This panel explores everyday realities of love during the Holocaust through analysis of preserved documents, letters, diaries, memoirs, and survivor testimonies. The panelists will discuss the challenges of romantic love and intimate partnerships during the Holocaust, as well as parental and filial love in times of persecution, family separation, and traumatic personal decisions. The discussion will also address the complex relationships between children and their parents in the postwar period, following years spent in hiding. The aim of this panel is to analyze the significance and role of historical sources in understanding the everyday manifestations of love under the complex conditions of persecution, suffering, and survival during the Holocaust.

Panelists:
Dr. Milovan Pisarri, Research Fellow, Shoah Lab, Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory, University in Belgrade
MA Andrija Mihajlov, Research Assistant, Shoah Lab, Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory, University in Belgrade
Moderator: Dr.

A traditional Jewish wedding ceremony is unimaginable without the ketubah – the marriage contract presented by the groom to the bride. The Hebrew word ketubah literally means "that which is written," and, according to Jewish law, it is a legally binding document that defines the husband's obligations toward his wife. Through selected examples from the collection of the Jewish Historical Museum, this lecture will explore the historical development, artistic value, and symbolism of these unique documents, which offer a fascinating insight into Jewish family life, customs, and cultural heritage.

Borrowing its title from Gabriel García Márquez's famous novel, this lecture explores cinematic representations of love during the Holocaust. Focusing primarily on Balkan cinema while placing it in dialogue with Hollywood films and literary works, it examines the many ways love is portrayed under extreme circumstances. Beyond the familiar trope of the tragic, Romeo and Juliet-like romance (such as in Stars, The Ninth Circle, and The Third Half), the lecture also explores other forms of love: between parents and children, among friends, within surrogate families, on the front lines, and even in concentration camps.

The Book of Ruth is one of the most beautiful and distinctive books of the Hebrew Bible. Through the story of Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz, it speaks of loyalty, friendship, love, and the acceptance of others.

What makes this narrative particularly remarkable is that Ruth, a Moabite woman from a people often in conflict with Israel, became part of the Israelite community through her faithfulness, courage, and devotion. Her words to Naomi — "Where you go I will go…"— remain one of the Bible's most powerful expressions of loyalty and trust, making the Book of Ruth timeless in its message and enduring in its inspiration.

The Book of Ruth will be discussed by theologians Dr. Danijel Berković (Zagreb) and Dr. Aleksandar Apostolovski (Osijek).

Love is universal, yet each of us speaks and understands it differently. Why do some expressions of affection make us feel deeply valued, while others leave us wondering whether we are truly loved?

Drawing on the concept of the five love languages, this engaging lecture explores the many ways love is expressed through words, actions, time, gifts, and physical closeness. It invites participants to reflect on why misunderstandings arise even in caring relationships and how greater awareness of our own and others' “love languages” can strengthen emotional connections.

With practical insights and relatable examples, the lecture offers a simple but powerful reminder: love is not only about what we feel—it is also about how we communicate those feelings. Because people do not simply need to be loved; they need to know that they are loved.

" L'Amour nous suffit-il? : une réflexion sur le thème de l'Amour dans la tradition juive et sur les liens profonds avec le dialogue interreligieux et les échanges culturels et sociaux
L’amour est un langage extrêmement riche mais ambivalent. Après avoir été survalorisé sociologiquement et culturellement au XXe siècle, il est maintenant critiqué comme un moyen de manipulation et de dissolution des institutions ou des traditions. Paradoxalement, il valorise les sujets tous en en les fragilisant. Nous voudrions montrer au travers de l’étude d’un texte canonique sur l’amour, le « Cantique des Cantiques, comment l’amour est à la fois reçu et critiqué
Nous proposerons dans cette perspective une lecture à haute voix du texte du Cantique des Cantiques par Eva Ziegler, comédienne et, son commentaire à deux voix, littéraire et philosophique, usant de ses commentaires juifs et chrétiens

PARTICIPANTS :
Fabrice WENDLING, Maître de conférence (langue et littérature latine), Université de Nice.

Le 17 septembre 2026, dans le cadre des Journées européennes de la culture et du patrimoine juifs, consacrées cette année à l’amour sous toutes ses formes, la Maison de la culture yiddish recevra Michel Gaspard autour des Mémoires de son ancêtre, Glikl fun Hamel, également connue sous le nom de Glückel Hameln.

Négociante, veuve et mère de quatorze enfants, Glikl entreprit à la fin du XVIIe siècle le récit de sa vie. Ses sept livres constituent un témoignage exceptionnel sur le quotidien, les mentalités et les pratiques des communautés juives ashkénazes de son époque. Michel Gaspard a participé à leur première traduction française complète, établie à partir de la traduction allemande publiée par Bertha Pappenheim en 1910.

À travers sa douleur après la mort de son premier mari, son amour pour ses enfants, son attachement à ses parents et son remarquable talent d’observation, Glikl, femme juive du XVIIe siècle, fait entendre une voix profondément intime et universelle.

The lecture Tales of Love Without Darkness explores the history of romantic narratives, from David and Bathsheba, Mr Darcy and Elizabeth, through Disney couples to the many versions of Edward and Bella. It focuses on the contemporary industry of love stories, which, through the mass production of idealised romantic narratives, strips the Prince of his central role and places the White Horse at the forefront – a symbol of longing, entitlement, and female self-realisation.

The lecture therefore raises the question: does the contemporary pursuit of a standardised love without darkness represent an authentic hope, one whose source does not lie in the other person, or is it a form of escapism that only contributes to the darkness within someone’s love? Does such an imagination lead towards the fulfilment of a relationship, or towards a subtle yet real darkness devoid of love?