White, author of the book how to fight antisemitism. Our education is informed by the universitys mission to prepare graduates to be informed and engaged citizens in their communities and recognize and respect diversity of culture, identity and opinion. Both of these are on display this evening but its this last idea, thees respect for diversiy of culture, identity and opinion thats needed more than ever today. The tragedy of tree of life, response to the book and the amazing turnout hereby all of you, for this important conversation chokes wife. He will be available to personal copies of the book after the discussion. If you have a copycat, the bookshop will sell them at that time. Thank you for visiting our campus this evening and please welcome to the stage, the president of the university. [applause] good evening, everybody and thank you for the introduction. As some of you may recall, it was just over a year ago today that we were gathered together in this chapel for a very similar purpose. To hear from a holocaust survivor, came to pittsburgh from chicago to share her story. At that time, just one day after the shooting at tree of life, we were initially uncertain about whether it made sense to go ahead with the event. But inspired by her own determination, she made the flight minutes after the shooting. We decided we shouldnt gather in this place and send a message that we are stronger than hate. When i got the call from my friend at the Jewish Community center asking if we host wotonights event id like the opportunity to bring together the Jewish Community and ourto friends across pittsburgh to explore again tonight how we can work together. Its my honor tonight to introduce our two special guests starting with our staff writer and editor for the opening section of the New York Times, her first book is called how to fight antisemitism. Before running the times, a senior editor, the premier jurors online magazine of ideas, politics and culture. She regularly appears on shows like the view, morning show and fill, a graduate of columbia and also the winner of recent foundations 2018 prize which annually honors writers who best demonstrate the importance of freedom with originality. The parents who i met this evening wanted to know whoho the other six were. [applause] most important for this event, is a proud member of the family. Her mother, her aunt and sister are all graduates and she grew with this as her backyard. Our other guests this evening is mark. Mark joined the university of pittsburgh for nine months as a visiting professor at the school of law over 40 years ago and hes never left. Had the honor to serve as deed in the school of law and im sure all of you are aware, 19 years as chancellor of the university in which he helped lead with his partner here in pittsburgh. Mark has received any many honors. History maker by the senator john history center. He currently serves as chair of institute of politics and director of its form on Foreign Policy and hes a member of the small independent Committee Appointed by the Jewish Federation in the aftermath of the attack at the tree of life synagogue where he was actively engaged in helping create and lead new initiatives. During me in welcoming him to our discussion this evening. [applause] its like my barr mitzvah. [laughter] i see my teacher for middle school. [laughter] do you want her to get up on stage . [laughter] what a great crowd. Its so nice you are all here tonight. I want to begin by thanking president feingold and the entire university for inviting us to be here on what has to be one of the most beautiful campuses in the world. [applause] chatham is a special place in every sense. We really are grateful for the hospitality the university is extending tonight. As we walked across the campus tonight, im sure most of us felt a combination of peace and calm in the constructive power of Youthful Energy but we all know as david said, it was just over a year ago and not very far from here at the tree of life synagogue that worshipers from three congregations were brutally attacked by an anti semi armed with automatic weapon. Im not sure any of them has ever had the impact on pittsburgh that days attack did. I want to suggest on behalf of barry and david that we dedicate this programte tonight to the victims of the attack in the victims of the antisemitism, wherever they may be. And that we each take a moment tonight to think about how it is we might contribute to the fight jesus described in her very important book. This event attracts a capacity crowd and generated a waiting list within just a few days. The twin attractions are the opportunity to welcome barry back home. And to learn more about the fight against antisemitism from her well written, thoughtprovoking, bestselling book of that title. It is, by the way, now ranked by amazon as the top selling book in its category of discrimination and constitutional law. I fully intend to claim most of the time for myself [laughter] you all did have a chance to pick up audience questions cards. The cards will be collected andr about 45 minutes and past up to me and will make sure we try to leave enough time to handle some questions that have been posed by the audience. I do also want to note that cspan is filming this program tonight it will be shown as part of the pp Books Program at a later date so behave yourselves, will you . We dont want you to create bad impression of pittsburgh for the rest of the country. Even though this is a night focused on your book, barry, i would like to begin with a somewhat different question, hoping you wont consider it to be out of bounds. I want to go back to what feingold said about the ranking of the Jerusalem Post which listed you as the seventh most influential jew in the world in 2019. [laughter] for those of you who didnt see the article, or to add a little context. I think there was only one american who was higher ranked and that was the u. S. Ambassador to israel. And provide some more color to this, if uncle trump jared krishna were ranked as a pair. [laughter] u. S. Supreme court justices, Stephen Breyer and the notorious rpg were ranked 18th collectively. [laughter] Facebooks Mark Zuckerberg and cheryl were ranked as 35th. [laughter] so the big question i have on my mind is, is it a blessing or burden when your parents look at that list and say well, thats great barry but you should have ranked higher. [laughter] i would like to think my mother who didnt who did everything in my dad whos been almost like aat father to me. [laughter] my entire life is a blessing. My entire life would have been absolutely unimaginable to my greatgrandparents. Or even to my grandmother whos sitting here in the front row to whom this book is dedicated. My inheritance was sort of unbelievable and not any financial sense, in the sense that i was born in this country in sort of the golden age for american. I was born after the feminist broke down barriers that were obstacles between my grandmoth grandmother. I think so much about what she would havek been. Another part of my inheritance is that i was born in a country whose founders so fully understood the jewish story about the israelites story. They saw themselves as new americans, new