UP2US
ALF academic research grant

The Alfred Landecker Foundation funds a small number of outstanding academic research projects each year. The aim is to gain a deeper understanding of the origins and impact of the Holocaust as well as its aftermath and memory, but also to support projects that explore and address antisemitism, racism and violence in the 20th and 21st centuries.

UP2US: 2024-2026

The project will be implemented in Serbia, Croatia, and Romania from 2024 to 2026.

The project includes a research, development of recommendations for decision makers, three international conferences, an exhibition, a series of public talks, a series of podcasts, and a publication.

UP2US: Mapping the understanding of contemporary antisemitism in Serbia, Croatia and Romania

UP2US aims to develop and test-run target-group-specific methodologies for mapping the understanding of contemporary antisemitism and capacities to identify it, and to design and promote fact-based practical guidelines and strategic recommendations for national and regional policy and decision-makers on addressing antisemitism in line with the EU strategy on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life.

The sample mapping will be conducted among selected societal groups and professionals essential for shaping public understanding, attitudes, opinions, and awareness of antisemitism and/or groups responsible for various measures, policies, and activities to address antisemitism:
1. Professional media
2. University
3. Secondary schools
4. Police
5. City Authorities
6. Cultural producers
7. Social media content creators and influencers
8. Local Jewish Communities

Project partners will use well-established international best practices of opinion research on antisemitism to develop specific mapping models considering local social, cultural, and historical particularities. Mapping results will be discussed at an international conference, “UP2US – Preventing and Addressing Contemporary Antisemitism”.

The findings, conclusion synthesis, and mapping analysis will be presented in the publication “UP2US – Novi Sad – Rijeka – Timișoara: Practical Guidelines and Strategic Recommendations for Policy and Decision-makers on Addressing Antisemitism,” promoted and disseminated through outreach events: exhibitions and public debates in Novi Sad, Belgrade, Timișoara, Zagreb, and Rijeka.

The short-term project goal is to get an overview of the situation, assess the needs, and suggest further steps on preventing and countering antisemitism in the specific local, national, and regional context. This unique insight into regional challenges will contribute to a better understanding of the links between local, regional, and contemporary antisemitism on the European level. The long-term project goal is to raise awareness of antisemitism as a threat to democracy that concerns us all. In this way, the project UP2US aims to initiate a dialogue about national strategies for combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life.

The project is supported by the ALF Academic Research Grant.

UP2US photo