In-person conference at UCLA, April 19-21, 2026

Jews’ longstanding involvement with film and television has drawn much attention from scholars and the general public alike, raising the question of the significance of Jewish heritage and Jewishness more broadly for these creative endeavors, both on screen and behind the scenes. Given the centrality of music to Jewish culture, this conference seeks especially to delve into the ways portrayals of Jewishness are reinforced or made more complicated through music and sound in screen culture. The conference will feature two keynote speakers: composer Sharon Farber, who will discuss her work in the contemporary film industry; and Michael Beckerman, UCLA’s new Dean of the School of Music.