Feen Lecture 2025 – Rabbi Jill Jacobs: Why is Antisemitism at the Center of Attacks on Democracy?
May 13 @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
The A. Pearly & Edith C. Feen Lecture Series presents Rabbi Jill Jacobs as the 2025 speaker.
CEO of T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights
Among Forward’s Top 50 influential American Jews
Author of “Where Justice Dwells: A Hands-On Guide
to Doing Social Justice in Your Jewish Community”
Why is Antisemitism at the Center of Attacks on Democracy?
Over the past few months, the Trump administration has detained and attempted to deport student visa holders and even a green card holder and stripped funding from universities, all in the name of fighting antisemitism. Most of the American Jewish community, though, even if alarmed and frightened by the rise of antisemitism since October 7, believes in democratic institutions and constitutional rights -including the right to free speech and due process. Why is the administration invoking antisemitism in order to dismantle democracy? What are potential implications for the Jewish and broader community, and how can the Jewish community respond?
The A. Pearly and Edith C. Feen Lecture Series was created to honor the memory of A. Pearly Feen, one of Vermont’s most outstanding attorneys and legal scholars, and Edith C. Feen, his wife. Feen was especially known for hiring a number of new lawyers, just starting out, many of whom were also members of OZ.
The lecture series was established in 1988 by Feen’s daughter Elaine Kaufman, described as follows:
“The A. Pearly and Edith C. Feen lecture presents speakers who can contribute significantly to public conversations of interest to a broad community, often but not exclusively related to law. The lecture is open to the general public, without charge, and publicized within local media as well as within Ohavi Zedek Synagogue. The Feen lecture reflects the depth of Ohavi Zedek Synagogue’s commitment to intellectual inquiry and community engagement.”
