Lipika Pelham

Lipika Pelham is a historian specializing in early modern Sephardi Jewish revival in post-Reformation Amsterdam, affiliated with the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich as a Volkswagen Momentum Fellowship Research Fellow. Her work explores the intersections of Jewish diaspora, colonial identity, and nationhood.

• Ph.D., University of Westminster, London

Her research focuses on:

• Early modern Sephardi Jewish communities
• Post-Reformation Amsterdam's Jewish identity
• Colonial-era Baghdadi Jewish settlements in India
• Formation of Jewish-European-Indian identities

Pelham's recent publications analyze Sephardi diaspora narratives and cultural hybridity in colonial contexts. She is currently leading a project on pre-modern to modern transitions in Judaic Studies.

Scientific awards:

• Volkswagen Momentum Fellowship Project
• New Frontiers in Contemporary Jewish Life Fellowship (2025–2026)