How JPR will help politicians across Europe in the fight of our times

Most of the time, research fields do not emerge according to a plan. They take the form they do because of the decisions made by researchers, policymakers, and funders. Some bodies and individuals may be particularly influential, but no one is ‘in charge’. That can be a positive thing, ensuring freedom and methodological diversity.

Still, when it comes to research on antisemitism and Jewish life in Europe, the lack of coordination makes for a disparate, ‘orphan’ kind of field.

For some years, JPR has been working towards nurturing connection and coherence in this field, and with the launch of NERON, a three-year project funded by the European Commission, we now have the opportunity to contribute to a much more thoroughgoing process in which the field of research in antisemitism and Jewish life in Europe can grow and consolidate.

The main tool JPR has used to track the current state of the field is our European Jewish Research Archive (EJRA). This free-to-access online repository now hosts over 6,000 research publications on antisemitism and Jewish life in Europe since 1990. From its inception in 2014, we have always planned to use the archive as a source of data to identify gaps in research provision and to track the preoccupations of researchers and funders.

Already, based on our current and previous work on EJRA, we are in a position to ask some key questions that the NERON project will address. The following are a taste of these questions, for which we hope to find empirically-based answers that are actionable by policymakers:

What is the ‘ideal’ relationship between research on antisemitism and research on Jews?

In the research we have conducted on EJRA’s holdings, it is clear that there has been a massive ‘boom’ in antisemitism research in Europe. Our data also suggests that antisemitism research has attracted researchers from several disciplines, often with no prior experience of engaging with Jewishly relevant issues.

How far does this growing field need to ground itself in a consideration of the experiences of Jews with antisemitism and more generally? How can researchers exploring Jewish life and antisemitism collaborate most effectively?

How can research on Jewish education in Europe best be nurtured? 

In all the analyses of EJRA’s holdings we have conducted over the years, one of the most consistent findings is that research on Jewish education is underdeveloped in most European countries. We know very little about the state of Jewish schooling in Europe – even the actual number of such schools is unknown – and given the considerable investment by Jewish communities and NGOs in this sector, this gap is particularly striking.

Addressing this absence is not just a matter of encouraging funders to support this work; NERON will also need to grapple with the question of why the growth of the Jewish education sector in European countries has not been accompanied by research into that sector, particularly regarding impact and effectiveness.

How might empirical research contribute to deeply contentious debates about antisemitism? 

The definition of antisemitism has become a highly divisive question in Europe today, and universities are amongst the focal points of conflicts on this issue. While research can never entirely avoid the political, it may be possible to build dialogue over a shared commitment to social research as practice.

Are there methodologies that might be particularly helpful in this regard? And might research provide opportunities to build scholarly solidarities in the face of otherwise disabling conflicts in the academy? From the inception of NERON, we will devote time to grappling with such sensitive questions.

How NERON will transform the ways we research and respond to antisemitism 

These are but a taste of the issues that NERON will be grappling with. Our own methodology will not be confined to research and discussion alone: NERON will seek to influence policymaking within and for this field and will pilot some of its own initiatives. Our research will therefore be, in many respects, action research.

Led by the Institute for Jewish Policy Research (JPR) and the European University Institute (EUI) and funded by the European Commission under its Horizon Europe programme, NERON aims to build a more connected, resilient and methodologically robust research and policy ecosystem for today and the future.

Over three years, the project will map existing knowledge, identify gaps in research and infrastructure, strengthen research standards and skills, build systems to ensure data reaches policymakers, and develop a strategic plan for a sustainable European hub dedicated to the study of Jewish life and antisemitism.

Our work will include holding multidisciplinary seminars and conferences, providing skills workshops, piloting a summer university, developing internship opportunities for graduate students, and sharing new data and insights with researchers, policymakers, and leaders across Europe and beyond. Everything we do will be guided by research and careful deliberation.

NERON represents a big opportunity and an even larger responsibility. It is both a result of hard work and the beginning of a challenging road. But it is a road that will lead to better policymaking for Jews everywhere. JPR looks forward to playing its part in this unique initiative.

• Dr Keith Kahn-Harris, JPR Senior Research Fellow and Project Director of the European Jewish Research Archive