Conference Draws Crowd

Scholars, intellectuals, and activists played to a packed LeFrak Concert Hall on April 22 and 23, when the Center for Jewish Studies presented Is it 1938 Again? A Major Conference on the State of World Jewry. Seven hundred people—the largest audience drawn to any activity sponsored by the center to date—turned out to hear expert panels discuss current, and controversial, developments. Iran’s quest for nuclear development and the rise of anti-Semitism in European countries with growing Muslim populations were among the topics on the agenda.

Speakers came from all over the political map. The lineup included Commentary editor Norman Podhoretz; Dissent editor Michael Walzer, author of Just and Unjust Wars; and National Review editor David Pryce-Jones. Harvard Law School professor Alan Dershowitz participated remotely, via live streaming video.

At the end of the two days, the question posed by the conference remained unanswered. This result did not disturb Jewish Studies Center Director William Helmreich, Jewish Studies Program Director Mark Rosenblum, or conference chair David Schimel. “The conference was intended to focus attention and spark discussion about the dangers facing Jewry today,” said Helmreich. “It definitely struck a nerve.”