israelites and not a modernday exorcist. As part of my inheritance. Then there is the fact that for my greatgrandparents and grandparents generation, they were of the generation where you have to change your name in order to get a good job. Were not accepted as certain offer beats. That was the world i was born into. So in that sense, my whole life is a blessing. The question is being jewish role model from the way we think about is this. In judaism, theres a reason you wear this on the head. The idea is so that you live up to the obligations of what it means. A new model of behavior for the of being a jew in the world. I wear itar on my head but i fel like i basically have the biggest one in the world staple to my head at all times i could never come off. The blessing of that is that it made me i think are more conscientious and better person in the world. What is a jew mean . I take the m obligation and blessing of the obligation really seriously. Well, you do describe yourself in the book, not in terms of rave reviews for high rankings by instead, you say into other matter of fact way, im an american, a jew, a zionist and a proud daughter of pittsburgh. What hasnt been to you a dollar of pittsburgh both in terms of the personal reactions to the attack to which we have referred and in terms of developing the sense of what it does mean to be a jew in the 21st Century America . I would say being from pittsburgh has kind of meant everything for me butas i didnt realize until i left. I thought it was normal the fact that my parents belong to four or five different synagogues. They pay dues at all on the synagogues but it was normal for us to have dinner with a very politically diverse and rigid ski Diverse Group of people. It was normal forel us to go toa conservative synagogue where my sister and i were among thehe youngest. Much more religious family at lunch only after that do work in the jcc to play basketball. That was normal for me. Pittsburgh is a small enough community, we dont stay especially inside of the Jewish Community inside the political or religious claims we happen to find ourselves in. Reach out across the barriers. Its only when i came to new york and went to college that i realized that was really exceptional. I saw this especially after the tree of life and reaction to it. The fact that these crossing are barriers didnt just exist inside pittsburgh Jewish Community but went out far beyond thought. It was a model of what solidarity looks like. The way we saw the muslim community, christian community, the sports teams and so on. There was a real sense of unity and the attack on the Jewish Community was impact on everyone. The solidarity can be model not just for america but for the rest of the world. In the sense of being in the values of really mr. Rogers neighborhood is something i only realized again after i left of how special that was. The idea of looking for helpers and everything became embodied on the show. I write in the book about waiting for the school bus with my sister and i will never forget the School Bus Driving by and kids hanging out the windows and screaming dirty juice. I remember being told in high school to pick up a penny because i was a jew but these things were really footnotes to my experience growing up here. These are embarrassing for the people doing them. They were very much vestiges from an old world. Not at all the norm. Im very grateful to be from here and from a place that lives up to the things everyone wrote about this community and aftermath of the massacre. They were true in the fact that they were true is testament to the work that so many leaders, and ive seen so many faces of people that have put in the kind of effort that were showcased to the world. That didnt come out of nowhere. Those relationships dont blossom overnight. They are the result of incredibly hard work and Relationship Building and trust building and thats the work of people in this room the life indicted for and grateful for. Your life has been a blessi blessing, that comes through very clearly in the book. You describe your experiences and the lessons you learn from your grandparents and parents. You also say and you have this ability to use the english language in ways that are compellingly memorable. You say that in some senses, looking at the big picture, you know you your life l as somethig of a holiday from history. What did you mean by that . I meant that, it sounds depressing but i think its true, i think the reality we to in theink the reality we aftermath, six months later the synagogue and then just today. 27yearold was arrested two hours outside of denver, colorado he is attempting to blow up a synagogue there. That reality we are living in, thats a return to the norm of jewish history. What i mean is that very rare exceptions in our 2000 years that the jews have been kicking around, its more to think about our security in our room like this. Its normal for us to be worried about an attack on a synagogue. Should we actually lug around with visible signs of our jewishness . Or should we put inside our short . That is the norm of jewish history. Its only to say that i never thought about those things when i was growing up. And that is anan unbelievable departure. I think its saying something unique about what america could be at itsts very best. I think what we are living through now is a kind of disorienting fear. Its no longer the world but i think reality for the rest of our lives. Thats not just with the American Experience but frankly with the direction of where this country is going, at least at this moment. Those things are a deeply interconnected. You also said something that left an anonymous wing twitch. You express the fear that during this holiday from history, which was shared by many other people, that American Jews may have lost their instinct for danger. What did you mean by that . The jews of europe had not ever been so lucky. They are always aware l of the things we now have to be incredibly conscious of the kind of conversations that are now normal in our community are hardening our synagogues do we have armed guards at the doors of george scores on the Upper West Side of new york works this is a major departure but what i means in terms of the instinct for danger, its kind of a double edged sword. On the one hand, it is horrible because you have to think about your safety but on the other hand, its a constant reminder of who youon are and what your fighting for. I think theres a sense of the american Jewish Community, because of the blessings that weve been so accepted, its the best experience in all of jewish history and it continues to be that way even after trump selection and the attacks of the past two years. I still think we are the luckiest in history. L change andistory. We can see what will happen. I think part of the blessings has been complacency which is to say because weve been so accepted weve had the privilege to forget who we are. At least some of us. I think part of whats happening right now is as we are siege and away we had never happened, its a both a scary thing because its a reminder marked difference but also an opportunity to try and dig deeper and understand what the difference is about. Who