Antisemitism is one of the oldest and most enduring forms of prejudice and hate, yet in this current historical moment, it is often misunderstood, minimized, or weaponized. For social workers, whose professional mandate is to advance equity, justice, and human dignity, developing a clear and nuanced understanding of antisemitism—what it is and what it is not—is essential. This program will offer a structured space to examine antisemitism both as a historical phenomenon and as a contested concept within today’s global community.
Join us as an experienced panel of scholars explores the historical roots of antisemitism, tracing how it has evolved over time and continues to shape public discourse. We will discuss how to differentiate between legitimate critiques of governmental policies and harmful rhetoric or actions that perpetuate antisemitic ideas. The program will also highlight the work of Concerned Jewish Faculty and Staff, who are actively engaged in addressing antisemitism while building bridges across movements for social change.
This BUSSW Equity & Inclusion Speaker Series discussion will also consider how antisemitism intersects with other forms of oppression, including racism, Islamophobia, and xenophobia, while also acknowledging its unique characteristics. By situating antisemitism within both intersectional and distinct frameworks, we invite participants to deepen their understanding of its impact in professional, academic, and community contexts.
1 CE credit will be available to social workers licensed in Massachusetts. Licensed social workers outside of Massachusetts may also receive credit depending on their jurisdiction. If you wish to receive CE credits, please provide your license number in the registration form.
Featured Speakers:
Margaret Litvin, Associate Professor of Arabic and Comparative Literature, Boston University
Adam B. Seligman, Professor of Religion, Boston University
Frances Tanzer, the Rose Professor of Holocaust Studies and Jewish Culture, Clark University
About the Speakers:
Margaret Litvin, associate professor of Arabic and Comparative Literature at Boston University, founded BU’s interdisciplinary major in Middle East and North Africa Studies in 2013 and is affiliated with BU’s Elie Wiesel Center for Jewish Studies. Her research on the transregional entanglements of Arabic literature has produced a book on Arabic Shakespeares, articles on topics including “racist inclusion” in Moscow student dormitories, and several translations including Memoirs of a Palestinian Communist: The Secret Life of Najati Sidqi, forthcoming from University of Texas Press. In February 2025, working with colleagues at BU and throughout Massachusetts, she co-founded Concerned Jewish Faculty & Staff, a membership group of approximately 150 Jewish academics on 25 New England campuses working to clarify the distinction between Israeli policy and Jewish identity and to oppose the instrumentalization of antisemitism.
Adam B. Seligman, professor of Religion at Boston University, was a Fulbright Fellow in Hungary from 1990 to 1992. He lived in Israel for close to 20 years and was a member of Kibbutz Kerem Shalom in the 1970’s. Prof. Seligman is the founding director of Communities Engaging in Difference and Religion (CEDAR) – which, since 2001, has run yearly global programs on living with difference through the ongoing development of a unique pedagogy and set of practices. His accomplishments include being a visiting professor of sociology at Harvard University, visiting professor of management at Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sloan School of Management, as well as in universities in Japan and Israel. He has authored or edited approximately two dozen books, many translated into other languages and his latest publications (with Robert Weller) are How Things Count as the Same: Memory, Mimesis, Metaphor and (with Maria Schnitter) Oaths and Vows: Words as Genesis. In 2020 he was recipient of the Dr. Leopold Lucas Prize of the University of Tubingen.
Frances Tanzer, the Rose Professor of Holocaust Studies and Jewish Culture at Clark University, published Vanishing Vienna: Philosemitism, Modernism, and Jews in a Postwar City in 2024. Her articles have been published in the Leo Baeck Institute Yearbook, Contemporary European History, Lessons and Legacies among others. She received the Sosland Fellowship at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and a residential fellowship from the Remarque Institute at NYU. Her latest project is titled: Klezmer Dynasty: An Intimate History of Modern Jewish Culture, 1880-2019.
Accessibility
Boston University strives to be accessible, inclusive and diverse in our facilities, programming and academic offerings. Your experience at this event is important to us. If you have a disability or believe you may require accommodation for another reason, please contact the BUSSW Equity & Inclusion Committee at swequity@bu.edu to discuss your needs.
The BUSSW Equity & Inclusion Speaker Series is hosted by the Equity & Inclusion Committee at Boston University School of Social Work. For more information, please visit bu.edu/ssw/eiss.
Instructions on accessing this webinar will be sent to you via email from alumni@bu.edu once registration is complete. Please check your junk/spam folder for the confirmation email.
If content from the webinar is available after the event, it will be sent to you directly from the event host at BU School of Social Work. If you have any questions or cannot find the confirmation email in your inbox, please contact alumni@bu.edu.
The webinar will be conducted using the online Zoom webinar platform. This webinar is open to all members of the BU community including alumni, students, faculty, staff and the public.