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Recommendations Regarding Academic Organizations and Institutions

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Recommendations Regarding Academic Organizations and Institutions Recommendations regarding Academic Organizations and Institutions Much of what has been said about cultural decision makers and influencers applies to the decision makers and influencers of the world of academic research and education, too. This part of the recommendations is thus aimedatthe atten- tion of academic decision makers and influencers. Since research on the anti- semitic manipulations of the world’sculturalmemories and on how to counter them is urgentlyneeded (see recommendations for culturalinstitutions), we ad- dress academic research institutions here separately,while academic education will be discussed as part of the part on educational institutions (see below,393 – 407). The five steps of (1) assessment,(2) comprehending the problem, (3) aware- ness raising,(4) applying policiesfor combatingantisemitism, and (5) adjusting these policies to particular institutions of academic research, are valid for the world of academiaaswell, as outlined in the introductory and previous parts. Currentlynot one research institution exists that dedicates its work to the studyofantisemitism from the perspective of culturalhistory!This field of studyisanecessary key not onlytoproperlyunderstand antisemitism but also for the developmentofsuccessful strategies to changeculturalmemories and, thus, in the long run, eradicate antisemitism. Research institutions arerequestedtoidentifyantisemitic stereotypes and antisemitic tradi- tions in the world’sculturalmemories and culturalheritages and to study the mechanisms of Jew-hatred in the culturalprocess. It is thereforerecommended that,dependingonthe size of its population,eachcountry should have one or morewell-funded research institutes for antisemitism studies. These institutes should be committedtoaholistic approach, researching antisemitism withthe necessaryhistorical depth and interdisciplinary breadth, and developing strategies to combat it effectively.While publicly funded, the work of these research institutes needs to remain independentfrompolitical and administrativedecision makers. Such institutes should, therefore, be supervised by independentboards in which appropriate Jewishorganiza- tions need to have significantrepresentation and influence. OpenAccess. ©2019, Armin Lange, Kerstin Mayerhofer,Dina Porat, LawrenceH.Schiffman, published by De Gruyter. This work is licensed under the Creative CommonsAttribution-NonCommercial- NoDerivatives 4.0 License https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110618594-030 388 Recommendationsregarding Academic Organizations and Institutions 1Comprehending the Problem, Awareness Raising, and Combating Antisemitism in Academia The antisemitic heritageofacademic institutions in some European contexts is a special problem. After the Nazi period, manyacademic teachers,although infect- ed by Nazi and antisemitic ideology, did not lose their positions. They passed this heritagetotheir students some of whom taught it in turn to their own stu- dents. Antisemitic attitudes werethus transmitted from teachertostudent over generations—often without awareness of the antisemitic nature of these academ- ic traditions. As aresult, accidental,i.e., unintentional, antisemitism is still pre- sent in some academic fields and influences the general attitude of students and faculty alike. An example of the continued use of works that were created in Nazi Germanyisthe standard reference, Theological Dictionarytothe New Testament (TDNT), the first four volumes of which wereedited by the notorious antisemite Gerhard Kittel.¹ The TDNT was translated from Germaninto English and is still used todayinboth languages as areferencework in all institutions of biblical studies worldwide, although by now the antisemitism of its editor is well known. Other fields of studyhaveresisted the heritageofantisemitism by re- searchingtheirtraditions more thoroughlyand making an effort to expunge such remnants. In addition, open agitation against Jews has increased in academic institu- tions worldwide because of this antisemitic heritageand because of the growing influenceofanti-Zionistagitation from the BDS movement.Examples include a posting on Facebook by formerOberlin Collegeassistant professor JoyKarega ac- cusing the Jewish banker JacobRothschild of fiscal world conspiracy,² and an association of lawstudents at the UniversityofVienna whose members de- scribed photos of three piles of ashes as “leaked Anne Frank nudes.”