Boundaries, Safety, and Identity: A Conversation About Campus Protests

As campus protests have escalated, important questions have emerged for universities, Jewish communities, and American society. What are the bounds of discourse on campus, especially when it comes to Israel and Zionism, and how should universities foster a culture of fierce pluralism and free expression while ensuring that all groups and identities experience a sense of belonging? How do we evaluate if students are safe and secure, and what can students reasonably expect when it comes to ideological comfort? To what degree are the protests about Israel-Palestine and to what degree are larger issues at play, such as Jewish identity, antisemitism, and national political, social, and cultural trends?

This session will explore these and other related questions. Please join Leora Batnitzky, Professor of Religion at Princeton University and Senior Research Fellow at Hartman, Michael Simon, Executive Director at Northwestern Hillel, and Yakira Galler, student at Barnard and Hevruta alum, for a conversation moderated by Hartman Director of Education Joshua Ladon about the big questions and ideas emerging from campus.

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This program is part of Ideas for Today, curated courses by Hartman Institute scholars on the big Jewish ideas we need to think better and do better.