are we . What are we fighting for . That is the deeper thing behind this book. I think i foolishly thought isnt it obvious what we are fightingly for . Is my identity som at the forefront of who i am . I think one of the things i learned in writing this book and going around the country and talking to people, they really think the past year has been a reawakening for people of all my god, when any minority is attacked or really when you are bullied for any part of your identity or ideas or who you are, as a sense of wanting to punch back and then theres a sense of, why are they attacking me . Dry want to cut off a part of myself and be accepted or dig deeper into who iel am . I think of anything good can come from this uncertain moment that we are in, its not just for juice but all minorities that findut themselves in a comfortable position. Given that we have politics that from the monthly attacks decen decency, use it as an opportunity too understand your difference and what your difference can offer, not just you in your own life but offer to this country. Certainly your pittsburgh in the last year has been a year of reflection and resolved. Its interesting to hear you say you havee found that in many other parts of the country as you have been on this book to her. You said we need to know who we are and you say in this book that we need to know what we are fighting against. You made earlier reference to anti jewish prejudice, which you mentioned you experienced here as a child in pittsburgh. You clearly experienced it as a young adult when you left pittsburgh. How do you distinguish between anti jewish prejudice and antisemitism . So we do know what we are focusing on. I draw a distinction between anti jewish prejudice, which functions as a kind of inconvenience, its disgusting but it doesnt fundamentally seek the jewish people and a jewish civilization. It might mean i dont really want a jewish couple moving inn next door. Its gross, we all think its appalling but doesnt fundamentally threaten the lives ofnk jews in a jewish civilization. What antisemitism is, its a sort of the oldest Conspiracy Theory. What it does, it singles out equality, in any society or society situation. The nazi regime, the jew contaminate us, the soviet union, the jews are the arch capitalist because communism is something generated. On the far right, or the jews . The people who are right but in fact, they are the greatest trick the devil however played because they appear to be quite when in fact, there loyal to the black and brown people and muslims they want to bring into this country, which is the amtacker the tree of life brought about publicly online and on the far left i would say, the way this presents itself is not the most loathsome on the far left is l jewish power and expressions of jewish power and thats why israel, which is the main expression of jewish power in the world today, it needs to be evolved and thus the think the far left increasingly asks. Another thing about entitlement is him, we are never defeated. Its never going away but our greatest hope is to keep it at bay. Antisemitism functions like a virus. The way that all of us in this room have hundreds, probably thousands, maybe tens of thousands of viruses in our body at any given moment but as long as we are physically healthy, the viruses dont express themselves and we are able to have Healthy People in the world. A society that has a healthy, social and cultural and political immune system. Its a society antisemitism, not to mentionm racism and other kinds of bigotry and misogyny are kept at bay. In society, the immune system is weakened and right now in america, our society and social immune system is incredibly weakened. Its become more and more normative for there to be expressions of antisemitism, racism, antiimmigrant bigotry and all the rest. Well again, the language in your book is amazing when you talk about morphine Conspiracy Theory. There are those of us who worry that conspiracy theories are replacing reality and a lot of corners in American Life today. Is that the kind of time are immune system is at risk and antisemitism in some of i these other awful social problems may be on the rise . I think thats a huge symptom because antisemitism is the ultimate Conspiracy Theory and its a very big problem with people who peddle in conspiracy theories are in place of the power, especially in this white house. I dont its possible to the this conversation without talking about the president and the fact that this president , hes almost an anti semi without the jews. They met the president traffics in conspiracy theories such as whos to blame for the problems of the working man and woman in america . Is the globalists, the elitist, immigrants, kind of scapegoating politics we choose or alltoofamiliar with and it doesnt even need to single us out for it to be a song for racist White Supremacists. Its not a coincidence that White SupremacistsRichard Spencer were drawn to trump because he played a major court for people who already believe in a Conspiracy Theory about the world and then there Conspiracy Theory, its a secret hand controlling the world. The secret hand is the jew. When that person hears the elitist, i could go on and on, they hear jew, jew, jew. Its so important to just be very tuned to that language especially when its coming from places like the white house and members of congress on the other side of the aisle as well. In your book, he really talk about restraints of antisemitism. The far right, the far left and the problems with radical islam. Just to be clear, we are talking about far right White Supremacists. Yes. I could go on for a while about this, maybe i will. Antisemitism from the right is by far the most physically dangerous threat. God forbid somebody would walk in this room, all of my money would be on the butts of that person being and White Supremacists. Twenty years ago, i would not have said that. I would have said jihadist but that has changed. Maybe it will change again but right now, in this moment, that is very much reality. I fear for my own physical safety, and if you look at all of the statistics, name your offer but soup organization, that is reality. What does that is sort of convenient is that it announces its self. Once the killer walked into tree of life, he said what he wanted to do. He said all jews must die and he went and tried to kill as many jews as he possibly could. The one thing that is sort of helpful when it comes to antisemitism from the right, it is extremely blunt and announces itself in language we dont need to have this debate about. We can all acknowledge that is what it appears to be in all of us know from our greatgrandparents parents in europe where that kind of thing can lead to. Itself the far left comes cloaked in language that is very familiar to American Jewish tongue and all the liberal and progressives. Its as we want social justice. Universal brotherhood of man. They are less required is jewish zombies and what, i mean, by that, it says to the jew, you can live in a jewish body. No problem. All that is required of you is to publicly disavowal, jewish culture, jewish idea, jewish particular museum and power, jewish statehood jewish in whatever