Miriam’s blog

Update on the last five years

To my amazement, I realized I haven’t written a blog in five years! It’s time to update you on what I’ve been doing during this period.

In the summer of 2018, my supervisor and mentor, Evelien Gans, passed away. This was a shock to me and a great loss. At the time, I had already started writing my book, but without Evelien’s guidance, I didn’t know how to move forward. I felt incapable of finishing such a daunting task without her.

I began searching for someone who could take over Evelien’s role, but I couldn’t find anyone suitable or willing. When I spoke with Dienke Hondius, she suggested that I pursue an academic education, especially after I shared my (secrtet) dream of turning the book into a dissertation. I enrolled in the pre-master’s program in history at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam, only to discover that my prior conservatory education did not meet the academic requirements in the Netherlands.

So, in September 2020, I started what I call my “pre-pre-master” year, studying entirely online. After a year of hard work, I was finally admitted to the pre-master’s program in history, which I completed in one year.

In September 2022, I began the Master’s program in Jewish Studies at the University of Amsterdam. I absolutely loved it! It was wonderful to meet and be inspired by my fellow students and to learn from the fantastic teachers in the department. I also took two classes outside the program—one on the Holocaust and one in sociology about contemporary migration.

In July 2024, I submitted my MA thesis, which focused on antisemitism in the Netherlands during the 1930s. I was thrilled to receive a high mark for it! (If you’re curious to read it, you can find it here:). I have mixed feelings about not being a student anymore, I really really enjoyed that and if it would not have been for my ambition to persue my PhD I would have stayed there the rest of my life, or at least a couple of years more.

At the moment, I’m writing my PhD proposal, which is due on April 1. If it’s approved, I’ll likely begin my PhD in July. The journey will take at least four years.

So, for those of you waiting to read my book: please hang on until 2029!