SHUSTERMAN DISTINGUISHED SCHOLAR LECTURE:
The Knots that Bind: The Holocaust, Israel and Contemporary Antisemitism
The Knots that Bind: The Holocaust, Israel and Contemporary Antisemitism
May 16, 7:00 pm ET, In-person and Online
Ayal Feinberg, Ph.D.
Incoming Director for the Center for Holocaust Studies and Human Rights at Gratz College
Assistant Professor, Texas A&M University-Commerce
Chair of the Junior Faculty Section, Academic Engagement Network
There is a growing consensus in Jewish society that antisemitism in America is increasing in frequency and intensity. Simultaneously, challenges to Israel’s legitimacy, especially among Jews, have divided a diverse community once bound by its shared Zionism. This is no coincidence. With the long shadow of the Holocaust fading to a point where fissures have become fractures, it is critical to evaluate Israel as both an indispensable refuge and a source of profound insecurity.
In this lecture, Dr. Ayal Feinberg begins untying the knots that form the complex nexus between the Holocaust, Israel, and contemporary Antisemitism. Armed with the newest data and novel quantitative analyses, he evidences a clear link between perceptions of Israel and diaspora insecurity. Further, in investigating the manifestations of collective victimhood and secondary antisemitism more broadly, he underscores how the Holocaust and its memory function as both an antecedent and a mediating variable in the evolving homeland-Diaspora relationship.
Supported by a major endowment, the Shusterman series is dedicated to bringing outstanding programs to Gratz College. Gratz College is grateful for the generosity and foresight of Judith (z”l) and Murray (z”l) Shusterman.