the new line is and is constantly moving. So what is it look like. It looks like the spanish inquisition. Where jews need to convert to catholicism in order to remain leaving as jews. But of course theyre emptied of the jewish soul. In soviet union, it looks like this about her beliefs in weve god and jewish ritual practice. Not circumcising your suns and so forth. And you can live in the jewish body but not as a jewish soul. What looks like today as you look across the pond att two Great Britain you can be a jew, you just have to convert but jewish power solicits by disavowing the jewish state and the movement for jewish liberation and selfdetermination which is and again, its not sinking. What it does is it marginalizes and it is much more institutional and if you want to see what antisemitism looks like on a college campus, they weve god has brought somebody Walking Around with a gun. At least not yet. When it looks like is jews being told that they were at the university of virginia after the larger that they were workplaces there was a minority at stewart collation that was fighting White Supremacy and the jewish students will told that you why not be a member of this group. Andd even so the people marching with this torch is wearing the publishers will shouting, jews will not replace us. They didnt jewish students eight you can join a Minority Student Coalition to fight White Supremacy. How is that. How is the possible. Knowing that that is possible is if you believe that the jews are sort of handmaidens of a White Supremacy because they support the state of israel. About which a giant live is being told which is that the state of israel is the white supremacist project. Soon the way the threats we face are to fold my can explain more about that in a second and one being hurt physically by white supremacist and the other threat is being converted into a white supremacist being smeared as a white supremacist people on the part and i dont think its a coincidence that every community i go tot people come up to me e check about how they feel so politically homeless in our community right now. I think there is a very good reason for that. It is because of this sort of double edge problem that we are facing. In which we are not, assuring us on either side of the position. On either side of the political aisle, i mean. Its an enormous problem we arel facing. Will it is a huge problem and i am glad that you will so clear about that because i do think that there is such a difference between marginalizing and murder. And it is at this. In your analysis that some of your friends, stop, im not sure the leaves you with the see are you suggesting that the theory is a kind of equivalence between the antisemitism of the right and the anti semitism of the left. Its not an equivalent. They are different. But they threaten us in different ways. Theres a line that a quote in the book from thiss writer harrs mortgage. Parachute marcus was a member of stalin news anti fascist committee. And that committee of course was made up of a course of the most celebrated yiddish and jewish writers, poets and playwrights directors of the time. And there are basically as windowdressing by stalin to see, im not really an antisemite. All of these jews that are surrounding me. In paris market said was a sort of came around to the fact that indeed, stalin was not afraid of the jews. Hitler wanted to kill us physically. Someone wanted to kill us spiritually. Then ultimately market along with 27 others is himself murdered and what is known of the night of the murder murder poet. So if we look at our history, many of us are most familiar of course with the showup of the holocaust because that is the worst mastic year and tragedy that is ever befallen the jewish people. I think it is a result of the fixation on the history of the holocaust which makes good sense and we lost track of this other strand event type jewish and insight similar to test and jewish hatred basically. Then again has brought genocidal at first. I need still in it racial and jewish civilization by other means. And you and see it just very clearly if you look at the history of the jews, underlying and solid and then on the soviet union i have not today suggesting that we are neither of those places in either extreme but i think it is important to be aware that both of those things are very old tropes. And theyre not new. And i think also the criticism and your friend and a really nice way but in fact a tremendous amount of criticism staying, im soft and White Supremacy. And again i just want to be very clear. I know how anyone from this ammunity or anyone that is paying attention could not be absolutely terrified about the rise of White Supremacy in this country and the horrific effect that it can have in innocent people who are just trying to go to synagogue and pray. I just want to be very clear that im very serious about that threat. I also think that given my position, which is an elder millennial of the New York Times and someone who identifies inset liberal, they have a special obligation to call out and might and tight semitism from the far left and set the alarm. Send early before it becomes is it too late in that regard. And think that there is something that is much more emerge emotionally difficult about seeing invite sent semitism on the left and that has to do with the fact that 79o vote for democrats near heartwarming, number of us identify as liberals or progressives. When we see antisemitism come from the far right, it is kind of like that was already not us. That was already, not of our tribe. And i think that there is something much more psychologically and emotionally difficult we do see it coming from inside the think that you thought was your own tent and i think that there is a reason the many jews themselves are really hesitant to look at it. Is what is mean if the antisemite is and across the road but is sitting at your kitchen table. Have you come from that. And that is actually the problem when i talk to jews all of the country and certainly you wrote. This actually more pressing in their daily thoughts and antisemitism is more pressing of people news daily lives is that they need to be increasingly positive about different aspects of their jewish identity. And you know the white supremacist that wants to murder them, ultimately does the job of security and Law Enforcement to protect us from those people. Theres nothing much that we can continue actually do about that. Others than bigotry and White Supremacy also was in a a talk about in the book. Let the actual semi the most people that are jews are confronting their daily lives, is antisemitism from the far left. And that is certainly the kind that i think that ive confronted overwhelmingly on my own pretty. In the closing youve described, is something that is taking place in this country as well as you wrote. [screaming]. Very much so. Everyplace ago, at the end of the night after people have had a glass of wine, maybe come up to me in the making confession. And they tell me this is happened with everyone. Im a tenured professor younger instructors, for critics lawyers, you name it. They tell me that the are closeted and theyre not closeted in their Sexual