English Parliament Several important English institutions, including especially the Pears Institute at Birkbeck College London, are bringing public attention to the troubling recent findings of the major survey into antisemitism in Europe carried out by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA). These groups will conduct a symposium at the House of Commons on the afternoon of Tuesday March 18 to consider the survey and its new insights into how Jews experience and perceive antisemitism in nine European countries: Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Romania, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Brandeis Center Blog readers will recall that two thirds of European Jews consider anti-Semitism to be a serious problem in their countries, and three quarters believe that the problem has worsened over the last five years. Indeed, we have learned through the FRA survey that a third of European Jews have considering emigrating because of rising anti-Semitism. Dr. David Feldman This symposium promises to review the FRA report’s findings and its policy implications. It is also expected to introduce new England-specific findings based on the Institute for Jewish Policy Research’s analysis of the data. The symposium is organized by our friends at the Pears Institute for the study of Antisemitism, Birkbeck, University of London (led by Dr. David Feldman) and the Institute for Jewish Policy Research in partnership with the U.K. All-Party Parliamentary Group Against Antisemitism. (LDB President Kenneth L. Marcus appeared last year at a London conference on boycotts co-convened by the Pears Institute). The Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government will open the symposium. The symposium will then proceed in two panels. Session 1: The FRA report Ioannis Dimitrakopoulous, European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights Jonathan Boyd, Institute for Jewish Policy Research Session 2: Perspectives Nonna Mayer, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris Mark Gardner, Community Security Trust David Feldman, Pears Institute for the study of Antisemitism The event will be held on March 18, 2014, from 12.45pm – 4.00pm in the Attlee Suite, Portcullis House, House of Commons, SW1A 2LW. Attendance is by invitation only.