Antisemitism / en 茄子直播 launches new Institutional Equity Commitments website /bulletin/u-t-launches-new-institutional-equity-commitments-website <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">茄子直播 launches new Institutional Equity Commitments website</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>ksoobria</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2024-02-13T11:10:33-05:00" title="Tuesday, February 13, 2024 - 11:10" class="datetime">Tue, 02/13/2024 - 11:10</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The University of Toronto community has a new website that enhances the way it tracks institutional progress on addressing recommendations from its equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) working groups and task force.</p> <p>Launched in December 2023, the <a href="https://commitments.utoronto.ca/">Institutional Equity Commitments</a> website outlines the commitments 茄子直播 has made in response to recommendations from the <a href="https://people.utoronto.ca/inclusion/anti-racism-strategic-tables/anti-black-racism-task-force/">Anti-Black Racism Task Force</a>, <a href="https://people.utoronto.ca/inclusion/anti-racism-strategic-tables/anti-semitism-working-group/">Antisemitism Working Group</a>&nbsp;and <a href="https://people.utoronto.ca/inclusion/anti-racism-strategic-tables/anti-asian-racism-working-group/">Anti-Asian Racism Working Group</a>; provides status updates on each initiative; and shares articles, photos, and resources that bring this work to life.鈥</p> <p>鈥淭he university is committed to building on the strong foundation for change laid in the reports of our <a href="https://people.utoronto.ca/inclusion/anti-racism-strategic-tables/">EDI working groups and task force</a>,鈥 said 茄子直播 President Meric Gertler. 鈥淚t is also imperative that our actions be transparent and accessible to all members of our community. We hope that the new Institutional Equity Commitments website will foster an increased awareness of what we have achieved together so far and inspire participation in the many initiatives yet to come.鈥濃</p> <p>Developed through collaboration among the Office of the President, the Office of the Vice-President &amp; Provost and the Office of the Vice-President, People Strategy, Equity &amp; Culture, the Institutional Equity Commitments website is an evolution of a pilot project that began in 2021. The pilot version, known as the Commitments Dashboard, was created to track the implementation of Anti-Black Racism Task Force recommendations and later expanded to include Antisemitism Working Group recommendations. Over the years, there has been a growing need to enhance the existing site.鈥</p> <p>鈥淕uided by our community鈥檚 feedback, we have designed a site that is easier to navigate and clearly demonstrates institutional accountability while celebrating our shared progress,鈥 said 茄子直播鈥檚 Vice-President, People Strategy, Equity &amp; Culture Kelly Hannah-Moffat.</p> <p>The updated website has a redesigned look and enhanced user experience, including featured stories, progress snapshots, and status updates on the recommendations. Visitors can filter the entire page by specific report. Additionally, divisions or offices responsible for reporting progress on each commitment are now identified.鈥</p> <p>鈥淭he nature of equity work is that it is an ongoing journey, characterized by continual growth and change,鈥 said Jodie Glean-Mitchell, executive director, equity, diversity and inclusion.</p> <p>鈥淭he newly revised Institutional Equity Commitments website provides the university with a tool to put EDI accountability into action as we engage our collective responsibility to foster an equitable and inclusive university.鈥濃 鈥</p> <p>Members of the 茄子直播 community are encouraged to explore the new site and consider how the working group recommendations might inform change in their own areas of the university. Feedback on the site and stories about local progress on EDI commitments are also welcome and can be submitted using the <a href="https://commitments.utoronto.ca/share-feedback/">feedback form</a>.鈥</p> <p>鈥淲e are fortunate to have a very engaged community of students, faculty, librarians and staff who make important contributions to this work, and we鈥檙e glad to have their continued input,鈥 said Trevor Young, 茄子直播's vice-president and provost. 鈥淥ur ongoing goal is to better deliver and report on the institutional commitments we've made to equity and to improve transparency and accountability.