Orientation or the gender identity, there closeted in their ideas him and there support and im not talking about by the way, support for the up next government. Everyone i talked to, like aids and is critical of israel policy mainly. It has nothing to do with Israel Government policy and has ae dep and profound and very real sense and i know its real, begin to talk to people who come out of the closet and then end up losing social scotus and friends and sometimes the job because of it. Theyre worried that expressing in any way for the jewish state, that they are therefore alondra with a white colonialist or colonialist settler enterprise. And as good progressives, that is the lesson that they want to be associated with. Theyre increasingly hiding their support for the state of israel and again when i see support for the state of israel, and being that it is right to exist and is right to protect itself. And he is right to protect and be be more than 6 million jews more than half of whom are jews of middle eastern and north african descent. Use of color who livee there. That very certain baseline position has become something increasingly unacceptable on the far left positively lie that is racism takes increasing hold. That first italy took hold in places like where i went to college. In other campuses across the country and colonize a student it maybe this is the little excessive student politics and it will fade away as my make my way into the real world. In fact the opposite has or havent. It is now normative on campuses all over this country for people to believe the idea that zionism is the racist ideology. That is really itself was born and can never be overcome in sin. The only way to fix it, is for israel itself, to be erased. This is now a normative position. When will marinating in those ideas in College Campuses for four years and then you go off and you become a lawyer or you become a dr. And you become a member of congress. You become an editor in a newspaper. Those are the ideas that you take with you. And so i have seen the way that they have moved. Very much from College Campuses. And some will be thought of as radical friend is into the mainstream of their democratic members of congress who probably support the boy fight and evanston sanctions against israel. Thatth moment, many liberals i talked to, very wellintentioned people, genuinely believe that that movement is ending the occupation that was made. That is a lie. That is not what that movement is about. What the movement is about, but with the founders see, and consistently state daytoday, is that it is about raising any jewish state between the jordan river and the vegetarian seat. What is that mean. What is that actually look like. What that actually looks like is another genocide frankly against the jewish people. I dont see how that is and antisemitism. You can be maybe an anti zionist if your nag artist it was at Berkeley Brooklyn and you think that no nationstates at all have the rightha to exist. Thats a really nice loophole for about 40000 people in this country. And yet somehow those people are never talking about raising the border between india and pakistan or lebanon or syria or all of the other nations states across the middle east we are done by imperial european powers. Its another only talking about raising one of the states. In the dress it up and clear and really lovely language about nationalism and liberal democracy. Twentythree but if you look at the reality of the middle east, if you look at what is happening right now to theou cards, that went out our support, if you look at what is happened to the his 80s and oscars, frankly the questions. They are now experiencing a toll exile from the middle east. Theres nothing questions ten years from now. That is the reality of the miners in the middle east friend is what happened to good jamaal and thats how we see that. All of us will so disgusted and horrified by. It is unfortunate but it is true that in order for the minority to be protected in any region, they need an army to survive. Thank weve god, the jewish people in the state of israel as one of them. And i will just, see one last think on this. I think that there is a lot of revisionist history happening on including inside of the Jewish Community. It basically imagines that the path you wrote in which we will powerless and also protected. The never ever existed. In the history and i will always take the bargain of power means even with its worst and even with horrible decisions that come with that power. To jewish powerlessness because we see very clearly, we see the suit. [applause]. Said about the middle east is striking. The lincoln some of the specifics that you share in the vote, and are really lead a person to stop and see, is this really so. Summa commits about getting me confronted. You see that first, you. Out in history and muslim lands will traditionally more friendly to jews. In christian countries work. Then youdl see that the muslim world is all of us giuffre. Ann is on the verge of becoming question three. In the examples that you give, less than 20 jews in egypt. Five in iraq, one who you name in afghanistan. Theres been a lot of profiles written about this. [laughter]. So you didnt have to go and track this down. And then on the other hand, in talking about youre up, on the numbers are staggering is it too. Because you report that there are now, 26 million muslims you wrote and number that is growing dramatically. In one point 4 million jews. And you do talk about the jewish experience you wrote and compare utit to the jewish experience in america today. Maybe you could see something about that. To sure. Et huge topics. If the weather will see from the start is that i had honestly hope to avoid writing a chapter in this book about radical islam. And the reason for that is that muslim communities for sure this country, but also you wrote face themselves face, incredible discrimination. I am loathed to be in any way contributing to the kind of xenophobia and discrimination that they experience. And what i think about muslim immigration to youre up, i think about the boy in the red teacher from syria fleeing from his family. We all knew his name per minute. And all the rest of the sentence happened and weve gotten it. But for moment will know both boys name. And he was plaintiffs i was with his family when his lifeless body wash up on the beach. So when i think about muslim refugees fleeing middle east into your, that is why think of and think deeply about the jewish obligation to protect the stranger into a race the stranger. Because in the land of egypt we are ourselves stranger of egypt. So thats where im coming from nora morally and ethically. Politics is more complicated and one of the problems is if were honest, we look at the numbers, the reality is that a lot of these physical violence taking place against jews and berlin and paris to market being carried out by young muslim men but from these countries. And if we come look at what happened in pittsburgh, there was an attack by 20 yearold refugee from syria and is the church. Thank weve god he was able to come to fruition so we need to be honest about the fact that when people cross worse, now check the