Bruce Rosenstock (Religion): “Antisemitism and Threats to Academic Freedom: The Association of Jewish Studies Working Report” (Hybrid Event)

After nearly a year of deliberations, the Task Force on Antisemitism and Academic Freedom of the Association of Jewish Studies released its Working Report in December 2021. Bruce Rosenstock was one of several AJS members who participated in the writing of the Working Report and serves on the Task Force today. The Task Force was formed because it had become apparent that the academic study of the history and nature of antisemitism diverged from the pro-Israel activism of many mainstream Jewish community organizations. Some Jewish Studies faculty members found themselves in disagreement with these organizations or with pro-Israel donors about what constitutes antisemitism. University administrators were caught between pro-Israel community pressure and their commitment to the academic freedom of their faculty members. In response to this growing set of problems, the Association of Jewish Studies decided to examine the issues and offer best practice recommendations about how to respond to mounting charges that university administrators were failing to protect pro-Israel students from what was claimed to be antisemitic harassment.