鈥</p> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-caption field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>茄子直播 launches new Institutional Equity Commitments website</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-02/UofT11637_20160520_CarvedCoatofArmsatUC_5-lpr.jpg?h=56d0ca2e&amp;itok=Ffwy8NJ_ 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2024-02/UofT11637_20160520_CarvedCoatofArmsatUC_5-lpr.jpg?h=56d0ca2e&amp;itok=bbL83xJ_ 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2024-02/UofT11637_20160520_CarvedCoatofArmsatUC_5-lpr.jpg?h=56d0ca2e&amp;itok=Gc_l-vlK 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-02/UofT11637_20160520_CarvedCoatofArmsatUC_5-lpr.jpg?h=56d0ca2e&amp;itok=Ffwy8NJ_" alt="茄子直播 coat of arms carved in to University College arch"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-cutline field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">(photo by Johnny Guatto)</div> <div class="field field--name-field-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden clearfix"> <ul class="links field__items"> <li><a href="/news/tags/equity" hreflang="en">Equity</a></li> <li><a href="/news/tags/kelly-hannah-moffat" hreflang="en">Kelly Hannah-Moffat</a></li> <li><a href="/news/tags/provost" hreflang="en">Provost</a></li> <li><a href="/taxonomy/term/6864" hreflang="en">People Strategy</a></li> <li><a href="/news/tags/diversity" hreflang="en">Diversity</a></li> <li><a href="/news/tags/anti-asian-racism-working-group" hreflang="en">Anti-Asian Racism Working Group</a></li> <li><a href="/news/tags/anti-black-racism" hreflang="en">Anti-Black Racism</a></li> <li><a href="/news/tags/anti-asian-racism" hreflang="en">Anti-Asian Racism</a></li> <li><a href="/news/tags/antisemitism" hreflang="en">Antisemitism</a></li> <li><a href="/news/tags/president" hreflang="en">President</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Melinda Mattos鈥</div> <div class="field field--name-field-hide field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> Tue, 13 Feb 2024 16:10:33 +0000 ksoobria 306094 at New Lab for the Study of Global Antisemitism will be a hub for scholarly inquiry and interdisciplinary collaboration鈥 /news/new-lab-study-global-antisemitism-will-be-hub-scholarly-inquiry-and-interdisciplinary <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">New Lab for the Study of Global Antisemitism will be a hub for scholarly inquiry and interdisciplinary collaboration鈥</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-01/crest.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=xtnms9GK 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2024-01/crest.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=GCX39KgZ 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2024-01/crest.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=6tlbA1FN 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-01/crest.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=xtnms9GK" alt="stone university of toronto crest"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2024-01-17T12:27:17-05:00" title="Wednesday, January 17, 2024 - 12:27" class="datetime">Wed, 01/17/2024 - 12:27</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>(photo by University of Toronto)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/faculty-arts-science-staff" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science Staff</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/antisemitism" hreflang="en">Antisemitism</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/trevor-young" hreflang="en">Trevor Young</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/anne-tanenbaum-centre-jewish-studies" hreflang="en">Anne Tanenbaum Centre for Jewish Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/munk-school-global-affairs-public-policy" hreflang="en">Munk School of Global Affairs &amp; Public Policy</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>A new lab at the University of Toronto鈥檚&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jewishstudies.utoronto.ca/">Anne Tanenbaum Centre for Jewish Studies</a> (CJS) will be a hub for scholars鈥痜rom across disciplines to examine the persistence of antisemitism in a global context.鈥</p> <p>鈥淎ntisemitism has emerged in the global public discourse on a level that has not been seen in generations,鈥 says <strong>Anna Shternshis</strong>, director of the CJS and the Al and Malka Green Professor of Yiddish Studies in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science. 鈥淏y offering a space for convening and intellectual conversation, we hope to generate new insights on antisemitism as a phenomenon, and new responses for tackling its insidious pervasiveness around the world.