September 2024
Perla Zaltzman

The issue of antisemitism in academic spaces is far more than just a topic of study; it is a lived reality that affects countless Jewish students, scholars, and community members. Yet, one of the most significant systemic barriers to scholarly research on antisemitism is the glaring absence of dedicated scholars and established academic programs in the field. While the study of prejudice and various forms of discrimination has flourished in recent decades, antisemitism frequently remains overlooked. This academic oversight is not merely a gap in scholarship, but a reflection of a broader societal reluctance to engage with antisemitism as a contemporary issue or even as an issue altogether (there is even an alarming academic trend to universalize the Holocaust and divorce it from discourse on antisemitism). Yet, antisemitism persists, evolving beyond the confines of the Holocaust and emerging from a volatile and dangerous mix of ideologies, including but not limited to Nazism, Marxism, Soviet anti-Zionism, and radical Islamism.

The resurgence of antisemitism became glaringly apparent on Oct. 7, 2023. The world watched as Jews everywhere were thrust into a new, heartbreaking reality. The initial shock and disbelief gave way to a profound sense of urgency. The resilience of the Jewish people demanded action: what steps could be taken to combat this rising tide of hatred?

In response to the immediate threat facing Israel and Jewish communities worldwide, Jews from around the globe rushed to Tel Aviv to join the reserves, standing in solidarity and preparedness against the existential threat posed by terrorists. Simultaneously, antisemitic outbursts on campuses across the US, Canada, the UK, and parts of Europe spurred Jewish students, scholars, and allies to rally in defence of our community. The cost of inaction was too high, and many of us refused to take that risk. The academic Jewish community responded collectively and viscerally, but we are outnumbered, and all hands are needed on the battlefield of ideas.

Since 2005, I have been actively involved in supporting Jewish students at Brock University, where my husband and I founded the Chabad on Campus chapter. My academic path at Brock began with a BA in psychology and a minor in sociology, a Master’s, and now a PhD in social psychology. Through my studies and advocacy work, I came to a sobering realization that antisemitism was glaringly absent from anti-racism training and discussions. Upon raising the issue with Brock’s Human Rights and Equity office, I was asked to lead workshops on antisemitism. When they reviewed my presentation, they described it as “outstanding scholarship” but urged me to be cautious about discussing contemporary antisemitism. That’s how my first academic encounter in the field of antisemitism highlighted the boundaries of accepted discourse around antisemitism.

The tragic events of Oct. 7 further exposed systemic flaws within our institutions: The reluctance to acknowledge contemporary antisemitism, the universalization of the Holocaust, and the active promotion of anti-Israel narratives. 

When academic institutions become both the source and perpetuator of problematic and dangerous ideas, the responsibility to address and resolve these issues lies within academia itself. Scholars who propagate anti-Zionist rhetoric, regardless of their motivations, engage in the typical academic practice of presenting and debating ideas. However, when these ideas, whether driven by hate, bias, or sincere belief, are framed in scholarly terms, they gain unwarranted credibility, even if they are fundamentally false. 

I am currently researching contemporary antisemitism as a doctoral student at Brock University, where I use linguistic, quantitative, and qualitative methodologies. During a trip to Israel last June, I had the opportunity to meet German scholar Dr. Matthias Becker, who leads the international research project, “Decoding Antisemitism.” Dr. Becker urged me to attend the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP) Oxford Summer Institute the following month—a recommendation for which I will be forever indebted to him.

At Oxford, I was captivated by the city’s historical charm and transported to an alternate universe. The institute’s plenary sessions and lectures were transformative. Dr. Charles Small’s (ISGAP executive director) opening address on the urgent need to expand the study of contemporary antisemitism felt like coming home; ISGAP chair Natan Sharansky’s talk on the “3Ds” framework, i.e. double standards, denial of Jewish identity, and demonization, provided crucial insights, and Sima Vaknin-Gill’s (former intelligence officer in IAF) perspective on contemporary antisemitism as “injecting new software into old hardware” illuminated its rapid and intense evolution.

The ISGAP-Oxford experience was a turning point in my engagement with contemporary antisemitism research. In a world where opportunities to study antisemitism are limited, I quickly realized that ISGAP provides a much-needed resource for scholars committed to mapping and decoding the new wave of antisemitism. 

The goal of the conference was to promote the development of courses focusing on antisemitism from multidisciplinary perspectives. Fellow scholars developed curricula aligned with the tenets of their disciplines and research areas. With the guidance of social psychologists and pedagogical experts, I developed a syllabus for a course on the Psychology of Antisemitism to empower psychology students in decoding, identifying, and understanding contemporary antisemitism through the principles of social psychology. 

My experience at Oxford deepened my understanding and literacy on the subject and expanded my professional network for scholarly resources, support, and collaboration. ISGAP’s important initiatives mark a historic step in effecting systemic change in academia toward the study of antisemitism both locally and around the world. It certainly has equipped me with a wealth of tools and knowledge to confront antisemitism from my lab atop the Niagara Escarpment.