Date and time: Thursday, September 24, 2020, 12 noon Eastern Daylight Time (UTC-4)
Register on Zoom here [1].
Systemic Anti-Semitism on College Campuses: Adoption of IHRA Definition of Anti-Semitism, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, President Trump’s Executive Order
Moderated by Lauri B. Regan
Featuring Sarah Stern, Dr. Asaf Romirowsky, and Alyza Lewin
With anti-Semitism, often in the form of anti-Zionism, pervasive and seemingly permissible across college campuses, Jewish students have been left to confront this millennia-old hatred on their own. Thankfully, President Trump signed an Executive Order extending civil rights protections to Jewish students back in December. Unfortunately, as the fall semester begins, few practical steps have been taken in order to ensure the legal and moral protections that Jewish students so desperately need in order to enjoy a safe and welcoming college education and experience.
Our esteemed panelists, all experts who have spent their professional careers assessing the problem of systemic anti-Semitism on college campuses, will discuss the issues that Jewish students face and ways in which they can be addressed by college administrators and the students and their families so as to finally put an end to this scourge at our universities.
Speakers:
- Dr. Asaf Romirowsky is the executive director of Scholars for Peace in the Middle East (SPME). Romirowsky is also a fellow at the Middle East Forum, a senior nonresident research fellow at Bar-Ilan University’s Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies and a professor [affiliate] at the University of Haifa. Trained as a Middle East historian he holds a PhD in Middle East and Mediterranean Studies from King’s College London, UK and has published widely on various aspects of the Arab-Israeli conflict and American foreign policy in the Middle East, as well as on Israeli and Zionist history. Romirowsky is co-author of Religion, Politics, and the Origins of Palestine Refugee Relief and a contributor to The Case Against Academic Boycotts of Israel. Romirowsky’s publicly-engaged scholarship has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The National Interest, The American Interest, The New Republic, The Times of Israel, Jerusalem Post, Ynet and Tablet among other online and print media outlets.
- Sarah Stern is president and founder of the Endowment for Middle East Truth. Prior to founding EMET, Sarah was the executive director for governmental and legislative affairs of the American Jewish Congress, prior to that, she was the national policy coordinator of the Zionist Organization of America, and prior to that, she was a national vice president of WINPAC, a national women’s pro-Israel political action committee. She has been responsible for bringing to the attention of Congress many issues that have resulted in the successful passage of legislation. Some among them include the Koby Mandell Act, which resulted in the opening of the Office of Justice for Victims of Overseas Terrorism within the Department of Justice the Taylor Force Act, which resulted in the American government withholding payments to the Palestinians’ “martyrs’ fund” and “prisoners’ fund”, and amendments to Title VI of the Higher Education Act calling for a “wide range of viewpoints and a diversity of perspectives” within America’s taxpayer-funded Middle Eastern Studies programs.
- Alyza D. Lewin is is the president and general counsel of the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law (“LDB”), a non-profit organization established to advance the civil and human rights of the Jewish people and promote justice for all. The Brandeis Center conducts research, education and legal advocacy to combat the resurgence of anti-Semitism on college and university campuses. It empowers students by training them to understand their legal rights, and educates administrators on best practices to combat racism and anti-Semitism on campus. Ms. Lewin is also a co-founder and partner in Lewin & Lewin, LLP where she specializes in litigation, mediation and government relations. Ms. Lewin has represented numerous high-profile clients. Her work includes criminal defense, civil litigation, anti-discrimination, security clearance and Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA) matters.