Sept. 5, 2025
Dear ASECS Members,
We are writing to apologize for a scheduling error that has recently come to light, which will make it difficult for observant Jews to fully participate in our 2026 spring Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, even though it is our policy to avoid scheduling conferences and major meetings on holidays that our members observe. Several years ago, we inadvertently scheduled the 2026 ASECS Annual Meeting for April 9-11, to coincide with the last two days of Passover (Pesach). We explored rescheduling the conference, but the financial penalties and logistical complications would have been impossible to overcome.
While it is an imperfect solution, we will find a way to provide appropriate Kosher for Passover food for those wishing to attend the conference during the end of Passover. As always, ASECS accepts scheduling requests for religious observations, family-care responsibilities, accessibility needs, and teaching responsibilities for vulnerable faculty members and graduate students. Conference participants can make accommodation requests via the submission form when submitting abstracts, or by emailing the Executive Director Benita Blessing (director@asecs.org).
In these times in which intolerance seems to flourish, we wish to reassure our Jewish members that we are aware of the importance of avoiding the full length of the holiday in the future. Just as we have expanded the canon and the notion of eighteenth-century studies since our founding, we will endeavor to expand our sense of the holidays and holy days that are important to any of our members. We invite members of other faiths to alert us to potential conflicts of which we may not be aware.
Sincerely,
ASECS Board of Directors