Modern Judaism: Through the Lens of October 7

The 7 October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel was the worst massacre suffered by Jews since the Holocaust. Unleashing waves of anti-Zionism and antisemitism, the Jews’ right to a national homeland has been challenged; Israel stands accused as a colonialist, genocidal state denying the rights of native Palestinians.

Led by Dr Miri Freud-Kandel, this lecture series explores critical questions faced by various strands of Jewish life and thought in the aftermath of 7 October, such as:

  • How did we get to this point?
  • How did Zionism emerge?
  • What were the formative influences shaping modern Jewish identity construction?
  • The French Revolution promised a society in which religious discrimination would be eliminated. How did Jews respond to the opportunities heralded by Emancipation?
  • At what cost to Jewish life, faith, and thought?
  • Against a centuries-old legacy of Christian anti-Judaism, Enlightenment thought seemed to promise new beginnings. How did that play out?

Talks will take place in Room 207, Clarendon Institute.

Monday 14 October 2024

Monday 21 October 2024

Monday 28 October 2024

Monday 4 November 2024

Monday 11 November 2024

Monday 18 November 2024

Monday 25 November 2024

Monday 2 December 2024

This series features in the following public collections: