Facing antisemitism: the struggle for safety and solidarity

The Birkbeck Institute for the Study of Antisemitism (formerly the Pears Institute) is based at Birkbeck, University of London. It is a centre of innovative research and teaching, contributing to discussion and policy formation on antisemitism and racism. It is both independent and inclusive. www.bisa.bbk.ac.uk

Birkbeck Institute for the Study of Antisemitism

The publication of a new report commissioned by the Runnymede Trust forms the basis of this panel discussion.

Birkbeck, University of London, Clore Lecture Theatre

Birkbeck Institute for the Study of Antisemitism in partnership with the Runnymede TrustThe publication of a new report, Facing antisemitism: the struggle for safety and solidarity, commissioned by the Runnymede Trust and written by Birkbeck academics, David Feldman, Ben Gidley and Brendan McGeever, forms the basis of this panel discussion. It marks thirty years since the Runnymede Trust’s landmark 1994 report on antisemitism, A Very Light Sleeper.Particularly since the events of 7 October 2023 and the ongoing violence in Gaza, we have seen a rise in antisemitic incidents, a growing feeling of insecurity among many Jewish people, and a breakdown in consensus over how to conceive and combat antisemitism.Facing antisemitism, which will be published on 20 January, argues that antisemitism is a stain on UK society, but current responses to tackling antisemitism aren’t working. The report calls for a new approach to both thinking about and combating antisemitism.The panel discussion will be followed by a drinks reception.

Confirmed panellists:David Feldman, Ben Gidley and Brendan McGeever, Birkbeck Institute for the Study of Antisemitism, University of London, co-authors of the reportMaya Goodfellow, City, University of LondonRachel Shabi, journalist and author Chair: Shabna Begum, Runnymede Trust Panellists:Shabna Begum is the CEO of the Runnymede Trust. Shabna was previously a teacher for over two decades and is author of From Sylhet to Spitalfields: Bengali squatters in 1970s East London.David Feldman is Director of the Birkbeck Institute for the Study of Antisemitism (BISA) and a Professor of History at Birkbeck. David specialises in the history of antisemitism, Jewish history, the history of racialization and the history of migration in modern Britain. He is a co-author of Facing Antisemitism.Ben Gidley is a Reader in Sociology and Psychosocial Studies and a Research Associate at BISA. His research interests include contemporary forms of racialization and intercultural encounter, and he has written about antisemitism and Islamophobia. He is a co-author of Facing Antisemitism.Maya Goodfellow is a Presidential Fellow in the Department of International Politics at City, University of London. Maya is the author of Hostile Environment: How Immigrants Became Scapegoats and has worked extensively as a political commentator in British media.Brendan McGeever is a Senior Lecturer in Sociology at Birkbeck and a Research Associate at BISA. His areas of specialism include the historical sociology of racism and antisemitism and anti-racism in Britain and in Russia. He is a co-author of Facing Antisemitism.Rachel Shabi is an award-winning author, journalist and broadcaster. She is the author of Not the Enemy - Israel’s Jews from Arab Lands and has most recently published her book Off White: The Truth About Antisemitism.

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