: On Semantics of Synagogue Paintings, guest lecture at the Institute of Architecture at the National Polytechnic University in Lviv, November 8, 2012.

• Between the Lost Empire and Future Paradise: Maksymilian Kugel’s Synagogue Paintings, “Ukrainian and Jewish Artistic and Architectural Milieus of Lwów/Lemberg/Lviv: From Ausgleich to the Holocaust,” International Conference, Center for Urban History of East Central Europe (Lviv); Center for Jewish Art, Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Polish Institute of World Art Studies (Warsaw);The Leonid Nevzlin Research Center for Russian and East European Jewry; Ukrainian Jewish Encounter Initiative (Toronto), Lviv, November 5-7, 2012.

• Images of Theophany in Romanian Synagogues, "Traditions and Perspectives in History of Jewish Art,"  International Conference, Bar-Ilan University, September 10–12, 2012.

• Voices Penetrating the Walls: On the Box-Like Bimahs in Medieval Ashkenazic Synagogues, "Art and Performance in the Middle Ages," International Conference, Imago: The Israeli Association for Visual Culture in the Middle Ages, Ars Judaica, and Department of Jewish Art, Bar-Ilan University, March 27, 2012.

• Wandering in the Past: Romanian Travelogues of Zussia Efron, "Lumea evreiască în literatura Română (The Jewish World in The Romanian Literature), International Conference, the Center for Research on Romanian Jewry and the Romanian Cultural Institute in Tel Aviv, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, February 14, 2012.

• Visions and Views: Representations of Divine Names in Romanian Synagogues, guest lecture, the Center for Research on Romanian Jewry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, January 25, 2012.

• Didactic Allegories in Eastern-European Jewish Folk Art: Journey through Ages, Cultures, and Media, an interdisciplinary colloquium of  the School of Arts at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, November 27, 2011.

• Language of Silence, "All the Colours of Rainbow," opening lecture, the  exhibition of paintings by Shlomi Solomon, Wurzweiler Central Library, Bar-Ilan University, November 8, 2011

• Beating Heads Against the Wall: Outdoor Art on the Outskirts of Jerusalem, a colloquium of  the Program in Contemporary Jewry at Bar-Ilan University, February 22, 2011

• Object and Ritual,  "How Do They Hit Haman?" opening lecture, the  exhibition of Purim rattles by  Aviv Cohen, Wurzweiler Central Library, Bar-Ilan University, March 7, 2011

• Sacred Spaces and Sacred Images: Tracing Jewish Heritage of Medieval Spain at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, a lecture of the series of lectures and exhibition "Sefarad: imágenes de un pasado" under the auspices of the Embassy of the State of Israel and the Embassy of Spain in Ukraine, Kiev, November 10-11, 2010.

• The Convivencia in Art of Medieval Spain at the National Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv, :a lecture of the series of lectures and exhibition "Sefarad: imágenes de un pasado" under the auspices of the Embassy of the State of Israel and the Embassy of Spain in Ukraine, Kiev, November 10-11, 2010.

• The Jewish Culture in Spain: From the Golden Age to Exile at the International Solomon University, a lecture of the series of lectures and exhibition "Sefarad: imágenes de un pasado" under the auspices of the Embassy of the State of Israel and the Embassy of Spain in Ukraine, Kiev, November 10-11, 2010.

• Depictions of Divine Providence in Christian and Jewish Art in Seventeenth and Eighteenth Century Ukrainian Lands, “Ukrainian Jewish Encounter: Cultural Interaction, Representation and Memory,” the Ukrainian Jewish Encounter Initiative (Canada) in collaboration with the Israel Museum and the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Jerusalem, October 18–20, 2010.

• Gate to the Heaven: An Artistic Construct in Eastern-European Synagogues at "Synagogue: The Soul of the Nation," Jerusalem Academic Center - Lander Institute, July 8, 2010.  

• On Topsy-Turvy Images in Paintings and Books, "On the Contrary: A Colloquium on Inverted Images in Jewish Art," the Department of Jewish Art at Bar-Ilan University, Ars Judaica, and The Center for Research of Jewish Visual Culture in Europe, March 23, 2010

• Fabrics of History, "Beyond the Screen" and "Absence,"  opening lecture, the  exhibition of digital prints by  Shulamit Tibor, Wurzweiler Central Library, Bar-Ilan University, February 2, 2009

• Earth Touching the Heaven,  "Spirit in Material: Sculptures and More," opening lecture, the  exhibition of sculptures and paintings by  Betty Wachsstock-Schonfeld, Wurzweiler Central Library, Bar-Ilan University, December 30, 2009

• Paintings of the Tsori Gil‘ad Synagogue in L’viv: Life and Illusion, The Fifteenth World Congress of Jewish Studies Studies, Jerusalem, August 3, 2009

• On the Wall and Beyound: Graffiti on the Security Walls between Gilo and Bethlehem, "Conflictual Art," Conference, The University of Haifa, June 9-10, 2009

• Ars brevis, vita longa: On Preservation of Modern Synagogue Art, "Jewish Heritage as Part of the World and National Heritage," Annual International Conference, The Goldstein Goren Center for Hebrew Studies, The University of Bucharest, May 28-29, 2009

