Summer Program
JASS 2026
Jewish Activism Today: Facing the Moment
Dates: 2 August – 9 August 2026
Location: Berlin, hosted at bUm Berlin, Paul-Lincke-Ufer 21, Kreuzberg (www.bum.berlin)
Accommodation: Shared rooms at a local hostel in Berlin (to be confirmed)
About JASS 2026
What does it mean to act from Jewish values in a world where democracies are being eroded, conflicts are deepening, and the need for cross-border solidarity has never been greater? How do Jews remain inspired and engaged when the left has become increasingly unsympathetic to Israel and seemingly to Jews/Jewishness in general, while the Jewish right grows more intolerant, aggressive, and violent? How do we offer young Jews more for their identity and inner nourishment than just supporting the state of Israel (no matter what) and fighting antisemitism? JASS 2026 is built around these questions — and around the conviction that the answer has to be collective, democratic, non-dogmatic, practical, and durable.
This week-long program in Berlin brings together activists, scholars, journalists, and community professionals from across Europe and beyond. It moves from the specific to the structural: the co-creation of a lasting international network capable of sustaining Jewish activism for healthy Jewishness and democratic values across contexts, regions, and years.
Facing the Moment
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A participatory founding gathering for Jewish activists, scholars, and community leaders across Europe
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We will check in with each other in these difficult times; share experiences, fears, hopes, successes; consider how to navigate between right and left extremes
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Co-create frameworks, structures, and commitments for a lasting Pan-European Jewish activist network
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Open to activists, academics, and organizational leaders working on democracy, human rights, and Jewish civil society
Drawing on JASS’s nearly decade-long history as a hub for Jewish activists and community professionals, this week is dedicated (1) to strengthening our international network — a living, growing community of practice — and (2) to establishing a truly collaborative network of like-minded Jewish organizations across Europe and beyond. Such a network is needed today more than ever.
This week will not feature a series of panels or lectures. It will consist of a participatory, democratically structured working space where past JASS instructors, alumni, and new participants — bringing perspectives from Europe, North America, Latin America, the Middle East, and beyond — sit together as peers to co-build what this network looks like going forward: how it connects members across regions, what resources and support it offers to activists in their local contexts, and how it can sustain a global community of Jewish and allied activists over time.
The goal is not a one-time gathering but the consolidation of an ongoing, decentralized network with shared values and practical tools for the present and future.
Location
The city of Berlin provides the ideal backdrop for a program rooted in civic courage, democratic practice, and collective repair. Steeped in a history of conflict, resistance, and reinvention, Berlin has become home to a thriving activist scene that JASS participants get to experience firsthand.
JASS 2026 will be hosted at bUm Berlin (www.bum.berlin), a civic hub in the heart of Kreuzberg home to over 50 organizations working on political education, anti-discrimination, climate justice, arts, and community building — an ideal setting for JASS’s collaborative and activist spirit. The program will also include visits to local initiatives and historical sites across the city.
Program (Tentative)
The 2026 program will include:
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Deep Democracy — tools and methods for inclusive dialogue, collective decision-making, and engaging minority voices within groups and communities
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Design Thinking for Social Impact — human-centered approaches to building new initiatives and solving complex social problems
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Network-building working sessions on how we might continue supporting one another and collaborating
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Community visits and encounters with Berlin’s rich civil society ecosystem
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LARP- Live Action Role Playing
Full program, faculty bios, and confirmed participants to be announced.
Who Should Apply?
JASS 2026 welcomes three types of participants across both weeks:
Activists & Organizers
If you are working on democracy, human rights, anti-discrimination, climate justice, or civic engagement — at the local, national, or European level — JASS is built for you. Both weeks offer practical tools, peer learning, and the connections that make sustained activism possible.
Academics & Researchers
Scholars in Jewish studies, political science, history, sociology, or related fields who want to connect their work to activist practice and real-world networks. The second week in particular offers a space to co-create research partnerships and connect academic knowledge with organizational needs.
Community & Organizational Leaders
Professionals leading Jewish organizations, NGOs, or community institutions are especially welcome in the second week, which is designed around the co-creation of a pan-European network. Your organization’s experience and perspective will help shape what this network looks like in practice.
Credits
Students at the undergraduate level will have the option to gain 4 credit points for the entire program that will be transferable to their home universities. Please contact us for more detailed information.
Fees & Scholarship
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€400 — , including shared hostel accommodation
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Meals and travel are not included.
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€200 reduced fee — for participants who reside in Berlin or Brandenburg and do not require accommodation.
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Some financial assistance will be available for participants who need it. Please contact us for more information.
Alumni
JASS participants become part of a growing network of international activists. Meet the 2025 cohort JASS alumni have gone on to:
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Found a journal of Jewish culture and politics (Protocols)
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Develop popular education tools focused on climate policy with Ellery Studio (Berlin)
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Serve as a Resident in Art Writing at the Contemporary Art Stavanger (Norway)
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Work as Partnerships Manager at Insights.US, which helps organizations become customer-centric through advisory boards and civic engagement
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Attend Yale Law School, serving as editor of the Yale Law and Policy Review, and working with the San Francisco Affirmative Litigation Project
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Work as Director of Communication at Cadena, Mexico
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Work as Project Coordinator at The Urban Clinic, the Hebrew University (Jerusalem)
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Co-found Judaism in Our Own Terms, which helps foster democratic, student-led communities across North America
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Write about Jewish women anti-Nazi partisans in Lithuania (Uppsala University)
