The campus of Birkbeck University of London On Monday, April 24, our colleagues at the Birkbeck Institute for the Humanities, in partnership with the Pears Institute for the Study of Antisemitism, will be holding a conference at Birkbeck, University of London. The conference, entitled “Racism, Antisemitism, Theory,” will “[explore] the relationship between racism and antisemitism.” The Birkbeck Institute for the Humanities organizes events with the express goals of “engaging with important public issues of our time through a series of open debates, lectures, seminars, and conferences.” The Pears Institute for the Study of Antisemitism, which is based at Birkbeck, University of London, is one of the few centers dedicated to the study of antisemitism in in Europe. Their stated mission is to “promote understanding of antisemitism.” The upcoming conference will include guest speakers from various U.S. and British universities, as well as lectures and discussions. (more…)
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. (more…)