Presented by Dr. Ayal Feinberg
Professor and Director, Center for Holocaust Studies and Human Rights, Gratz College
For generations, many American Jews understood the United States as an exceptional refuge, where integration and achievement offered lasting security. What happens when those assumptions no longer seem sufficient?
Drawing on his recent article, “From Insulation to Isolation,” Dr. Ayal Feinberg will examines how beliefs about American Jewish exceptionalism have shaped communal priorities and responses to antisemitism. He will delve into one of the most familiar responses: education. What can Holocaust education help us understand, and what additional tools are needed to recognize and address antisemitism today? Feinberg will also explore how Holocaust and antisemitism education can complement one another while serving distinct learning goals.
This talk will consider what research can—and cannot—tell us about educational effectiveness, including why greater awareness should not automatically be equated with reduced prejudice. Join us to understand the framework for considering how expertise, collaboration, and evidence can strengthen communal responses and support a flourishing Jewish future.
Register to receive the Zoom link to join us online. Barring technical issues, the recording of this talk will be posted on the Program Archive on our website.
Dr. Ayal Feinberg is a leading scholar of contemporary antisemitism whose work connects research, international education policy, and Jewish communal leadership. A full professor and director of the Center for Holocaust Studies and Human Rights at Gratz College, he founded its groundbreaking master’s and doctoral programs in Antisemitism Studies. He serves as a senior research consultant with the Anti-Defamation League and was co-principal investigator of its 2024 Global 100 study of antisemitic attitudes worldwide. Feinberg is also the lead author of UNESCO’s forthcoming teaching and learning guidelines for antisemitism education. He is co-founder and co-principal of the Contemporary Antisemitism Studies Association (CASA) and founding editor-in-chief of the Contemporary Antisemitism Studies Association Journal. Across these roles, he is helping shape how educators, policymakers, and communal leaders understand antisemitism, evaluate their responses, and build a more secure and flourishing Jewish future.
We extend a special thank you to Andrew R. Ammerman for sponsoring our 2026 program lineup. He dedicates the semester’s learning in loving memory of Josephine and H. Max Ammerman and Stephen C. Ammerman.