From December 14–16, 2025, the 57^th Annual Conference of the Association for Jewish Studies (AJS) took place in Washington, D.C. (USA), among the participants of which were also Professor Elīna Vasiļjeva and Assistant Professor Ilze Oļehnoviča, representatives of the Department of Languages and Literature of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. The participation in the AJS scholarly events has already become a tradition, and many conference participants follow research on the identity and culture of Jews in Latgale and Daugavpils.

Also this year, the results of a long-term research project focusing on the Jewish text in Latgale were presented. Two papers were delivered: “The Blood Libel in the System of Stereotypes about Jews in the Late Soviet Period: The Case of Latgale” and “Jewish Funerals: The Transformation of Tradition (the Case of Soviet-Era Latgale)”. For several years, the research project has been successfully carried out thanks to the support of the DU internal grants. The papers presented by DU researchers, as well as the overall project concept, were highly praised by specialists in Jewish studies: the research topic and the presented material aligned well with the latest trends in the study of Jewish culture and identity.

The annual conferences of the Association for Jewish Studies are among the largest scholarly events in the field of Jewish studies. This year, more than 1,200 scholars participated in 190 working groups. During the conference, a book exhibition by leading publishing houses was held, an engaging cultural programme was offered, and participants had the opportunity to attend plenary sessions and events dedicated to award ceremonies. Conference participants commemorated the victims of the antisemitic terrorist attack that took place in Sydney. They also lit the first Hanukkah candle on the evening of the conference opening, kindling hope.

Participation in the conference confirmed the recognition of DU’s Jewish studies direction within the academic community. It provided an opportunity to meet long-standing partners, as well as to receive new offers for publications in international scholarly journals.