August 11, 2020 Brandeis Center Cosponsors Event Featuring the Legal Team Taking Neo-Nazis to Court This week marks the third anniversary of the Unite the Right march in Charlottesville, VA. From August 11–12, 2017, hundreds of neo-Nazis descended upon Charlottesville, chanting “Jews will not replace us,” “blood and soil,” and “Seig Heil.” Students at the University of Virginia and community members recounted harrowing stories of watching their college town overrun […] Blog Litigation
July 22, 2020 The JIGSAW Mission Remains Steadfast, Even in Chaotic Times As a 2020 law school graduate, I, like many, did not have the graduation ceremony I was hoping for. I draped my complimentary hood over a Zara dress with puffy sleeves because it sort-of looked like regalia (from the side) (if I squinted my eyes), and I toasted to a pre-recorded YouTube video with some […] Anti-Semitism Blog
July 5, 2020 George Washington University Should Prioritize Appointing Anti-Israel Interim Dean’s Successor After backlash from the Jewish community in response to George Washington University’s (GW) promotion of professor and Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) activist Ilana Feldman to interim dean of the Elliott School of International Affairs, the university released a letter confirming their “clear and unambiguous” rejection of BDS, condemning antisemitism and guaranteeing that Feldman “will […] Anti-Semitism Blog
May 17, 2019 85 Groups Applaud UMichigan’s Adoption of Faculty Responsibility Report On May 15th, 85 organizations, including the Brandeis Center, signed a letter organized by AMCHA Initiative that commended University of Michigan’s adoption of a Blue Ribbon Panel report, which stated that faculty should base decisions, such as letters of recommendations and other academic judgments, “solely on educational and professional reasons.” This panel was established by the university after professor Cheney-Lippold refused to write a letter of recommendation for a student who was planning on studying abroad in Israel. Anti-Zionism Blog
May 8, 2019 ADL’s 2018 Audit Recorded 1,879 Anti-Semitic Incidents The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) released its 2018 Audit of Anti-Semitic Incidents last week. Each year, the ADL’s Center on Extremism tracks incidents of anti-Semitic harassment, vandalism and assault in the United States. These findings are published in an annual audit. The 2018 report documents that 1,879 anti-Semitic occurred in the U.S. over the course of […] Anti-Semitism Blog
May 3, 2019 Sixth BDS National Conference and its Terror Ties The BDS National Committee hosted its sixth annual BDS National Conference, which was heavily attended by individuals associated with terrorism. Anti-Zionism Blog
May 2, 2019 Florida Senate Unanimously Passes Anti-Semitism Bill On April 29th, the State of Florida’s Senate unanimously passed an “Act relating to anti-Semitism.” This bill will ensure that schools address anti-Semitic behavior in the same manner as other forms of discrimination, while also defining anti-Semitism. The passage of the bill comes just a couple days after the horrific attack at Chabad of Poway, where a gunman left one dead and wounded three others (including a child) on the last day of Passover. Anti-Semitism Blog
April 25, 2019 Israeli Apartheid Week Sparked Fear and Silence, Not Education or Answers Re-posted from the The Emory Wheel, 4/17/19 By Sydney Kaplan, Jordan Weber and Justin Kanoff Earlier this month was Emory Students for Justice in Palestine’s (ESJP) Israeli Apartheid Week, and the Wheel published an op-ed discussing an event that occurred on campus that troubled members of our campus community. For unfamiliar readers, several students awoke […] Anti-Semitism Anti-Zionism Blog
April 17, 2019 Brandeis Center Responds to “Conflict over Gaza” Conference Hosted by UNC and Duke In late March, the University of North Carolina (UNC) and Duke University departments of Middle East and Islamic Studies co-sponsored a conference titled “Conflict over Gaza: People, Politics, and Possibilities.” The weekend-long gathering claimed to “shed much needed light on the current realities in the Gaza strip,” though it was wrought with Israel bashing and misinformation. Anti-Semitism Anti-Zionism Blog
April 14, 2019 Anti-Israel Protesters Disrupt Event at UChicago Law Anti-Israelprotesters disrupted a talk by George Mason University School of Law Professor Eugene Kontorovich, an International Law expert who was invited to speak to the LDB chapter at the University of Chicago Law School about anti-BDS laws and the First Amendment. The disruptors, one of whom was a UChicago law student, were first asked to leave by the law school administration. When the non-students refused to leave and continued chanting and disrupting, the police had to be called to remove them from the room. Anti-Zionism Blog
