The Normalization of Antisemitism in America

A recent study conducted by George Washington University revealed that a majority of 10,000 13- to 35-year-olds did not know what antisemitism is. Another survey indicated that one out of six adults said they had never heard of the word. This at a time when we are seeing an alarming rise in antisemitic incidents and hate crimes in the U.S as well as Oregon.

This workshop will explore what antisemitism is (and what it is not), how it has evolved over time, and how it is being normalized in American society. Importantly, it will dispel deep-seated misconceptions about Jewish identity that feed ignorance around antisemitism and also delve into the reasons why antisemitism is often overlooked or even dismissed .

Bob Horenstein has served as Director of Community Relations of the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland since 1994. In this role, Horenstein has directed the Federation’s efforts to safeguard the social safety net, promote civil rights, and combat hate and bigotry. He is also a freelance writer, having been published in the Oregonian, Jerusalem Post and The Forward, and is a regular contributor to the Jerusalem Report, an English-language bimonthly Israeli magazine. Horenstein has been awarded the American Jewish Press Association Louis Rapoport Award for Excellence in Commentary, and he was recognized by the Oregon Society of Professional Journalists for Excellence in Journalism. He speaks frequently before government organizations, grassroots human rights groups, and schools and has lectured, among other places, in Juneau, Alaska, Springfield, Illinois, Vancouver, B.C., and at the University of Oregon and Oregon State University. Horenstein earned a Master’s degree in political science from Portland State University in 1993.

A light lunch will be served for attendees. Please register online.