Marking a Year Since Landmark Congressional Testimony on Campus Antisemitism, the Center for Jewish History Invites Visitors to Reflect with Exhibition

New York, NY - This Thursday marks one year since three college presidents faced questions from a congressional House committee about their responses to antisemitic incidents on their respective campuses following the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Since September, the Center for Jewish History (CJH) has been addressing the topic of campus antisemitism with a timely exhibition, Between Antisemitism and Activism: The Jewish University Experience in Historical Perspective.

The exhibition examines the enduring struggles and triumphs of Jewish students and faculty, presenting five key historical moments in a larger chronological narrative. It offers visitors the opportunity to understand the past century of Jewish experiences in academia while engaging with ongoing challenges in today's university environments.

"As we reflect on the events of the past year, it is critical to remember the historical context behind current debates on antisemitism and activism," said Dr. Gavriel Rosenfeld, President of the Center for Jewish History. "This exhibition not only highlights the resilience of Jewish communities in higher education but also sparks dialogue about how these lessons can guide us today."

The exhibition features five distinct historical vignettes, each highlighting key periods and experiences:
• Suffering under the Swastika- Examines the persecution faced by Jewish students and faculty in Nazi Germany.
• Antisemitism in the American Academy- Explores antisemitic quotas and discrimination in American universities during the 1930s and 1940s.
• Students, Signs, and Slogans - Profiles the significant role of Jewish students and faculty in the activist movement era of the 1960s.
• Affirming Jewishness on Campus - Chronicles the development of Jewish fraternities, sororities, and Hillel branches across the 20th century.
• Between Antisemitism and Activism - Looks at the Jewish experience on college campuses today.

For more information, visit www.cjh.org.

The Center for Jewish History, 15 West 16th Street, New York, NY 10011, USA
Ilana Rosenbluth, irosenbluth@cjh.org

About the Center for Jewish History
The Center for Jewish History is a premier repository of Jewish heritage and scholarship, housing collections from its five partner organizations: the American Jewish Historical Society, American Sephardi Federation, Leo Baeck Institute, Yeshiva University Museum, and YIVO Institute for Jewish Research. Its archives encompass over five miles of historical documents, hundreds of thousands of books, millions of digital artifacts, and diverse cultural treasures.

This release was published on openPR.