April 11, 2019 Israeli Children Harassed on Bus Because of Their Passports A group of economically disadvantaged Israeli children were given the opportunity to travel to Germany to see German soccer club Borussia Dortmund play at their home stadium. Unfortunately for them, the group was harassed by staff onboard a bus to an Amsterdam airport because of their Israeli passports. Anti-Semitism Anti-Zionism Blog
March 29, 2019 California State University Agrees to Landmark Settlement – Zionism is Important Part of Jewish Identity California State University (CSU) agreed to a landmark settlement with The Lawfare Project and Winston & Strawn LLP to safeguard Jewish students’ rights. The settlement came shortly before the case was set to go to trial this month for a lawsuit brought by two Jewish students who alleged that San Francisco State University (SFSU) and the Board of Trustees of CSU discriminated against them. Anti-Semitism Anti-Zionism Blog
March 21, 2019 Appreciation to Pitzer College President Melvin Oliver LDB was pleased to sign on to the following letter commending Pitzer President Melvin Oliver for his stance against an academic boycott of Israel. Blog Free Speech and Academic Freedom
March 1, 2019 LDB Holds Sixth Annual National Law Student Leadership Conference This February 17-18, the Louis D. Brandeis Center hosted its sixth annual National Law Student Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C. Blog
February 27, 2019 A swastika on my childhood playground: As anti-Semitism surges, New York City Jews increasingly have nowhere to turn Reposted from the Daily News, by David J. Benger, Feb. 26, 2019 A swastika was found on my childhood playground in Brighton Beach yesterday. It was drawn onto the very same jungle gym on which I used to play with my sister while my parents and grandparents watched over us to ensure our safety. A culprit […] Anti-Semitism Blog
February 21, 2019 Federal Court Rules in Favor of Equal Treatment of Religious Groups in BLinC v. University of Iowa In early February, Judge Stephanie Rose from the Southern District Court of Iowa issued a partial ruling in the legal battle between Business Leaders in Christ (BLinC) and the University of Iowa (UI). The case dates back to 2017, when the University revoked BLinC’s status as a registered student organization (RSO) for denying a leadership […] Blog
February 21, 2019 French Parliament Announces New Resolution Declaring Anti-Zionism as Form of Anti-Semitism A group of French lawmakers have proposed a bill that would make anti-Zionism a criminal offence. The bill would conflate anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism and comes on the heels of an increase in anti-Semitic attacks in France. Anti-Semitism Anti-Zionism Blog
February 12, 2019 Elan Carr Appointed as State Department’s Envoy to Combat Anti-Semitism On February 5th, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo appointed Elan Carr to serve as the Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combating Anti-Semitism. Carr, a Jewish Iraq War veteran and lawyer, will be the first Special Envoy to serve during the Trump administration. Carr’s appointment has garnered widespread bipartisan support. Anti-Semitism Blog
February 12, 2019 BDS Resolution Struck Down at University of Oregon Earlier this week, the judicial branch of the Associated Students of the University of Oregon struck down an anti-Israel resolution. Anti-Semitism Anti-Zionism Blog
February 11, 2019 World Council of Churches Trains Volunteers to Advocate for BDS and Uses Anti-Semitic Rhetoric The World Council of Churches (WCC) is currently training their volunteers to promote the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel and uses blatantly anti-Semitic rhetoric. Interestingly, the WCC receives funding, either directly or indirectly, from nations that have accepted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism. While the WCC recently denied charges of anti-Semitism against them, evidence suggests that they have been spreading anti-Semitic and anti-Israel sentiment for years. Anti-Semitism Anti-Zionism Blog
February 10, 2019 Palestinian Authority Renounces All Bilateral U.S. Funds in Wake of New Legislation In response to the passing of the Anti-Terrorism Clarification Act (ATCA), the Palestinian Authority (PA) formally renounced all financial assistance from the United States. Congress passed the ATCA into law in October 2018, and it will take effect at the end of February. It ties Palestinian leaders’ reception of American financial assistance to the issue […] Blog