Since Oct. 7, 2023, antisemitism has seen a concerning rise in many parts of the world, often manifesting through heightened hostility towards Israel.

It should be noted that criticism of the Israeli government is not necessarily antisemitic, but a question of: “When does a specific action or sentiment become antisemitic.”

This increase in negative opinions is frequently expressed through the spread of harmful stereotypes about Jewish people, and through the delegitimization of Israel’s right to exist. Some individuals and groups have used criticism of Israeli government policies as a cover for broader attacks on Jews, falsely equating all Jews with the actions of the Israeli state.

Additionally, there has been a notable surge in antisemitic rhetoric at political rallies, on social media platforms, and within academic and cultural spaces. This trend not only exacerbates tensions at home but also contributes to the rise of hate and division globally, ultimately fueling a dangerous climate of prejudice that impacts both Israelis and Jews worldwide.

Join us at this program to hear the thoughts of an esteemed panel discussion (Rabbi David Edleson, Alan Steinweis, Dr. Felicia Kornbluh, and David Geddes), followed by a Q&A discussion in the OZ Sanctuary.  

Bagels and coffee at 9am in the social hall.

Please Register Here

Bios

Alan Steinweis is Professor of History and Raul Hilberg Distinguished Professor of Holocaust Studies at UVM, where he has taught since 2009. He is the author of four books about Nazi Germany and the editor of ten additional volumes. He has served as a guest professor at several German universities and at the Ben Gurion University of the Negev, and has held the Levine Senior Invitational Fellowship at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington.

David Geddes is currently president of Temple Sinai and board member of Shalom Alliance.vHe started as an academic anthropologist/archeologist, then veered off course into a career in corporate communications and consulting for 30 years. He earned a B.A. magna cum laude in Social Studies from Harvard, an M.B.A. from the University of Kansas, a masters from the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (Paris), and a Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of Pennsylvania. David and his wife live in the south end of Burlington and on a lake in Minnesota for the summer. They have four children and ten grandchildren.

Dr. Felicia Kornbluh is Professor of History and Director of Jewish Studies at the University of Vermont. They are the author of 3 books and scores of scholarly and journalistic articles.

Rabbi David Edelson D.Div. has been the spiritual leader of Temple Sinai in South Burlington since 2018. He was the spiritual leader of Bethlehem Hebrew Congregation in New Hampshire from 2016-2018. Prior to that time, he was the rabbi for Hebrew Association for the Deaf in New York for 25 years.