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Frankely Judaic: Explorations in Jewish StudiesA Jewish Studies podcast series featuring the res Author: University of Michigan Frankel Center for Judaic Studies
A Jewish Studies podcast series featuring the research of Frankel Institute fellows at the University of Michigan. Language: en Genres: Education Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Erica Lehrer, "Post-Jewish Objects in Poland: Dispossession, Aid, and the Biographies of Things"
Monday, 24 August, 2026
Cultural anthropologist Erica Lehrer (Concordia University, Montreal) describes her research on “post-Jewish” objects in Poland, prompted by politicized, oversimplified exhibitions about Polish “Righteous Gentiles” under the 2017–2023 Law and Justice government and by recurring personal encounters with Poles who possess objects that used to belong to Polish Jews. Lehrer argues that objects can reveal a nuanced spectrum of wartime and postwar transfers—from gifts and ongoing intergenerational friendships (e.g., a moulin à légumes used annually to make gefilte fish; replacement Shabbat candlesticks) to barter under starvation, extortionary contracts, and violent expropriation—while highlighting the economics and risks of aid.
