A Dialogue on Antisemitism…again!
I am very pleased to announce the next iteration of dialoguing about antisemitism, this time as an official, 7-week dialogue through AU’s Center for Diversity and Inclusion.
The Center for Diversity and Inclusion’s website summarizes what to expect during these sessions with three questions:
Regardless of your identity, what are your experiences with antisemitism? What is antisemitism and how does it function on-campus and beyond? What is the connection between antisemitism and other forms of oppression?
CDI has been putting on dialogues on different topics for years about issues around racism, immigration, ableism, masculinity, LGBT issues, and more. These dialogues have functioned as both inter- and intra-group sessions and have been attended by staff, students, and faculty.
According to their website,
“Intergroup Dialogue is a seven-week program that provides a unique learning opportunity for AU students to engage on a range of identity topics including but not limited to: race, ethnicity, gender, class, sexuality, and faith. Housed in the Center for Diversity and Inclusion, these dialogues gather people from multiple backgrounds and identities for sustained, ongoing dialogue for two hours each week.”
Officially bringing the Jewish community into the fold of CDI’s work has been a long time coming. The first meetings between AU Hillel and CDI took place over two years ago. Hillel put on our own dialogue on Race, Privilege, and Antisemitism for two semesters, the first of which I was a participant and the second of which I was a facilitator:
What does it mean to navigate Jewish identity in 2018 America? What is the connection between Jewishness and racial identity, what does this mean, and how does it relate to privilege? What does it mean to engage on issues of race and current campaigns for racial justice through a Jewish lens? How do we address areas of conflict?
This is also in addition to the one-off dialogue I created after our campus was targeted by an antisemitic postering incident. Read about my thoughts on that dialogue here.
This dialogue is the culmination of many semesters of hard work and advocacy from many offices and individuals. I can’t wait to get started on this iteration of antisemitism education for the American University Community.