鈥&nbsp;</p> <p>Shternshis鈥痠s a distinguished scholar with an international reputation for her expertise in Jewish culture in Russia and the Soviet Union, oral history as well as Yiddish music. <a href="/celebrates/anna-shternshis-receives-guggenheim-fellowship">Recently awarded a prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship</a> for her work on Nazi-occupied Ukraine, she lectures widely around the world and her work has been featured in print media in 45 countries in 22 languages.</p> <p>The new Lab for the Study of Global Antisemitism will be housed at the CJS, and its inaugural director will be <strong>Ron Levi</strong>, a professor at the <a href="https://munkschool.utoronto.ca/">Munk School of Global Affairs &amp; Public Policy</a> and the department of sociology who is a Distinguished Professor of Global Justice. Levi鈥檚 research focuses on aspirations to law and justice, and on how we address crime, violence and atrocities during turbulent times. This includes a collaborative project studying hate and counter-hate speech that鈥檚 funded by the <a href="/news/u-t-and-hebrew-university-jerusalem-launch-research-and-innovation-partnership">University of Toronto-Hebrew University of Jerusalem Research &amp; Innovation Alliance</a>. Levi is director of the <a href="https://munkschool.utoronto.ca/gjl">Global Justice Lab</a> in the Munk School, which works with justice systems under stress, and a recipient of the <a href="https://alumni.utoronto.ca/events-and-programs/awards/awex/jus-memorial-prize">Ludwik &amp; Estelle Jus Memorial Human Rights Prize</a>.鈥</p> <p>鈥淭here is a long history of expertise on issues relating to antisemitism, across fields of study, within and beyond the Anne Tanenbaum Centre for Jewish Studies,鈥 says Levi, 鈥渁nd I am eager to strengthen these connections, to learn from each other, to inquire, and to build our collective understanding of antisemitism and global responses to this challenge.鈥</p> <p>The goals for the new lab include bringing together scholars and students whose work connects, directly or indirectly, with the study of antisemitism. Among the lab鈥檚 first initiatives will be to convene an international scholarly lecture series on antisemitism across a wide range of fields of study, opening new opportunities for collaboration among researchers worldwide. The lab will develop research, teaching and study partnerships with other centres of knowledge for the study of antisemitism globally.</p> <p>鈥淭he University of Toronto is well situated for this scholarship,鈥 says <strong>Trevor Young</strong>, 茄子直播鈥檚 vice-president and provost. 鈥淥ur academic community has long-standing reach and expertise on the social and cultural issues of societies worldwide. Within the Canadian context, the University of Toronto offers the opportunity to study antisemitism as a global and comparative phenomenon, thereby offering a unique academic perspective within the field.鈥濃</p> <p><strong>Melanie Woodin</strong>, dean of the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science, says 鈥渋t鈥檚 imperative that we continue to invest in scholarship in this area, and the connection to racism and exclusion broadly.鈥</p> <p>She adds that she is committed to bringing together expertise within the faculty and beyond, and foresees that the lab will also help the faculty grow its research and other scholarly activities in relation to the state of democracy.鈥</p> <p>In addition to the expertise within CJS, Woodin sees great opportunities for the lab to pursue academic collaborations 鈥 such as with the <a href="https://islamicstudies.artsci.utoronto.ca/projects/sirl/">Systemic Islamophobia Research Lab</a> (SIRL) in the <a href="https://islamicstudies.artsci.utoronto.ca/">Institute of Islamic Studies</a>&nbsp;and the Munk School of Global Affairs &amp; Public Policy, which has an area of focus on the future of democratic societies and is soon to launch a new series of talks on the Middle East conflict.鈥</p> <p>鈥淚t鈥檚 an understatement to say we are seeing a rise in antisemitism and other forms of hate, not just in places of higher learning, but in all facets of society,鈥 says Woodin. 鈥淚n search of any solutions, we must delve into the complexities before us and openly collaborate to examine how antisemitism continues to permeate the world around us.鈥</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Wed, 17 Jan 2024 17:27:17 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 305348 at 鈥楶utting people front and centre鈥: Historian Anna Shternshis keeps Holocaust survivors' stories alive /news/putting-people-front-and-centre-historian-anna-shternshis-keeps-holocaust-survivors-stories <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">鈥楶utting people front and centre鈥: Historian Anna Shternshis keeps Holocaust survivors' stories alive</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/UofT12072_20150607_AnnaShternis_001_0.