Antisemitism is increasing globally and in the U.S., affecting people of all ages and political affiliations. Jewish teens, college students and young adults face this issue in myriad ways in their daily lives.
This workshop series for professionals working with teens, campus and young adults with Dr. Keren Fraiman and Dr. Dean Bell of the Spertus Institute aims to address these issues with case studies, small group discussions and presentations to help educators understand and engage with the complexities of antisemitism and educate in a Jewish context.
Session 2: Definitions: Antisemitism, Anti-Israel Expression and Anti-Zionism
Our teens increasingly report facing various forms of antisemitism in differing contexts. These instances become further blurred with questions about anti-Israel and anti-Zionist expressions. How do we understand antisemitism? How do we define it? How do we differentiate different expressions of it? And why does how we understand it matter? In this session, we explore a range of common definitions of antisemitism that grapple with and, at times, complexify the issue. Participants will learn about the context and origin of the definitions and the benefits and drawbacks of definitions more generally and the potential impact of the IHRA, Jerusalem and Nexus definitions of antisemitism specifically.
Sought learning outcomes:
- What is the value and impact of defining antisemitism?
- What are the most common definitions of antisemitism and how did they emerge/develop?
- What are the connections between antisemitism and critiques of Israel and anti-Zionism?
- How do different segments of the Jewish community understand and experience antisemitism differently?
Dr. Keren E. Fraiman is Spertus Institute’s Dean and Chief Academic Officer. She also holds a faculty appointment as Professor of Israel Studies. She previously served as Director of Research and Evaluation at The iCenter for Israel Education, where she continues to serve on the faculty of the iFellows Masters Concentration in Israel Education program. In January 2020, Dr. Fraiman was selected for the prestigious Wexner Field Fellowship, presented by the Wexner Foundation in partnership with the Jim Joseph Foundation. A former Schusterman Israel Scholar, Dr. Fraiman has worked at the Crown Center for Middle East Studies at Brandeis, served as an officer in the IDF, and led trips to Israel as a Facilitator both for Encounter and Birthright Israel. Her work has been supported by the US Institute of Peace, the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism, and the Chicago Project on Security and Terrorism. Fraiman is co-editor of The Routledge Handbook of Judaism in the 21st Century and author of the article “Barriers to Entry: Exploring Educator Reticence for Engaging with the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.”
Dr. Dean P. Bell is Spertus Institute’s ninth President and CEO. He also holds a faculty appointment as Professor of History. Dr. Bell has taught at DePaul University, Northwestern University, Hebrew Theological College, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and the University of California, Berkeley. He has served as President, Vice- President, and Secretary-Treasurer of the Midwest Jewish Studies Association and has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Association for Jewish Studies. Dr. Bell is a widely published author in the areas of Medieval and Early Modern Jewish history. His current research focuses on interreligious dialogue and leadership and environmental history. Bell is author or editor of 13 books and monographs and dozens of articles, including co-author of Interreligious Resilience: Interreligious Leadership for a Pluralistic World; and co-editor of Jews, Judaism, and the Reformation in Sixteenth-Century Germany. He is Associate Editor of Antisemitism: A Historical Encyclopedia of Prejudice and Persecution.
While it is not required to attend all sessions, sessions build on each other and we recommend full participation. Contact Leah for more information.
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