A group of SA hold hands on the steps of the University of Vienna in an attempt to prevent Jews from entering the building. The action led to a day of student rioting, which had to be suppressed by police, circa 1938. National Archives
While antisemitism has pervaded American and European institutions of higher education throughout the twentieth century, recent years have seen a disturbing rise of antisemitic incidents and antisemitic language in the United States. This interdisciplinary panel, hosted by Gonzaga's Religious Studies Department and the Gonzaga Center for the Study of Hate in partnership with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, explores the historical underpinnings of antisemitic tropes and images that have permeated a variety of contexts in higher education. Through an exploration of the history of these antisemitic ideas during the 1930s and 1940s, and their continuation in the years that followed, this discussion will address the ways in which these ideas still permeate classroom contexts today.
Speakers
Dr. B. Kevin Brown, Lecturer, Religious Studies, Gonzaga University
Dr. Laura Brunell, Professor of Political Science, Gonzaga University
Dr. Michael DeLand, Associate Professor of Sociology and Criminology, Gonzaga University
Dr. Adam Knowles, Lecturer, Department of Philosophy, University of Zurich
For more information, contact Kierra Crago-Schneider at kcrago-schneider@ushmm.org.
This event was made possible in part through the generosity of the Curt C. and Else Silberman Foundation, supporting programs in higher education that promote, protect, and strengthen Jewish values in democracy, human rights, ethical leadership, and cultural pluralism.
The mission of the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Center, part of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, is to ensure the long-term growth and vitality of Holocaust Studies. To do that, it is essential to provide opportunities for new generations of scholars. The vitality and the integrity of Holocaust Studies require openness, independence, and free inquiry, so that new ideas are generated and tested through peer review and public debate. The opinions of scholars expressed before, during, or after their activities with the Mandel Center do not represent and are not endorsed by the Mandel Center or the Museum.