• The Torah Ark in the Tabak Temple of Budapest and imitatio Templi, "Masquerade in Stone: Synagogue Architecture in Search of Jewish Identity," a colloquium on occasion of the publication of The Great Synagogue of Budapest, by Prof. Rudolf Klein,  the Department of Jewish Art at Bar-Ilan University and The Center for Research of Jewish Visual Culture in Europe, May 21, 2009

• Illustrations Bounded and Unbounded,  "Arieh Allweil: Prints and Calligraphy, 1939-1949," opening lecture, Wurzweiler Central Library, Bar-Ilan University, April 26, 2009

• Yona's Dreamland,  "Jewish Life Cycle," opening lecture, the  exhibition of sculptures by  Yona Vital-Ravikovich, Wurzweiler Central Library, Bar-Ilan University, December 17, 2008

• Synagogue Art in Eastern Europe (keynote): ‎"Art and Architecture of ‎Romanian Synagogues," International Conference, Bar-Ilan University and the Romanian Cultural Institute in Tel Aviv, February 24–28, 2008‎

• Allegoric Images for Scholarship in Hebrew Books and in Synagogues:  "Jews, the Arts, and Scholarship: Production and ‎Reception," British Association for Jewish Studies (BAJS) 2007 ‎annual conference, London, July 11-13, 2007

• The King, the King of Kings and the King of the King of ‎Kings: "Isolation, Independence, Syncretism, Dialogue. Models of Interaction between Judaism ‎and Christianity in Past and Present," Sixth International Conference, Ramat-Gan and Jerusalem, ‎Israel, Jewish and Christian Perspectives, E.J. Brill, Leiden, Ingeborg Rennert Center for Jerusalem Studies, Bar-Ilan ‎University, Ramat-Gan; Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies, Jerusalem, Israel; University of Tilburg, Faculty of Catholic Theology, ‎Utrecht, The Netherlands, January 21-24, 2007‎

• Il rinascimento dell'antichità nell'arte sinagogale: "Gli ebrei a Roma," Convegno internazionale, The Ben Zvi Institute, December  31, 2006 – January 3 2007

• "בין הקבוע למשתנה - על הסמנטיקה של סמל חזותי באמנות יהודית": בין סמנטיקה לאמנות, יום עיון לזכרו של פרופ' גד בן עמי צרפתי ז"ל, אוניסרסיטת בר-אילן, 17 בדצמבר, 2006.

• The Synagogues of the East and the West at the Modern Age: Enchantment of Melody: Modern Jewish History in Music and in Art, series of lectures, The Zalman Shazar Center for Jewish History, November 16, 2006.

• "Thou That Dwellest in the Gardens": The Metaphorizing of the Synagogue Design in the Early Modern Eastern Europe at European Association for Jewish Studies VIII Congress, Moscow, July 23-27, 2006.

• St. Bernard’s Unexpected Influence: Jewish Adoption of Cistercian Art at “Strangers, Foreigners, and Others,” Third Annual Symposium of the International Medieval Society, École des Chartes, Sorbonne, Paris, June 29-July 1, 2006.

• Don’t Believe Your Eyes: Psychological Aspects of Contemporary Approaches to Jewish Art  at “History and Culture of the Soviet Jewry,” the 13th International Congress “Jewish History and Culture in the Central and Eastern Europe,” Kiev, August 29-31.

• The Synagogue Ark as a Metaphor of a Stronghold of Faith, a lecture at the 14th World Congress of Jewish Studies, Jerusalem, July 31 – August 4, 2005.

• "Let Us Build Us a City and a Tower”: Cult and Ideology in the Soviet Architecture in the 1920s and 1930s at “Cults, Temples, and Politics,” Conference, Yad Ben-Zvi Institute and Bar-Ilan University, April 7, 2005.

• Under the Wings of the Double-Headed Eagle: A Jewish Symbol in the Historical Context at  "Jewish Culture and Russian Culture, Mutual Influences in the Twentieth Century," International Congress, Bar-Ilan University, January 9-13, 2005.

• The Text as Evidence and as a Clue: Early Lion Sculptures in European Synagogues at “Depicting Words: Verbal and Visual Aspects of Jewish Art” (Decennial of Jewish Art  Studies at Bar-Ilan University), Bar-Ilan University, May 21-22, 2002.

• The Picture as a Text: New Semantic Aspects of Velasquez’s ‘Las Hilanderas’ at Interdisciplinary Seminar, Bar-Ilan University, 2002.

• On the Earliest Reliefs in Ashkenazi Synagogues at the 13th World Congress of Jewish Studies, Jerusalem, 2001

• History of Jewish Art as Discipline at the Eshnav Seminar “Jewish Studies during the Last Century,”  The Hebrew University in Jerusalem, August 1, 2001   

• The Pyramid: Egyptian Origins, Christian Uses and Jewish Interpretations at the Seminar “Homage to Prof. Olga Goldberg,” May 14, 1991

• The Pyramid: the Model and Its Interpretations at the Motar Congress, Tel Aviv University, March 12-13, 2001

• The Carved Tympana of the Altneuschul in Prague: The Synagogue Art as Argument at the International Congress “Jewish Civilization in the Central and Eastern Europe, Minsk, January 2000

• The Paintings of the Synagogue in Pinczów at the 12th World Congress of Jewish Studies, Jerusalem, 1997

• Origin and Developments in the Work of Shalom Moskovitz of Safed at the 11th World Congress of Jewish Studies, Jerusalem, 1993

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Organization of Colloquia and Symposia