Colloquium '03

Jews and Non-Jews: The Love/Hate Relationship

The eternal puzzle of the love/hate relationship between Jews and non-Jews has spawned a wide range of challenging issues. At one end is virulent anti-Semitism and international conflict. At the other end is intermarriage and assimilation. Colloquium '03 explored key questions like:

• Is intermarriage a sign of freedom or a sign of lost identity?
• Is anti-Semitism necessary for Jewish survival?
• Are Jews as prejudiced as non-Jews?
• Do Christian fundamentalists really love the Jews?
• Does a secular world make it easier for Jews and non-Jews to live together?
• Has the Middle East conflict legitimized global anti-Semitism?

No printed volume of Colloquium '03 was produced.

DVDs are available from the IISHJ (phone order or publications catalog), which include introductions before and panel discussions after each presentation.

“Keynote”
Yehuda Bauer - Former academic chairman of the Institute of Contemporary Jewry at Hebrew University and of the Vidal Sasoon International Center for the Study of Anti-Semitism.  World renowned Holocaust scholar and author of A History of the Holocaust, Out of Ashes and Jews For Sale.

“The Story of Antisemitism”
Derek Penslar - Director of the University of Toronto’s Jewish Studies program and expert on the history of modern European Jewry, Zionism and the state of Israel.  Author of Zionism and Technocracy:  The Engineering of Jewish Settlement in Palestine, 1870-1918, and Shylock’s Children:  Economics and Jewish Identity in Modern Europe.

“Antisemitism of the Right and Left”
Todd Endelman - William Haber Professor of Modern Jewish History at the University of Michigan and then-director of the Jean and Samuel Frankel Center for Judaic Studies.  Recipient of National Jewish Book Award for The Jews of Georgian England, 1714-1830: Tradition and Change in a Liberal Society.

“A Christian Looks at Antisemitism”
Harry Cook – former Episcopal minister and rector of St. Andrew Church in Clawson, Michigan. Former religion, ethics and public policy columnist for the Detroit Free Press.  Author of Christianity Beyond Creeds and Sermons of a Devoted Heretic.

“Jews and Arabs”
Yaakov Malkin - Professor of aesthetics and rhetoric at Tel Aviv University and Jewish scholar, playwright and author.  Founder of the first community art and culture center in Israel and academic director of the College of Judaism as Culture in Jerusalem.  Author of many books including What do Secular Jews Believe?

“Being a Jew in a Christian World”
Ze’ev Chafets - Columnist, author and founding managing editor of The Jerusalem Report.  Former director of the Israel government press office.  Author of The Project and Hang Time.

“Being a Christian in a Jewish World”
Lisa Beyer - Journalist and current foreign editor for Time Magazine.  Previously, bureau chief for Time in Jerusalem.

“New Models of Jewish Identity”
Bethamie Horowitz  - Research director for the Mandel Foundation, Israel. Author of a landmark study Connections and Journeys while Director of Planning and Research at UJA-Federation of New  York.

“Jewish Survival in an Open Society”
Lynn Davidman - Professor of Judaic studies, American civilization and gender studies at Brown University.  Author of Motherloss and Tradition in a Rootless World:  Women Turn to Orthodox Judaism.

“Living in a Multicultural Society”
David Biale - Professor of history and currently Emmanuel Ringelblum Professor of Jewish History, Department of History, University of California at Davis.  National Book Award recipient for Gershom Scholem: Kabbalah and Counter-History and Powerlessness in Jewish History.

“Where Do We Go From Here?”
Rabbi Sherwin Wine - Rabbi of the Birmingham Temple and founder of the worldwide movement of Humanistic Judaism.  Sought-after lecturer on philosophy, religion and ethics.  Celebrated author of innumerable publications and inspirational texts, including Staying Sane in a Crazy World. [now deceased]