The Canadian Institute for the Study of anti-Semitism has announced the issue contents of its new journal, AntisemitismStudies, published by Indiana University Press. Antisemitism Studies, as discussed in a prior entry, provides the leading forum for scholarship on the millennial phenomenon of anti-Semitism, both its past and present manifestations. Catherine Chatterly, founding director of CISA and editor-in-chief of this upcoming periodical, is a member of LDB’s Academic Advisory Board. Each issue of the periodical is composed of a brief introduction by the editor, a selection of scholarly articles, and several reviews of significant new books published on the subject. The periodical features an article by Alvin Rosenfeld, a member of LDB’s Academic Advisory Board, titled “The Longest Hatred Renewed: A Tribute to Robert Wistrich.” (more…)
Tuesday, Feb. 21, University of Chicago Law School On Tuesday, February 21, Professor Alex Tsesis will be speaking to the LDB chapter at the University of Chicago on the topic of, “Free Speech in the Age of the Internet.” Tsesis is a professor at the Loyola University Chicago School of Law, and is an expert in Constitutional Law, the First Amendment, Civil Procedure, as well as civil rights issues and constitutional interpretation. He is a widely published author whose articles have appeared in a variety of law reviews across the country. Professor Tsesis is also a frequent presenter to law school faculties nationwide on issues involving constitutional law, free speech, and civil rights.
David R. Cohen Atlanta Jewish Time February 21, 2017 Reports in August from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville of anti-Semitic behavior by students caught the eye of Kenneth Marcus, an anti-Semitism expert and the president of the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law. Marcus was later invited to speak Jan. 26 at the university in combination with an International Holocaust Remembrance Day screening of Gloria Z. Greenfield’s film “Unmasked Judeophobia,” during which he detailed the rise in anti-Semitism on American college campuses. Marcus spoke to the AJT by phone the day after his visit to Knoxville. AJT: How did you end up getting invited to speak at UTK? Kenneth Marcus Marcus: Last year we responded to the dozens of anti-Semitic social media postings at UT by urging the university to investigate those students. One of our recommendations was that they utilize the various local resources, such as Gloria Z. Greenfield being an artist in residence at the school, to educate students by showing her film, and I was also invited to speak. AJT: When we spoke to UTK Hillel Director Deborah Oleshansky, she said that reports of campus anti-Semitism had been overblown. Is that not the case? Marcus: That’s not unusual. When we deal with large, complex research universities, we often find there can be a great deal happening beneath the surface. It’s hard for engaged local professionals to be aware of. Sometimes people will come to us with information that is not known to campus professionals. That’s not an indication that they aren’t doing their job right; it’s just difficult to get a bearing of what’s going on at a large institution. AJT: How was the response of event attendees at the film screening? Marcus: We had a very good event at UT last night. I could tell the audience was deeply moved by Gloria Z. Greenfield’s film. I think that watching her film about anti-Semitism and thinking about incidents at the University of Tennessee led people to ask what can be done to combat this problem. AJT: So you would say that anti-Semitism is on the rise on college campuses? Marcus: Anti-Semitism is definitely on the rise on American college campuses, and it is quite horrifying to see, after a half-century of making progress, we are now seeing a different environment. About a year and a half ago the Louis D. Brandeis Center partnered with Trinity College to do a study on Jewish college students. We found that, for the first time, over 50 percent of Jewish college students have personally experienced or witnessed anti-Semitism during the prior academic year. AJT: What can we do about this issue? Marcus: We need to educate people about the meaning of anti-Semitism so that palpable, hurtful, anti-Jewish activity cannot simply be denied. Earlier this month, a court in Germany held that it is not anti-Semitic to firebomb a synagogue. The court reasoned that the perpetrator might have been expressing a political opinion about Gaza by throwing Molotov cocktails. That shocking ignorance by a German court is the sort of thing that merits standard, clear, understandable guidance on this issue. At last night’s event we discussed the Anti-Semitism Awareness Act that was introduced last year in the U.S. Congress. We also discussed the state-level legislation which was introduced in Virginia and that we hope will be introduced in other states as well. People need to speak out and urge their legislators to support adoption of the State Department definition of anti-Semitism.