ideas they were raised with the water of a country. People should me into a lot of these countries very dangerous its not just about jews but about the place of women, and that the pace of people in society and all they rest to vey complicated problem but he thinks because its so uncomfortable to look at it, hes going back to the white supremacist think, its easier in the case. Basically a case because the person that is the white supremacist was not someone who was also been victimized and the like. So what is mean when them themselves the victim becomes a victimizer. I much more complicated case. I think in this case, not to go back to trump but i think its a useful example. My colleague maureen dowd wrote a column a few years ago. Told truck shows the way. Is it really brilliant column, the purpose of the colon was atrocious the way in the reverse. When trumpets grow, we need to be kind. When trump is indecent, we need to be decent. When trump advises we need to unite. When he divides. I think is true when it comes to the way the trump attacks and criticizes his political enemies. Trump criticizes ilhan or more and based on gender, based on thee religion, based on the color. That is appalling. We should never participate in that kind of behavior. But that doesnt mean, that i cant criticize nomar her embrace of the movement. It is my job to do that and i will never stop doing that but it is a problem. [applause]. [applause]. But it is difficult and has to be done very sensitively because his person isel yourself the victim of bigotry. Not least of the president of the United States or just think we need to be very conscious about criticizing people not based on their identity and criticize people based on your ideas. The president ial way in that regard. I think i know the answered question but since you brought up the president , he takes a position because of his support for israel, jews who vote for democrats are traitors. Im guessing you dont subscribe to that position. And outbred but as the daughter of a trump curious individual who sit in the front row. [laughter]. [applause]. Like curious. [laughter]. All of you know this but my mother actually would make sure that he would not move for the president. [applause]. On framing white. [laughter]. Says how seriously we take the election. Im not hounding him, is obvious. I think you forgot that this is on cspan2. I did it. When it took about the president have the best possible arguments for some embrace of him. From someone whos in my own family. I think thats important to be honest. Im really proud to be from a family where my parents can talk about each others mostly most of the time. I think its something that we or its become pretty impossible to talk to each other against a political divide i think one of the blessings that i grew up with was we talked and debated about ideas, everyday. I was completely normal and nothing is sort of wondered me in a really positive way for this very tribal will moment for everyone in this audience and is watching in a relationship across the political divide, praise you. As for the president , i lost track of the question. I think it was about the single policy and why people are supporting israel. Thats right. Mansour this is pretty straightforward. I may be supporting the people who like president. Trump likes mcdonalds, i also like like mcdonalds. He supported the move to jerusalem, so did i. He can be wrong about many things right about others. His support of the fact that the president and this administration acknowledges the Golan Heights is the beneficial part of israel and ensuring it would never fall into the hands of the genocide. Im really happy about that. But as ive said before, in other situations, i just dont think any policy is worth the price of what this president is doing to this country and doing quickly to americas reputation in the world. ,. [applause]. Only small ailing smiling because my mom is applauding very loudly. Look, as we know two oh. Our angel. Policies can be ended. Who why not be done and done as trump news ringing val that why not be undone. Stoking a kind of social work in this country. I gleefully doing so. Turning americans against each other. Trying to tell us that some of us are more american than others. Some of us have a kind of provisional citizenship. These are deeply unamerican and deeply in jewish ideas and it just why not be a part of any project that participates in that kind of politics. In the other take is on the israel front. I know how anyone can look with this president due to the cards in the past few weeks. Any doubt about the fact that if it was not convenient for him, to be supporting the jewish state, he bail and heartbeat. If. [applause]. This is somebody who does not have a moral compass. Everything for this president , is transactional. Everything. If the art of the deal but on a global scale. Alliances do not matter to them. He truly doesnt understand that. Im really understand i really believe that. Working the. What kind of chaos can lead to. The think that just happened with the cards, i really think should be clarifying moment for anyone was thinking about possibly supporting this president because of the policies that his head with israel. That is a Little Alliance and loyalty means to this person. Is no sense of what those things mean. I just really hope that it was wakeup call. [laughter]. Dad. [laughter]. Select the last chapter of your book is entitled how to fight. And you think we should get to the last chapter and as i told when we will talking before the program, i thought that that chapter was a little bit duplicitous sleep structure because the role of these subsections and they were numbered. But being a math major, went and counted them. [applause]. In them close to 30 different suggestions for how to fight effectively. Obviously, we cant deal with all of them tonight. I thought one of the most interesting things about that chapter was your discussion of the short paper and been written by a graduate of columbia. Now reading that, really because you to reevaluate your own strategies. Do you want to talk a little bit about that. Yes. It was an essay by the name of michael and it was called to fight antisemitism. It was written by think is the philosopher. Political scientist maybe, ben mccann and i really recommend you all look of his work for it is a professor in israel and even to israel after graduate school, be it. He wrote in the equation, a very wellknown anti cemeteries jeffries who came to speak on campus. And he wrote in a sort of incredible tradition and frustration. About the sort of bureaucratic Institutional Response he saw. To the effect of this man coming to campus. The bureaucratic response was we need to put out a protest, he said he wrote these words just to they bring in mayors from the moment i read them. Someone calls you a big, new sentence required for the sign is the neurotic pig. In other words, he felt and i agree, the right response ultimately to antisemitism, has brought to become anti anti semi, has brought to identify ourselves with those who hate us. Makes us into objects honestly rather than human beings. The right response to antisemitism is to begin to the wellspring