Evelien Gans Lecture by Eva Illouz
The third Evelien Gans Lecture will be given by French-Israeli sociologist Eva Illouz. Afterwards, she will engage in a conversation with Arnon Grunberg.
An outspoken critic of Israeli policies who at the same time questions prevailing views on colonialism and Zionism within the academic left, Illouz often finds herself at odds with different sides of the debate. In her lecture, Illouz will reflect on the public debate that was set in motion after the October 7 attacks in Israel. She has been critical of strands within Western academic debate, that in her view insufficiently acknowledge the experiences of Israeli victims.
In 2025, Illouz was at the centre of a controversy when Erasmus University withdrew its invitation at Illouz to speak at the university. Erasmus University later apologised for this. Earlier, Illouz was denied the Israel Prize, the most important cultural prize in Israel, by the Israeli government because of her criticism of the IDF.
Illouz’ work focuses on how modern culture shapes our emotions, relationships, and ideas about love. In her most recent work, Explosive Modernity, she argues that the defining crises of our time can only be understood through the powerful emotions that drive them: fear, disappointment, rage, shame, and love. She has applied this perspective to several societies, including Israel, analyzing how the current government mobilizes emotions to deepen social divisions and undermine democratic norms.
About Eva Illouz
Eva Illouz (1961) is a professor of sociology at the University of Jerusalem. She researches love, emotions, and modern culture. Her earlier book Why Love Ends has been published in Dutch. Her latest book Explosive Modernity has been released in 2025.
Evelien Gans (1951 – 2018) was a committed scholar, a critical and combative historian, and a chronicler of Jewish life. In addition to her work as a researcher at the NIOD (Netherlands Institute for War Documentation), she was a professor of Contemporary Judaism. In 2018, she said in an interview with Vrij Nederland: “I am not only Jewish, but also a woman, left-wing, and a historian.” Her sister Heleen Gans, friend Judith Bruinsma, and colleague Dienke Hondius are the initiators of the Evelien Gans Lecture to honor her legacy. They organize the lecture together with De Balie, De Groene Amsterdammer, Jewish Cultural Quarter, and the Menasseh ben Israel Institute.
