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
February 7, 2019 Israeli Report Finds Members of Terror Groups Hold Key Positions in Pro-BDS NGOs A new report issued by the Israeli Ministry of Strategic Affairs asserts that many of the Pro-BDS NGOs have dozens of terrorists in key positions. Blog
January 28, 2019 JIGSAW Trip Educates Law Students to Assist Undergrads Facing Anti-Semitism Rachel Frommer, one of the Brandeis Center’s newest JIGSAW legal fellows, jointed the inagural class of the JIGSAW program and reports on her experience. Anti-Semitism Blog
January 25, 2019 Before International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Surveys Show Fading Memory of Holocaust and Growing Anti-Semitism Knowing the horrors of the Holocaust, and ensuring that it is not a forgotten footnote in history, are general themes to consider with International Holocaust Remembrance Day soon approaching on Sunday, January 27th. While this may read as intuitive, polling data within the last year shows that a disturbingly high number of Americans and Europeans […] Anti-Semitism Blog
January 24, 2019 Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau Declares BDS Anti-Semitic In a recent town hall meeting at Brock University in St. Catherine’s, Ontario, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement as anti-Semitic and contrary to “Canadian values.” He specifically accused the BDS movement of intimidating Jewish students on university campuses, claiming that the movement is often linked to discrimination […] Anti-Semitism Anti-Zionism Blog
January 18, 2019 Swiss Government Examines Reports that Palestinian Textbooks Promote Violence and Anti-Semitism The Swiss government has announced that they will examine recent reports by the Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education (IMPACT-se) that materials found in the Palestinian school curriculum promote violence, anti-Semitism, and undermine a two-state solution. Anti-Semitism Blog
January 10, 2019 New Brazilian Law Allows Sabbath and Holiday Exemptions A new Brazilian law, signed by Brazil’s new president Jair Bolsonaro, will allow Jewish students to skip exams on Shabbat and other Jewish holidays. Blog
January 9, 2019 All 10 UC Chancellors Condemn Academic Boycott of Israel Last month, faculty members at Pitzer College in California voted to suspend their study abroad program at the University of Haifa. Anti-Semitism Anti-Zionism Blog
December 12, 2018 EU Survey Finds 90% of European Jews Feel Heightened Anti-Semitism A new survey conducted by the European Union’s Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) found that nearly 90% of European Jews feel that anti-Semitism has increased in their home countries over the past five years. Close to 30% report being harassed at least once in the last year. The EU poll is the largest ever […] Anti-Semitism Blog
December 10, 2018 Chile Declares BDS Illegal for its Cities Last week, the Chilean National Comptroller, a body that serves as the government’s auditor, established that it is against the law for Chilean municipalities to boycott Israel. This landmark decision was in part due to the complaints from the Chilean Jewish Community and the Chilean community in Israel about the Valdivia municipality’s ban on companies doing […] Anti-Zionism Blog
December 10, 2018 Vandals First Damage Penn State Menorah, Then Steal It Last week, the large menorah which sat outside the Zeta Beta Tau Fraternity house at Penn State was first torn down and later stolen by vandals. Anti-Semitism Blog
December 5, 2018 69 Orgs Urge Dep’t of Ed to Ensure NRCs Do Not Implement Academic Boycotts In a letter organized by the AMCHA Initiative, 69 organizations, including the Brandeis Center, urged the Department of Education to ensure that National Resource Center (NRC) faculty do not implement academic boycotts at universities. The letter, addressed to Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, gave two examples of recent events held at the University of Michigan and New York University, both of which were organized and funded by Department of Education-designated Middle East Studies NRCs. Anti-Zionism Blog
December 5, 2018 Pitzer President Condemns Faculty Motion to Suspend Israel Study Abroad On November 29th, Pitzer College President Melvin Oliver condemned the resolution passed by the school’s faculty to suspend the college’s study abroad program at the University of Haifa in a speech before the Pitzer College Council. The faculty’s resolution garnered severe backlash from students and outside organizations alike. The Brandeis Center joined a letter, organized by the AMCHA Initiative and signed by 75 civil rights, education, and student organizations expressing dismay over the Pitzer Faculty’s vote. Anti-Semitism Anti-Zionism Blog
December 5, 2018 Anti-Semitism at Columbia Teachers College On Wednesday, November 28th, Columbia’s Teachers College Professor Elizabeth Midlarsky walked towards her office to discover that she was the victim of an anti-Semitic act. At approximately 1 P.M., Elizabeth Midlarsky, who is a Jewish professor who teaches courses in Psychology and Education, and teaches and conducts research on the Holocaust, found two swastikas and […] Anti-Semitism Blog
November 30, 2018 CNN Poll Shows Renewed Frequency of Anti-Semitism in Europe Findings from a recent CNN poll indicate that anti-Semitism across Europe is “alive and well.” The survey interviewed a cross-section of more than 7,000 individuals from seven European countries. Respondents from Austria, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Poland, and Sweden espoused a collection of antiquated Jewish stereotypes which remain pertinent in the social, cultural, and […] Anti-Semitism Blog