of who we are. It, a lot of people in that essay. I think one of the ones he quoted was novelist walker percy. Clint has his famous line where he talks about where the mobile blaze. Where are the appetites. All of these groups that will powerful groups in the vibe. They no longer exist. Only the israelites and became the jewish people. Somehow we exist. Somehow this like honestly, if you really look at it, for the most unlikely stories in Human History we still exist. It is the most week, that went out people discovered so many centuries and persecution of depression and discrimination of genocide, not only have we survived, we have thrived. And we renewed ourselves and we honestly renewed ourselves often in times of our weakest moments to remember the most important book other than the jewish vibe, it was written in the babylonian exile. Often times in our moments of greatest weakness, come our sense of renewal. And so i just fundamentally resonated with your posture. They shifted me from the mentality i would see it was an activist in college, mentality of defensiveness, attunement affirmation. From crouching to pride. Since that im unbelievably proud to be a part of jewish history to be a tiny like in the jewish story. As with the essay did for me. Honestly did another think. Its a very short essay. 1500 words. What it did was remind me how much an essay in the short run, can totally change your mind. In a way, the serious things i read in college, she did my mind now we realize the words matter. Words change people news lives mind. What people often ask me is what you doing, and the work you are doing. Thats when try to do. I can do in a column are a few over the course of my career, but that one essay did for me. His amazing card to huge success. So i quote that essay at length in the book. And the one recommendation they make in the last chapter, we should return to even though you touch on a bit was basically to follow the lead of pittsburgh. To see something more about that. Yes, and also are we going to take questions bring us to we never got any questions. Bring them up if you have them. My sister can go around and cut them. [laughter]. This is the Family Affair what can i see. All of lead of pittsburgh. I was so moved, i was going in and watch the video later and i was here for the whole week following the attack. The fact that butterscotch was recited the soldiers and sailors. With all of the leaders in the gorilla 30 or 40 or 50, religious leaders on stage. Effective prayer that was recited was our prayer. In our language. Thats me in solidarity. What, i mean, like by that is allowing us to be our full self if you think alaska to be there. As well. In the other think the other example but ill never forget is when david, the editor of the cassette, printed the words aramaic of the more make on the front page of the paper. Danny shipped one of the rabbis here, the amazing column, i know you are a fan of his tumor. About what that meant and in a moment of tragedy and think he had a way of framing that in such an elevated optimistic way. Which is to see and this is just paraphrasing him. First class what happened to the tree of live, was familiar in jewish history. It is another in our community that suffered so many programs, you dont even remember the names of them anymore. But if you took one step further and you looked a little bit closer, it was actually a radical departure from jewish history. Because the fact of the matter and this is still the truth into many other places you wrote, physically is that when the jews are set upon and the surrounding communities leader looks away or participates in the attack. In pittsburgh the opposite happened all of these other people stood up with us. This really understanding the attack was an attack on them at their values is it too. And that to me in the fact that that was such a reaction plans to be such a good sign of the health of this community and the city. I think that that can be tomorrow for other places. And i will just see maybe we should get to the questions though. All people to get their chance. Have a bundle of questions that are related. First there is astute observation looking around this room that it isnt over audience. Right and how is it that we reach young people in educate them to the things that will discussing tonight and then the counterpoint is this question im going to college up next year, how can i fight anti semitism on campus and support israel on campus. Thank you for that question who arrested the first think i will see and maybe not pleasing is i dont want young people to be thinking about this. I do not. I want young people to be thinking about getting fluent in hebrew. Hawaiian people in our community to think about, watching she so left back and watching sir game, and again, you should google all of these things integrate. With them them to think about going to the jcc, playing basketball or taking a class or going to know, making school more interesting a better and not turning on people off. That is the job of young people in our Jewish Community. Its not to think about the people that want to do them harm. I think it wouldbe a real tragedy honestly if that was what young people in our community to focus on. Is our job think about that. It is our job think about how to keep them safe and make a world for them where this isnt i think that they focus on. And so the question of the young person going to campus up next year, well, not to forget what you should be my book because i didnt start talk directly to you. I will see that one of the things that spend most moving for me about promoting this book and going on the road is liam people that i see. People in the millennial generation in the generation younger than us, i think it is your zebra can keep track anymore. They did a really bad rap for being apathetic if not caring. I find it to be just the opposite. They are my heroes. Want to hear about that kind of ways they are standing up for Jewish Values in the israel fundamentally on College Campuses. I am absolutely blown away. The theist is very important for people going to college that have a sense of who you are. In a profound pride in your inheritance. I do and i think people often ask me why withstand the really pretty vicious things that people see about me on the internet. When the truth is that noise, probably falls away for me when im focused on who i am, who i. Paul, werent coming from, what my ancestors did to allow for me to have this live. No one in putting forth. And i would see if you are clear on those things, hopefully you are not, i can work my can recommend some books for you. They arent about antisemitism and about jewish history and jewish ideas in jewish literature. You will be in a really good place. And youll be able to withstand absolutely anything that is thrown your way. Mentioned the internet. And there is, a topic you address in the book we did not give to tonight. And that is what is the role of the internet as you see it. In this writing of white nationalists. [screaming]. Think it is usually, significant. I dont actually think we talk about the internet enough in the fact that we are leaving through a toll revolution. In the amount of information