Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory, University of Belgrade
Organized by: WHISC – Women in the Holocaust International Study Center and Shoah Lab, Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory, University of Belgrade
The third annual conference of WHISC – Women in the Holocaust International Study Center was successfully held in Belgrade from 20 to 22 October 2025. For the second time WHISC organized the annual conference with Shoah Lab, the Holocaust Studies Laboratory of the Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory, University of Belgrade. Carrying the title Lives Worth Living: The Untold Stories, the conference aimed to advance scholarly dialogue at the intersection of Holocaust and gender studies, with particular attention to the still under-examined experiences of Jewish women in former Yugoslavia.
Nearly 30 scholars from France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Poland, Serbia, Sweden, and the United States of America participated and presented their new research, exchanged valuable perspectives, while strengthening international academic collaboration in the field.
Following the formal opening, during which representatives of WHISC and Shoah Lab welcomed participants and introduced the conference program, H.E. Avivit Bar-Ilan, Ambassador of the State of Israel, which is currently presiding over the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), also addressed the audience. The three-day program began with a keynote lecture by Milovan Pisarri on the Liberation of Belgrade, focusing on Jewish women’s contributions to this significant historical moment.
Seven thematic panels explored a wide range of topics, including gendered and sexualized violence, the role and lives of women doctors during the Holocaust, women’s narratives and testimonies, political and armed resistance, women’s captivity and survival strategies, and artistic and cultural responses to the Holocaust related trauma. The sessions illuminated both well-documented and lesser-known stories of women whose lives were profoundly shaped by the Holocaust, opening a rich space for an academic discussion.
The program also featured a screening of Dancing the Shoah by Suki John, as well as a study visit to the Memorial Center “Staro Sajmište”. During this visit, participants engaged with the historical context of the Holocaust in Belgrade and learned about the personal stories of women imprisoned in the former concentration camp Sajmište (Judenlager Semlin).
The conference fostered an atmosphere of thoughtful reflection, critical inquiry, empathy, and cross-institutional engagement. The exchange of knowledge and the development of new collaborations reaffirmed the continued relevance and urgency of research focused on women’s Holocaust histories and memory culture. Moreover, a forthcoming collection of papers based on research presented at this year’s WHISC conference will further enhance the visibility of women’s Holocaust experiences and their enduring legacy.
