New books explore academic responses to antisemitism

Professor Rosa Freedman, from Reading’s School of Law, is among 36 academics who share their perspectives on the anthology that brings together academic responses to rising antisemitism since the Hamas atrocities in Israel on 7 October 2023.

As research fellow of the London Centre Study of Contemporary Antisemitism and co-editor of its Routledge book series on contemporary antisemitism, Professor Freedman put out a call for papers in response to the events of 7 October which received submissions from a diverse range of academics across disciplinary and geographic boundaries.

The books, published today (29 May), focus on the themes of antisemitic discourse, law and society, and universities. They will be available as an anthology or as three separate volumes. As a set or individually, they are aimed atacademics, students and activists with an interest in antisemitism, Jewish studies and the politics of Israel.

Professor Freedman said: “Antisemitism is history’s oldest hatred.

“There are 14 million Jews in the world. They make up 0.2% of the global population, and yet have been persecuted, expelled or slaughtered throughout history in every country where they have lived.

“Challenging antisemitism begins with understanding how it manifests and the impacts it has. This anthology provides valuable evidence and analysis about contemporary antisemitism to inform public debates about how to counter this hatred and discrimination in modern society.”

To mark the publication, the London Centre Study of Contemporary Antisemitism will be holding a public book launch in London on Monday 3 June 2024 for those who want to learn more about this research and about contemporary antisemitism since 7 October.