Institute begins study of contemporary antisemitism with lecture

IU will inaugurate its Institute for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism with a public lecture at 7:30 p.m. today in the Frangipani Room of the Indiana Memorial Union.

Robert Wistrich, a leading scholar of the history of antisemitism, will speak about “Liberté, Égalité, Antisemitism: The French Connection.” He is the Neuberger Chair for Modern European and Jewish History at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the author of “A Lethal Obsession: Antisemitism from Antiquity to the Global Jihad.”

Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Bennett Bertenthal said the institute will influence and impact the field of antisemitism studies.

Plans for the institute include opportunities for IU students to learn about antisemitism as well as research by faculty and students, lectures, conferences and discussion groups of classic antisemitic texts.