Conferences
Conferences 2025-26
Church and State – with a Difference!
June 2026, NYU
Co-sponsored with the Jean Monnet Center for International and Regional Economic Law and Justice at NYU
The relationship between Church and State has been a staple theme of both political theory, religious studies and constitutional law for centuries. In the political life of states it has, too, ebbed and flowed for millennia.
In the current context of acute political polarization, not least in Israel and the United States, it is, once again a major flash point. While Israel and the United States have approached the relationship between religion and state from opposite directions—Israel integrating religion into the state from its inception, while the U.S. enshrined the separation of church and state in its Constitution—there is, on a theoretical level, a growing convergence. In Israel, doubts about the viability of a Jewish and democratic state, as defined in its basic constitutional framework, are becoming more pronounced. Meanwhile, the architects of Project 2025’s Christian nationalist agenda in the U.S. are actively working to dismantle the separation of church and state.
In the extensive political theory and legal literature, the relationship between church and state is typically presented as a reflection of a tension between the liberal-democratic state and religion. Just as often (though with some exceptions) Church (religion) and State (liberal democracies) are presented as monolithic concepts. Similarly, the "State" itself is frequently treated as a singular, undifferentiated entity, with little attention given to its internal subdivisions.
The conference has four main objectives, each of which complicates the existing theoretical framework, thereby creating opportunities for new avenues of action.
The first objective is to unpack “religion” and examine instead “religions” in their diversity. We will explore the relationship of “church(es)” and State as regards Christianity (including its many Catholic and Protestant subdivisions), Judaism (it, too, is not monolithic encompassing Ultra-Orthodox Misnagedim and Hasidim, Religious Zionist, Conservative, and Reformist streams) and Islam (including Sunni, Shia, and other sects).
Moreover, we will explore the relationship from a religious perspective – of which, relatively speaking, there is far less both knowledge and analysis. How do the three major monotheistic religions address the issue?
It is, not, however, only religion that requires unpacking. Liberalism, itself a form of a “civic religion,” and democracy are far from monolithic. Thus, a second component would be to examine the issue from the perspective of different iterations of liberalism and varied notions of democracy.
A third component of the project will try to chart the different reciprocal influences – resistance, influence, cooptation etc. – of these different forms of religion, liberalism and democracy.
Finally, the “State” itself is not a monolithic concept. The fourth component will examine various forms of non-unitary states—federal, confederal, and regional—as well as the dynamics between central and local governments in both unitary and federal systems. We will explore how the relationship between Church and State unfolds within these multi-tiered structures, particularly in the interplay between the whole and its constituent parts.
State and local governments play a crucial role in shaping policies related to religion in areas such as education, public funding, and community initiatives. For instance, state legislatures may enact laws regarding religious accommodation in schools or workplaces, while local governments might navigate disputes over public religious displays or zoning laws for places of worship. This decentralized structure allows communities to reflect their religious diversity and cultural traditions, but it can also create tensions when state or local policies challenge federal legal standards. In some cases, conflicts arise when local policies—such as restrictions on religious symbols or exemptions for faith-based organizations—are perceived as either infringing on religious liberties or violating the principle of church-state separation. Ultimately, federalism enables a balance between national legal protections and regional and local autonomy.
We plan to hold two conferences: the first at NYU in June 2026 and the second at TAU in June 2027.
Democratic Backsliding and Its Implications for the Judicial System
September 8, 2025, Buchmann Faculty of Law, Tel Aviv University
The conference—a joint initiative of the Edmond & Lily Safra Center at Tel Aviv University, the Israel Bar Association, and the DemoCrisis civic action network—will bring together academics, judges, and legal professionals from Israel, Poland, and Hungary to examine shared threats to legal systems arising from democratic backsliding in these countries. It will explore the effects of democratic decline on the judiciary and particularly its independence, as well as the role of the organized bar and academia in resisting and responding to these challenges.
Can the Public be Trusted, Prof. Yuval Feldman – Book Event
December 24, 2025, Buchmann Faculty of Law, Tel Aviv University
When do citizens voluntarily comply with regulations rather than act out of fear of sanctions? Can the Public be Trusted? Challenges prevailing regulatory paradigms by examining when democratic states can rely on voluntary compliance. Drawing on behavioral science, law, and public policy research, Yuval Feldman explores why voluntary compliance, despite often yielding superior and more sustainable outcomes, remains underutilized by policymakers. Through empirical analysis of policy implementation in COVID-19 response, tax compliance, and environmental regulation, Feldman examines trust-based governance's potential and limitations. The book presents a comprehensive framework for understanding how cultural diversity, technological change, and institutional trust shape voluntary cooperation. By offering evidence-based insights, Feldman provides practical recommendations for balancing trust, accountability, and enforcement in regulatory design.
Defining, Regulating, and Combating Antisemitism: The Changing Legal Landscape
March 16-17, 2026, Berlin
Co-sponsored with Law and Ethics of Human Rights, College of Law and Business (Israel); Stephen Roth Institute for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism and Racism (Tel Aviv University); Minerva Center for Human Rights (Tel Aviv University); NYU Center for the Study of Antisemitism; NYU School of Law; NYU Berlin; and NYU Tel Aviv.
In recent years, many of the most contentious debates surrounding freedom of expression involve antisemitism – and some of the fiercest divides within Jewish communities stem from efforts to combat antisemitism by legal means. The recourse to law has only intensified since Oct. 7, with a new focus on the funding and regulation of universities. Antisemitism has emerged as the test case for negotiating the extent of civil rights protection and the bounds of free speech in an era of intense political polarization. In this charged atmosphere, scholarly analysis of law’s advantages and limitations is sorely needed. Toward that end, the workshop will examine the changing legal landscape with regard to antisemitism (in multiple countries) and the political implications of the increasing recourse to law.
Papers presented at the conference will be published in a special issue of the journal Law and Ethics of Human Rights (LEHR), to be co-edited by Gila Stopler, Julie E. Cooper, and Hanna Lerner.
The 13th Privacy Conference
TBD, Buchmann Faculty of Law, Tel Aviv University
Co-sponsored by the Chief Justice Meir Shamgar Center for Digital Law and Innovation
Privacy studies are an emerging cross-disciplinary field of study. The annual workshop on privacy and cyber studies is a platform for presenting and discussing cutting edge studies on privacy. Participants are typically from a broad range of disciplines: computer science, information systems, engineering, law, media studies, psychology and sociology, economics and more. The workshop is based on a call for papers, and submissions are carefully selected.
