American Jewish University has launched The Study of Allyship and Antisemitism, an ambitious project convening scholars from across the United States to learn how the Jewish community can counter antisemitism by forging alliances with other communities. A central plank of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’ recently announced national strategy to counter antisemitism is to develop cross-community solidarity and collective action to fight hate. But, until now, the specific actions and strategies required to foster this collaboration and response have not been thoroughly explored.

By conducting in-depth research, AJU hopes to identify the measures necessary to bring diverse communities together in the common pursuit of combating antisemitism and fostering greater solidarity among groups affected by prejudice and discrimination.

Each scholar in the Study of Allyship and Antisemitism will look at the prospects of allyship while focusing on a particular group. The scholars, whose work and, for some, identity, align with the communities they study, include Corinne Blackmer, studying the LGBTQIA+ community; Anthea Butler, studying the African American community; Bridget Kevane, studying the Hispanic/Latino community; Dean Helen Kim, studying the Asian American and Pacific Islander community; David Koffman, studying the Native American community; author Sabeeha Rehman and journalist Walter Ruby, studying the Muslim American community; and Robbie Totten, studying the Jewish community and immigrant groups.

“There are great hopes for allyship as a weapon to fight Jew hatred but little understanding of how it actually works,” AJU President Jeffrey Herbst said. “As a university, we want to explore the possibilities of collective action to fight hatred without illusion and while being sensitive to the perspective of not only the Jewish community but also its putative allies. I look forward to working alongside these talented researchers to discover how a focus on allyship can combat rising antisemitism now and in the future.”

After the group’s first meeting in November, each scholar will write a 15-page paper to identify possibilities for allyship in their communities of focus. AJU intends to publish the papers with an introduction and conclusion written by Herbst and to distribute them widely through a variety of digital channels.

Funding for the research workshop on allyship as a means of combatting antisemitism is provided by The Schechter/Levine Program in Public Ethics and the Sid B. Levine Service Learning Program.

For information visit aju.edu.