Brandeis University President's Initiative on Antisemitism

Identifying and Addressing Antisemitism in Our Schools

Plenary session at May 6, 2024 school symposium

A Daylong Symposium for Middle and High School Leaders and Educators

Monday, May 6, 2024

The Brandeis University President's Initiative on Antisemitism convened teams of independent and public school leaders and educators in middle and high schools from the Greater Boston area. 145 school personnel attended from 52 schools and districts, including heads of schools, principals, superintendents, DEI professionals, and educators from the humanities and sciences.

They engaged with practitioners from an array of educational institutions who presented content about antisemitism tailored to the middle and upper school setting, delving into the nature of antisemitism, its manifestations in the twenty-first century, and how to navigate difficult conversations in the midst of the October 7 war.

Recognizing that this symposium was the beginning of a longer educational process, the three primary objectives were to:

  1. Build a brave space for administrators and educators to lean in with curiosity to examine antisemitism and the factors that contribute to its cultivation.

  2. Provide meaningful professional development to school administrators and educators on antisemitism.

  3. Introduce school professionals to educational resources and individuals who can serve in a long-term relationship with schools to counter Jew-hatred.


Schedule

TIME TITLE PRESENTER
8:30 - 9 a.m. Check-in
9 - 9:15 a.m. Welcome & Opening President Ronald D. Liebowitz, Brandeis University
9:15 - 10:15 a.m. Standing up for Democracy: Confronting Antisemitism Dimitry Anselme, EdM, chief officer of growth & engagement, Facing History & Ourselves
10:15 - 10:30 a.m. discussion
10:30 - 11:30 a.m. The Hijacking of Intellectual Ideas and Human Rights Discourse Rachel Fish, PhD, special advisor to the Brandeis University Presidential Initiative to Counter Antisemitism in Higher Education
11:30 - 11:50 a.m. discussion
11:50 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. Lunch (provided)
12:45 - 2 p.m. Building or Burning Bridges: When the Culture Wars come to the Schoolhouse Brandy Shufutinsky, EdD, director of education and community engagement, Jewish Institute for Liberal Values
2 - 2:15 p.m. break
2:15 - 3:30 p.m. Antisemitism and Islamophobia: Bringing Communities Together in the U.S. Mehnaz Afridi, PhD, 
professor of religious studies & director of the Holocaust, Genocide, and Interfaith Education Center, Manhattan College
3:30 - 4:45 p.m. Break-out Sessions

- for educators

Deconstructing Antisemitic Memes: Helping Students Critically View Online Hate

Location: Hassenfeld Lurias

Dimitry Anselme, EdM

- for educators & administrators

Beyond the Binary: Perceiving the Complexity and Reality of Jewish Identity

Location: Hassenfeld Levine-Ross

Rabbi Ron Fish, northeast division director of antisemitism advocacy and education, Anti-Defamation League (ADL)

- for DEI professionals

Culture vs. Color: The Meaning of Diversity

Location: Hassenfeld Sherman Hall

Brandy Shufutinsky, EdD

- for superintendents, principals, & heads of school

Navigating the Current Climate and Case Studies

Location: Hassenfeld Geller

Rachel Fish, PhD
4:45 - 5 p.m. Closing & Wrap-up Rachel Fish, PhD