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Charles P. Scott Center for Spiritual and Religious Life

Resources on Antisemitism

Resources for Antisemitism work at Middlebury

Welcome to the Resources on Antisemitism webpage. This page primarily serves as a gathering place for educational materials related to antisemitism, on campus and in the world. It began as a project of the Coalition for dismantling antisemitism, and continues to be updated to try to be responsive to current needs.

In the winter of 2022, the Coalition for Dismantling Antisemitism at Middlebury came together to create opportunities for students, staff, and faculty to learn more about antisemitism and how Jewish students experience it on campus and elsewhere. They issued this statement about their work. 

The Coalition now serves as a consultative body that convenes as needed to consider questions of campus climate for Jewish students and plays a consultative role. The community bias response team continues to take action on reports of antisemitic bias, and the Equity Narrative Project on antisemitism and anti-Israeli bias, commissioned in fall 2024 by President Patton, is collecting narrative data on how Jewish and Israeli students, staff and faculty experienced the campus beginning in fall 2023. This project also includes a stream of historical research using oral histories and the Middlebury archives to understand the history of Jews at Middlebury.

Members of the Coalition for the 2024-25 academic year:

  • Khuram Hussain, Vice President Equity and Inclusion
  • Mark Orten, Dean of Spiritual and Religious Life
  • Ted Sasson, Professor of Jewish Studies
  • Danielle Stillman, Rabbi and Associate Chaplain
  • Sarah Stroup, Executive Director, Davis Collaborative in Conflict Transformation

If You Have Experienced Antisemitism

If you believe you have experienced antisemitism on campus, here are some avenues to report it if you wish to. Please do not hesitate to reach out to Rabbi Danielle Stillman or another chaplain from the Scott Center for Spiritual and Religious Life for confidential support, or to counseling through the Center for Health and Wellness.

Definitions

As with all systemic biases, recognizing when something is antisemitic can be hard. Definitions are helpful in this regard but have their own complexities. Here are a few current definitions of antisemitism that share many components with each other but contain some important variations.

Guides

There are many guides and resources that provide more context on antisemitism by sharing the history as well as current iterations of this bias. While each of these resources shares a lot in common, their length and the medium in which they are offered is different. Please feel free to browse through them and download any one that catches your eye from their site.

Further resources on antisemitism and its intersections

Below you will find articles, videos, and lectures that address the overlap between white supremacy and antisemitism, historically and in our day; more about the history of antisemitism and how it became an accepted bias; a website that addresses the affects of generational trauma for those who have experienced antisemitism, as well as a podcast that explores the history of Jewish students in the Ivy League.  There is also a video on the history of antisemitism, and a lecture at Middlebury which explored historical anti-Judaism.

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Antisemitism in Our Midst: Past and Present

This video is part of the Antisemitism Education Initiative on the Berkeley campus. This video charts the history of antisemitism from its origins until today. Written by Adam Naftalin-Kelman, Ethan Katz, Steven Davidoff Solomon; Produced by Sarah Lefton; Animated by Jenny Anderson.

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Does the History of Anti-Semitism Tell Us Anything About Its Future?

Middlebury College 2021 Hannah A. Quint Lecture in Jewish Studies

The Vibrant Jewish Community at Middlebury

We believe that a key component of dismantling antisemitism here is to continue to create a warm, dynamic, and creative Jewish life on Middlebury’s campus, open and welcoming to all Jewish and non-Jewish members of the campus community. The College provides many avenues for engaging with Judaism, from student organizations to academic programs.

Middlebury students bake Challah.
A group of Middlebury students volunteering with Challah for Hunger bake challah to raise money for local and national anti-hunger organizations.

Middlebury College Hillel

Hillel is a student organization at Middlebury that creates Jewish community for other students through holiday celebrations, weekly Shabbat services and dinners, and social and learning opportunities. To learn more about this aspect of Jewish life on campus, please visit the Middlebury College Hillel’s website, Instagram and Facebook pages.

Rabbi Danielle Stillman
Rabbi Danielle Stillman

Hillel Hayom

Hillel Hayom Newsletter: Reflecting on Jewish Life at Middlebury Today

Academic Opportunities

Middlebury offers a minor in Jewish studies and in Modern Hebrew and Israeli society. The classes offered are a wonderful way to learn more about Judaism, Israel, and related topics.

Interfaith House

MOSAIC Interfaith House

The MOSAIC Interfaith House is a residential space for students who are interested in deepening their knowledge and experience of various religions, spiritualities, and secular traditions.

 

Past Events

  • Understanding and Tackling Antisemitism on College Campuses

    The rise of antisemitism in the 21st century cannot be ignored or marginalized. For when antisemitism emerges, we begin to witness the fraying of democratic values and the unraveling of the American tapestry. Dr. Rachel Fish will present on how we can best understand and respond to rising antisemitism on college campuses today.

    Open to Middlebury card holders only.

     Co-sponsored by Alexander Hamilton Forum   

    Wilson Hall, McCullough Student Center

    Closed to the Public

  • Workshop on Responding to Antisemitism

    This workshop with Noah Hochfelder ‘22.5 will offer hands on skills for how to respond to personal antisemitism based on the approaches of the National Coalition Building Institute.

    Jewish Center at the Freeman International Center

  • 2021 Hannah A. Quint lecture in Jewish Studies: Does the History of Antisemitism tell us Anything about its Future?

    Professor David Nirenberg of the University of Chicago will deliver the Hannah A. Quint Lecture in Jewish Studies on the topic: “What Does the History of Anti-Semitism Tell Us About its Future?” David Nirenberg is Dean of the Divinity School at the University of Chicago and the Deborah R. and Edgar D. Jannotta Distinguished Service Professor of Medieval History and Social Thought. This is the 32nd Annual Hannah A. Quint Lecture in Jewish Studies, established by the late Eliot Levinson, Class of 1964, in honor of his late mother, Mrs. Quint.

    Virtual Middlebury

    Open to the Public

Trainings for Faculty, Staff and Students

Unlearning at Midd workshop on Antisemitism and Islamophobia

Islamophobia and Antisemitism on Campus and in our Lives

This session will invite participants to explore and reflect on definitions and encounters with Islamophobia and antisemitism in our societies. We will have a conversation about the different forms and manifestations of these discriminations. The session will conclude by exploring how these biases can show up on campus and how to best disrupt them and create a stronger community at Middlebury.

Supporting Religious Observance: Understanding Religious Holidays and What they Mean for When and How Students and Employees Participate on Campus 

This 60-minute workshop will explore major religious holidays, how they are observed, and what faculty, staff, and supervisors should be mindful of in terms of participation in the classroom and workplace. Part of Middlebury’s Education for Equity and Inclusion’s “Engaging and Supporting Diverse Communities” series.

Engaging Harms We Might Be Hesitant to Name: Responding to Antisemitism 

This 90-minute workshop will explore common manifestations of antisemitism on college campuses, the discomfort and uncertainty faculty and staff often feel about naming and engaging with it, and strategies for responding to it when it happens.  Part of Middlebury’s Education for Equity and Inclusion’s “Engaging and Supporting Diverse Communities” series.

Anti-Oppression Reading group for faculty and staff

This monthly discussion group will be focused on antisemitism this month.  Here is a link to the article they will be discussing: “The Lived Experiences of anti-Semitism encountered by Jewish students on a university campus”

Charles P. Scott Center for Spiritual and Religious Life

46 South Street
Middlebury, VT 05753