In 2021, 82 percent of American Jews said antisemitism had risen over the last five years, while only 44 percent of the general public believed that to be the case. How can we account for this striking difference? 

Antisemitism is sometimes called “the oldest hatred,” and this talk will show how religious and racial prejudice shaped Jewish experience over millennia and came to unite diverse Jewish people around the world. Topics will include the origins of Jewish stereotypes, how antisemitism intersects with white nationalism, and the difference between critiques of the Israeli government and discrimination against Jews. Attendees will gain new knowledge and understanding about antisemitism along with strategies to address it.

Nancy Koppelman (she/her) has been a professor of American studies and humanities at The Evergreen State College for 28 years, where she currently leads the Evergreen Jewish Studies Project. She holds an M.A. in history from the University of Washington and a Ph.D. in American studies from Emory University. PP Koppelman lives in Olympia.

The Oldest Hatred: Coming to Terms with Antisemitism
presented by Nancy Koppelman

Mid-Columbia Libraries (on Union)

Thursday, January 18, 2024 at 7 PM
Hosted by Friends of the Mid-Columbia Libraries