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=uWHeQuxR 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/UofT12072_20150607_AnnaShternis_001_0.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=8HNvrRh- 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/UofT12072_20150607_AnnaShternis_001_0.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=Y3Sdbxbh 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/UofT12072_20150607_AnnaShternis_001_0.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=uWHeQuxR" alt="Anna Shternis"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>siddiq22</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2023-01-27T11:36:02-05:00" title="Friday, January 27, 2023 - 11:36" class="datetime">Fri, 01/27/2023 - 11:36</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Anna Shternshis, director of the Anne Tanenbaum Centre for Jewish Studies, explores Jewish history through the long-lost songs of Holocaust survivors (photo by Jaclyn Shapiro)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/josslyn-johnstone" hreflang="en">Josslyn Johnstone</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/tabassum-siddiqui" hreflang="en">Tabassum Siddiqui</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/global-lens" hreflang="en">Global Lens</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/antisemitism" hreflang="en">Antisemitism</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/anne-tanenbaum-centre-jewish-studies" hreflang="en">Anne Tanenbaum Centre for Jewish Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/history" hreflang="en">History</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/music" hreflang="en">Music</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research" hreflang="en">Research</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>For University of Toronto historian <a href="https://discover.research.utoronto.ca/5088-anna-shternshis">Anna Shternshis</a>, understanding the past means connecting with people鈥檚 stories 鈥 or, in the case of her research, their songs.</p> <p>Shternshis, director of the <a href="/news/u-t-s-centre-jewish-studies-brings-unique-opportunities-students">Anne Tanenbaum Centre for Jewish Studies</a> and the Al and Malka Green Professor of Yiddish Studies in the department of Germanic languages and literatures in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science, <a href="/news/forgotten-voices-meet-three-u-t-historians-who-are-changing-our-understanding-past">examines Jewish culture</a> in Russia and the Soviet Union through oral history and Yiddish culture, music and theatre.</p> <p>Her 2018 project <em>Yiddish Glory: The Lost Songs of WWII</em>, highlights&nbsp;forgotten Yiddish music written during the Holocaust in the former Soviet Union. Shternshis collaborated with Russian songwriter and performer Psoy Korolenko to contextualize archival material, bringing together a global ensemble of musicians to produce a <a href="/news/songs-past-u-t-researcher-s-work-leads-grammy-nomination">Grammy Award-nominated album</a>. The resulting songs reveal how Jews fought against fascism, tried against all odds to save their families and expressed themselves through music.</p> <p>Shternshis, who serves as <a href="https://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/about/glance/leadership-team/special-advisor-community-engagement">special adviser on community engagement</a> to the dean of the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science, has continued this work, most recently collaborating with the BBC for a <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct4ndb">radio documentary</a> exploring the long-lost wartime songs of survivors who escaped the Holocaust by fleeing to Central Asia.</p> <p>She spoke to <strong>Josslyn Johnstone</strong> at the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science and <strong>Tabassum Siddiqui</strong> at <em>茄子直播 News</em> prior to the <a href="https://people.utoronto.ca/news/recognizing-the-international-day-of-commemoration-in-memory-of-the-victims-of-the-holocaust/">International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust</a> about how survivors鈥 stories still resonate today.</p> <hr> <p><strong>How does International Holocaust Remembrance Day help us better understand history 鈥 and learn from the past?</strong></p> <p>Having one day of the year when we talk about an issue is not enough, but I think it鈥檚 important to have that time when we鈥檙e reminded to think about what happens to a group of people, often a minority. if they're not protected by law and by society's understanding of justice. At least there is one day when we talk about what happened to Jews in Europe 鈥 and it鈥檚 especially important in the context of university education because&nbsp;this is our chance to rigorously address the issue with our community of students and faculty. If not us,&nbsp;then who else could talk about this in a way that鈥檚 relevant?