Contemporary Church History Quarterly

Volume 32, Number 2 (Summer 2026)

Conference Report: A Symposium in Honour of Dr. Doris L. Bergen, May 4, 2026

By Martina Cucchiara

On May 4, 2026, a large gathering of scholars, students, friends, and family members convened in Toronto, Canada, to celebrate the retirement of Dr. Doris Bergen, Chancellor Rose and Ray Wolfe Professor of Holocaust Studies at the University of Toronto.  The event was organized by Dr. Tatjana Lichtenstein and Dr. Rebecca Carter-Chand and supported by the Anne Tanenbaum Centre for Jewish Studies at the University of Toronto; the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum; the Almathea Charitable Foundation; the Chancellor Rose and Ray Wolfe Chair of Holocaust Studies at the University of Toronto; and the Centre for European and Eurasian Studies at the University of Toronto.

The symposium commenced at 9:15 a.m. at Trinity College with welcoming remarks by Dr. Anna Shternshis, Director of the Anne Tanenbaum Centre for Jewish Studies and J. Richard and Dorothy Shiff Chair of Jewish Studies. The morning and early afternoon featured three panels composed primarily of former graduate students as well as colleagues and supporters of Dr. Bergen, who presented papers on a wide range of topics that reflected the impressive breadth and diversity of research that she has helped shape. Continue reading →