Scholars discussed the history and current state of antisemitism on campus during a conference at Harvard’s Enterprise Research Center on May 14. The event, titled “Antisemitism and Universities,” brought together experts from Harvard, Dartmouth College, the University of California at Berkeley, Johns Hopkins University, and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.
Noah Feldman, Harvard’s Arthur Kingsley Porter University Professor, introduced the symposium by saying: “Academic conferences don’t solve things ordinarily: That’s not their function. The function of an academic conference is to explore, study, and seek to get a better understanding. Our objective — always in this University — should be to pursue the truth and to do that in an open-minded way that welcomes all different points of view and perspectives.”
The discussions covered topics such as Jews and antisemitism in the arts, U.S. academia’s relationship with its Christian roots, and how place influences these dynamics. James Loeffler, Felix Posen Professor in Modern Jewish History at Johns Hopkins University, described two forms of exclusion for Jews—’occlusion,’ when Jewish scholars are blocked or hidden from view; and ‘extrusion,’ when they are visible but altered in some way. He recalled reactions following the 2017 “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville: “What was shocking to me was the silence afterwards about antisemitism and its place in what was happening,” Loeffler said, “The university community simply did not know how to speak about antisemitism.”
Feldman reflected on Harvard’s history with antisemitism: “I myself was raised with two stories about Harvard…that Harvard has a history in which antisemitism played a meaningful role, and that antisemitism didn’t go away overnight but slowly…was shifted…by the University’s institutional shifts.” He said recent changes on campus have been challenging for Jewish students.
Eric Nelson, Robert M. Beren Professor of Government at Harvard, shared his personal experience growing up privileged yet connected closely to Holocaust survivors within his family. He noted perceptions that Jews are overrepresented or not oppressed while reminding attendees many still face deep historical pain.
Susannah Heschel from Dartmouth said there is too much focus on defining rather than responding to antisemitism: “I don’t need a report card; I need to know what to do…” She added that educators must help students find hope despite difficult histories.
