Naomi
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naominar.bsky.social
Naomi
@naominar.bsky.social
84 followers 110 following 22 posts
Current PhD on medieval Jews in English law courts | לונדון/אברדין
earlymusings.substack.com
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naominar.bsky.social
Just over 2 weeks left to apply to the Borders, Boundaries, and Barriers conference! It will take place in Oxford on April 20-21, 2026. We hope to provide bursaries to help with attendance. Email your abstracts to bordersboundariesbarriers[at]gmail[dot]com
#medievalsky #skystorians
Full plain text available at: https://medieval.ox.ac.uk/2025/06/24/cfp-borders-boundaries-and-barriers-real-and-imagined-in-the-middle-ages/
August 28, 2025 at 9:30 PM
naominar.bsky.social
Some personal news, my grandma passed away in July. I’ve written a piece to remember her. It explores my family’s relationship to education and Judaism across generations through the lens of my grandma, her grandmother, and I. I hope it can resonate with others going through loss. 🔗 in bio/comments
Quote from my piece reading, ‘I asked her, knowing that she would be dead soon, if she had any grand life advice to offer. This was a clumsy thing to do yet I was conscious that this was now-or-never. She was my last living grandparent; I would never have another opportunity to receive wisdom as situations arose. Her advice was, ‘never give birth at Kaplan hospital.’’
August 1, 2025 at 10:52 AM
naominar.bsky.social
Just over a month left to submit an abstract to the Borders, Boundaries and Barriers conference happening in Oxford next year!
We hope to provide funding to help cover the cost of attending.
#medievalsky #skystorians
Borders, Boundaries, and Barriers have become increasingly prominent themes in historical scholarship. There is, therefore, a pressing need to examine how these constructs have shaped the lived experiences of historically marginalised groups, as well as how they were perceived, defined, and engaged with by those groups. This conference seeks to reorient discussions around borders, boundaries, and barriers by foregrounding the experiences and perspectives of marginalised groups and considering how these divisions were perceived from the peripheries of societies. Rather than treating these concepts as abstract or solely geopolitical, we will explore the ways in which they have operated — both historically and historiographically — as tools of exclusion and differentiation. Organised by Natasha Jenman (University of Oxford), Naomi Reiter (QMUL), and Dean A. Irwin (University of Lincoln/OCHJS), the conference will focus on individuals, religious groups, social groups, societal constructions, and natural phenomena. Participants are invited to explore the role played by evolving borders, boundaries, and barriers in the medieval world as part of group identities; and how groups used them to their advantage. Likewise, it will consider the extent to which borders, boundaries and barriers have been imposed upon the medieval world by modern scholars. Possible topics for consideration include: • Legal jurisdictions • The natural and the supernatural worlds • Socio-economic strata • Ritual and religion • Space, time, and the environment • Gender and sexuality • Disability • Transgression, delinquency, and the grey middle space This conference adopts a broad chronological and geographical approach with submissions from all historically-related disciplines being welcome. The conference will take place on 20 and 21 April 2026 in Oxford. To submit, please send a title, abstract (c. 250 words), and a bio (c. 100 words) to: bordersboundariesbarriers@gmail.com.
July 28, 2025 at 12:05 PM
naominar.bsky.social
I’m co-organising a medieval conference next year in Oxford! Please take a look at the CfP and consider submitting an abstract, by the 15th of September, to bordersboundariesbarriers@gmail.com. We hope to be able to provide funding to help cover expenses of attendance.
#medievalsky #skystorians
Borders, Boundaries, and Barriers have become increasingly prominent themes in historical scholarship. There is, therefore, a pressing need to examine how these constructs have shaped the lived experiences of historically marginalised groups, as well as how they were perceived, defined, and engaged with by those groups. This conference seeks to reorient discussions around borders, boundaries, and barriers by foregrounding the experiences and perspectives of marginalised groups and considering how these divisions were perceived from the peripheries of societies. Rather than treating these concepts as abstract or solely geopolitical, we will explore the ways in which they have operated — both historically and historiographically — as tools of exclusion and differentiation. Organised by Natasha Jenman (University of Oxford), Naomi Reiter (QMUL), and Dean A. Irwin (University of Lincoln/OCHJS), the conference will focus on individuals, religious groups, social groups, societal constructions, and natural phenomena. Participants are invited to explore the role played by evolving borders, boundaries, and barriers in the medieval world as part of group identities; and how groups used them to their advantage. Likewise, it will consider the extent to which borders, boundaries and barriers have been imposed upon the medieval world by modern scholars. Possible topics for consideration include: • Legal jurisdictions • The natural and the supernatural worlds • Socio-economic strata • Ritual and religion • Space, time, and the environment • Gender and sexuality • Disability • Transgression, delinquency, and the grey middle space This conference adopts a broad chronological and geographical approach with submissions from all historically-related disciplines being welcome. The conference will take place on 20 and 21 April 2026 in Oxford. To submit, please send a title, abstract (c. 250 words), and a bio (c. 100 words) to: bordersboundariesbarriers@gmail.com.
June 20, 2025 at 1:49 AM
naominar.bsky.social
I’ve written a new piece on frum identity and privilege within academia! Let me know what you think. Linked in the comment & bio
March 20, 2025 at 9:26 PM
naominar.bsky.social
Looking back at my camera roll to see all the archival material I spent time looking at but never cited. Still a pleasure to be able to view these pieces of history!
March 12, 2025 at 3:12 PM
naominar.bsky.social
#Skystorians from all my archive visits so far, this is my favourite handwriting. It’s not overly complicated but a joy to read. I’d love to see other people’s favourite archive handwriting
Ms Gg.04.13 at Cambridge university library. A 17th century English monograph
March 12, 2025 at 1:48 AM
naominar.bsky.social
I’ve recently set up a substack where I discuss history, Judaism, and more at greater length. Feel free to have a look if you’re interested!

open.substack.com/pub/earlymus...
March 11, 2025 at 4:56 PM
naominar.bsky.social
Great examples of the history of tensions between the universities and the cities they were located in at the current BL exhibition
Book in British Library exhibition on medieval women Description of book in British library exhibition on medieval women. During the 1381 peasants revolt, the people of Cambridge were motivated to unrest by the privileges of the University. As part of the protest against the university, Margaret Starre scattered the ashes of documents while yelling ‘away with the learning of clerks!’
November 17, 2024 at 8:10 PM