³ Thissit- uation of both open as well as accidental and structural antisemitism in academic Cf. M. Casey, “Some anti-Semitic assumptionsinthe “Theological Dictionary of the New Testa- ment”,” Novum Testamentum 41 (1999): 280–91;W.A.Meeks,ANazi New Testament Professor Reads His Bible: The StrangeCase of GerhardKittel, in TheIdeaofBiblical Interpretation: Essays in the Honor of James L. Kugel,ed. H. Najman and J. H. Newman (Leiden: Brill, 2004), 513– 44. Cf. D. Gerstman, “Oberlin Professor Claims Israel WasBehind 9/11, ISIS,Charlie Hebdo At- tack,” TheTower Magazine,February 25,2016,http://www.thetower.org/3012-oberlin-pro fessor-claims-israel-was-behind-911-isis-charlie-hebdo-attack/. Cf. N. Horaczek, “‘Das ist ein Super-Gau’,” Falter 19/17, May9,2017, https://www.falter.at/ar chiv/wp/das-ist-ein-super-gau. Recommendationsregarding Academic Organizations and Institutions 389 institutions is particularlydangerous.Likeinstitutions of higher learning,aca- demics are not onlymultipliers of conventions but teach those who willbecome multipliers.Tocope with the growingantisemitism on campuses, in addition to the policies outlinedinthe previous parts, we recommend the following mea- sures. – Dismiss faculty who propagateany form of antisemitism regardlessoften- ure. Decisionsabout such dismissals should be made by committees that would have to investigate each case and asignificant part of whose members should consist of outside expertise. – Require studentswho propagateantisemitism either take special classes on the history of antisemitismand Jewish history,cultureand religion or to expel them from all institutions of higher learning (see recommendations for educational institutions), depending on the severity of their individual cases. – Scholarlyand scientific organizations should expel all members who prop- agate anyform of antisemitism. – In appropriate fields, for new employees of academic institutions, it should be amandatory requirement for theirappointment to have taken classes in the history and culture of Judaism as well as in the history of antisemitism. – Academic institutions should include theiropposition to antisemitism in fac- ulty manuals and other such documents. Orientation for new facultyshould include boththe University’sopposition to antisemitism as well as some el- ementary information about Jews and Judaism. In addition, more extensive training should be encouraged by offering more extensive courses as well. – Identify and research traditions of open, accidental, and structural antisem- itism in all fields of studyand alert all researchers to them. – Encourageand sponsor co-operation with Israeli and other Jewish research institutions. – Createspecial exchangeprograms with Israeli academic institutions for fac- ulty and other researchers. – Participate in special summerschools about the history of antisemitism as part of the continuingeducation of academics. Such summerschools should be offered by ahighlyrespected academic institution of the State of Israel. – Oppose discriminatory calls to boycott Israeli academics and academic insti- tutions. The contribution of Jewishscholarship to the elimination of antisemitism and other prejudices has to be one of its explicit purposes. Antisemitism maystill hide among the building blocks of contemporary scholarship, let alone be pre- sent in modern publications; this problem needstobefaced and discussed. 390 Recommendationsregarding Academic Organizations and Institutions Furthermore, theremustbeaninvestigation of the extent to which the influ- ence of generous donations from donorsofanti-Zionistorantisemitic back- ground have influenced and stillinfluencethe growinghostility towards Judaism and Jewish institutions in academiesofhigher learning. 2Critical Antisemitism Research and Research on howtoCombat Antisemitism Especiallyimportant,asmentioned above, is researchidentifying the antisemitic stereotypes and antisemitic traditions in the world’scultural and religious memo- ries and heritagesand studying the culturaland religious mechanisms of Jew- hatred. How pressingthe problem of more research about antisemitism is, be- comes evident when it is seen that even the assessment of the level of antisem- itism in the world’ssocieties was and is, as of today, the work of NGOs. The fol- lowing policies are thereforerecommended: – The research institutions suggested abovewould be ideallysuited to make the regular antisemitismassessments that we recommend, if they are prop- erlystaffed and funded. – Such research institutions could also compile blacklistsofantisemitic texts that can be identified as such. These publications should not be sold by on- line bookdealers or uploaded to online book repositories. – In addition to institutes for critical antisemitism studies, each cultural insti- tution and/or organization needs to perform its own research on the antisemitic heritageinits ownsubject matter. – Special public fundingshould be available for research projects studying an- tisemitism and how to fight it.Academics should be able to applyfor these funds in adouble-blind peer review system.⁴ – In addition to specializedinstitutes
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