will expected to assimilate. In the way that we are all now connected to each other and the fact that its viral reason is the. In away because i think we just begin to sort of appreciate it. The fact of the matter is to find other white supremacist, use that to go find it kkk meeting, nowadays you dont have to go find them. You can set your basement founding kind of shame because nobody is watching you. You can find other people who validate your bigotry online. And think the question of what will supposed to do about it, i see one huge impressing question facing us, the internet is enormously important. Ill recommend another book and type social. And it is all about the far right web on those characters that most people are interested in. And going to the College Campuses review been protest at. Not yet. Im waiting. Just hoping there wouldbe something tonight i guess not. The fact know what is interesting. Recently spoke to a very prominent person in Britain University is admitted to me who that had not yet inviting me because they were scared about exactly that. My lines prepared if that happens. I think that you protest sign of an event make sense to me. One of the things that is very boring to me is the fact that nowadays anyone who has brought sort of a progressive downline why not seem to get through an event on a college campus. That went out getting shut down. That trend is really boring to me. Colleges and universities should be in the business of challenging people in debate and the practice of liberal arts. What is that about. It is about being able to hear other opinions. That is the ability to be able to check to see if your mind works by changing it. And one of the things that worries me is when i see not even conservatism but obviously rightwingers should have rights on College Campuses but even just normal liberals then shouted down by people who deemed not to be liberal enough that something thats concerning to me in front of my topic of the up next book. [laughter]. Will all waiting. It is election day care tomorrow. And there are no questions about the local elections for you. Good. What is the centerleft scientist to do if sanders or warned against the democratic nominations. Who has that. Thats a great question. [laughter]. Thank you. No relation to me. [laughter]. Is the question i get in every community i go to. I dont have a great answered for you. And i think that that is what is so boring is that is it evident to me that the Political Center has really fallen away. See here, i could never vote for britney sanders. I can also never vote for donald trump. I dont know enough yet to be honest with you about Elisabeth Warren and looking to a lot of the hurt and policies a lot of the people that advisor. But i think that that question really captures where a lot of people in our communities find themselves which is sort of in a center that has all the way. And wondering what is the more palatable choice. An imaginative votes of the people in this room couldve answered that question. I think the long term, what we can do is help support democrats that are trying to hold on to the Political Center. There are lots of them. And i know they still have, think of the still of majority of the votes. In the media and the Democratic Party doesnt. But what worries me and perhaps worries you, is that when i see where the trend lines are going, where the certainly where young people are, being in tight sinuses now sort of like a nut normal plank of political progressivism. Minimum wage support legalized marijuana by the way it exists in the world many people are signing onto that worldview, and doing it not because they are antisemite at all. Just because that is sort of becoming normative plank of that role. I think we need to fight that. In route loophole. And really be throwing our support behind people that are making the case is the great guy is Staten Island assuming that i can. To lots of other examples but our job is to support moderate democrats that you fundamentally support israel they got there are still a lot of them. Make a decision between anti jewish discrimination in a tight semitism. Isnt discrimination the First Step Towards fullblown antisemitism since ideas that dehumanize the jewish people lead to violent action. Yes. But even during a distinguished distinct joy between the boiler told me to pick up pennies and between an organized politics alondra against the jewish people which is different. Yes they are connected and yes one leads to the other but i think that the second, is something that im just more focused on. But yes of course they are connected. And of course, the person that walked into the tree of live, did not start off as a violent White Supremacy. He started off as the bigot who used only as words on the internet. And they morphed into that. So take the point. Near the end of the first chapel of your book, you see this is the book for everyone jew or gentile who loves freedom and seeks to protect it. It is for anyone jew or gentile who why not look away from what is growing in this country in the world. Wants to do something about it. As you know because i shared it with you a few weeks ago, i received a message from a prominent leader of the Jewish Community here it was communicating with a group that is involved in anti hate initiatives. He began by staying before getting into the heart of this message, holding a shadow to a very wise, her book entitled how to fight antisemitism and is easily the most important book that i have read in a long time. [applause]. I dont claim leadership any community. But, i can see that i read the various book three times. And i learn. You know better than me honestly. Benefit the paperclips and highlighting to prove it. And they learned something every time i read the book. It really does take us back to where we started. With your parents staying, number seven on the list but you are really should be higher. So when your dad, who is really turning into a costar in this program. [laughter]. Learned that i have read your book three times, he sent me a message and said, what you really think that reading my daughters book three times, is enough. [laughter]. [laughter]. I dont know weather it was enough for not. But what is clear from tonight is the pittsburgh cant get enough from you. [applause]. [applause]. The topic was a serious one, i hope it was a successful homecoming for you. And as you can tell from the reactions that in the people in the room. We do really applaud all of your great accomplishments and your many important contributions of impact and we look forward to continuing to read what you write in columns and books. Glad. [applause]. Thank you so much. [applause]. Thank you. I just want to thank all of you so much for coming read ive been in a lot of fancy places in the past year. There is no more i would rather be than in this room with all of you. I am just so touched seat to seat so many of you here. I really hope you know that this message of following the lead of what our community here has model is one that i take everywhere ago. Everywhere. I really am just so proud to be from this community. Generally grateful so thank you all for coming. [applause]. [background sounds]