Since our founding in 2003, the Carolina Center for Jewish Studies has created programming, developed courses, organized conferences, and hosted community events to address the challenges described in this pledge. We take seriously our responsibility to promote a better understanding of Jewish Studies both on and off campus, and to encourage civil discussion of diverse topics within Jewish Studies.
In 2022, we are experiencing continued concerns about violence in Israel and Palestine, as well as renewed concern about the national rise in antisemitism. The antisemitic remarks by music artist Ye (Kanye West), and the hateful organizations that recently distributed antisemitic flyers in Raleigh, represent a larger problem of the normalization of hate speech that affects both Jews and non-Jews worldwide.
As teachers and researchers in Jewish Studies at UNC Chapel Hill, we are committed to offering programming for students, colleagues, and the public that will allow us all to learn more about current and historical events and improve our understanding of diverse cultural perspectives.
As teachers and researchers in Jewish Studies at UNC Chapel Hill, we are deeply concerned about hostility directed at Jews, Muslims, Blacks, Latinxs, Asian Americans, LGBTQ communities, refugees, immigrants, and other minorities in the United States and across the globe. Jewish history has taught us that when one group of people is singled out as dangerous and targeted, it constitutes a threat to all civil society.
As teachers and researchers in Jewish Studies at UNC Chapel Hill we are committed to speaking out when the lessons of Jewish history are relevant to the present. We therefore affirm the Carolina Center for Jewish Studies’ commitment to fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment for its faculty, students, staff, and community. We value the perspectives that diverse traditions and the free and open exchange of ideas bring to the academy.