LAJSA 2026 Bylaws Update

Option 1:  See complete document with highlighted changes.

Section 1. Officers. The officers of LAJSA shall be the Co-Presidents, the Secretary, the Treasurer, the LAJSA list-serve manager, and the Editor (or co-editors) of the Latin American Jewish Studies publication and Book series, and the Social Media Coordinator. Only individual members whose association dues are current shall be eligible to hold office.

Section 2. Executive Board. The Co-Presidents, and the Treasurer, shall constitute the Executive Board of LAJSA and shall have the responsibility to exercise administrative measures when appropriate, as well as other duties as specified in the Bylaws.

a) The Board of Directors shall be composed of: six members-at-large who are elected from among the membership.

Section 3. Meetings. The Board of Directors shall convene with the Executive Board,  and LAJSA officers, and other guests invited at the discretion of the co-presidents,  at research conferences and at least once a year where possible, or as frequently as necessary. They, shall meet in person or through electronic means to conduct the business of the association. Notice of the meeting at research conferences shall be included in the conference schedule.

Section 5. Special Projects, Task Forces, and Working Groups. The Board of Directors may determine the nature and procedure to be followed regarding special projects, Task Forces, and Working Groups recommended during the course of the year or at the meetings by its constituents or by the membership at large.

Section 4. Conference Planning Committee. The Conference Planning Committee shall be composed of the Co-Presidents, the Secretary, the Treasurer, the members of the Program Committee, and any additional persons appointed to assist with program development or local planning for the meeting. The Conference Planning Committee shall have responsibility for all matters concerning local arrangements.

IX. NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS

Section 1. The Secretary shall send out to the membership a call for candidates to the following positions:  Co-Presidents and Members-at-Large of the Board of Directors. After collecting nominations, the list of candidates is presented to the membership. The Secretary  may not be a candidate for office. The election shall be by electronic ballot.

Section 2. For the election of Co-Presidents, the pair of candidates receiving the majority of votes shall be elected; for members-at-large of the Board of Directors, the six candidates receiving the most votes shall be elected. In the case of a tie vote, the successful candidate shall be determined by lot conducted by the secretary.

XII. FINANCIAL MATTERS

Section 1. Annual Budget. The Treasurer shall prepare an annual financial statement, which upon the approval of the co-presidents will be shared with the Board of Directors before every bi-annual meeting. 

Section 4. Research papers and contributions to the Latin American Jewish Studies journal may be submitted in English, Portuguese, and Spanish. Proposals and Manuscripts to the Research in Latin American Jewish Studies book series shall be submitted in multiple languages (including Jewish languages), aligning with the Latin American Jewish Studies Association’s (LAJSA)