&nbsp;It鈥檚 important and it offers a chance to see the complexity of history by putting vulnerable individuals front and centre.</p> <p><strong>What are you trying to learn and convey about Jewish history through your research?</strong></p> <p>I鈥檓 studying how people experienced violence during the Second World War, and how they made sense of it during the war itself. I鈥檓 looking at the songs they created to document what was going on and express what they were feeling. Specifically, I鈥檓 interested in the history of the Holocaust in the Soviet Union and my focus is on&nbsp;people who rarely get to tell that story in their own voice.&nbsp;For many, music was the only way to document what was going on with them&nbsp;鈥&nbsp;and to leave a message for the future, which many of them did not expect to see</p> <div class="image-with-caption left"> <p><img class="migrated-asset" src="/sites/default/files/Yiddish-Glory-Psoyo-Korolenko-and-Anna-Shternshis-Photo-and-design-by-Dan-Rosenberg-crop.jpg" alt><em> </em><em>Anna Shternshis, top, with Yiddish Glory&nbsp;collaborator Psoy&nbsp;Korolenko (photo and design by Dan Rosenberg)</em></p> </div> <p><strong>What have survivors told you about why music was a vehicle for expressing what they had been through?</strong></p> <p>In the archives that they found in Kyiv years ago, there were no stories 鈥 just songs. Survivors were terrified of telling those stories right after the war because the Soviet governmen ttreated anyone who survived the war and German occupation with suspicion, especially Jews. Survivors who had lived through hell were now afraid to go to jail for surviving. The only thing they could do was to sing because authorship of a song was not immediately attributed to them 鈥 they could just say they heard it somewhere. So, they told that story through music. History and memory are not always telling the same story.</p> <p><strong>Have you found common threads within the music they created?</strong></p> <p>In these songs, there are a lot of calls for justice; there鈥檚 also a lot of humour 鈥 they鈥檙e making fun of things that terrify us, like death or starvation. There was a sense that a lot of the people who were writing these songs would not see tomorrow. Many of these sentiments become less relevant after the war 鈥 and that鈥檚 why these songs are almost always forgotten, because people begin to worry about other things. But they give us a sense of what mattered to people there at that time.</p> <p><strong>You鈥檙e continuing your research into the songs of Holocaust survivors by looking at what happened in Central Asia during the war. Why is that region significant?</strong></p> <p>This past fall, I went to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan with BBC Radio producer Michael Rossi 鈥 who had done a story a few years ago on my previous work 鈥 and British singer Alice Zawadzki, whose family were Polish citizens in Kazakhstan during the war. We wanted to explore the angle of those Muslim lands rescuing Jews during the Holocaust. So, she was tracing her grandmother and I was tracing the songs. And when we got there, she sang some of those songs and some of the local musicians performed with her as well. We used photographs from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., to see where people had gone during that time. The story is incredible 鈥 1.4 million Soviet Jews and around 250,000 Polish Jews survived the war there. And there are a lot of descendants of those people living in Toronto today.</p> <p>But when we got there, one of the takeaways for me was how the memory and knowledge of that story was just not there. We thought it would be a source of pride 鈥 that history of saving all these refugees. But because there are almost no Jews left in the region, the story is just gone. So, it felt really special to bring the songs there and sing them to remind ourselves that just because history is forgotten doesn鈥檛 mean that it didn鈥檛 happen. And in today鈥檚 world, where so many refugees are fleeing and countries are once again arguing about whether they should welcome people, it was important to go there and remember how these small countries with no resources still rescued all these Jewish families that were not welcome anywhere else in the world.</p> <p><img class="migrated-asset" src="/sites/default/files/anna-and-alice-in-Bukhara-crop.jpg" alt></p> <p><em>Anna&nbsp;Shternshis, left,&nbsp;and Alice&nbsp;Zawadzki&nbsp;in Bukhara,&nbsp;Uzbekistan during their research for a new BBC radio documentary&nbsp;(photo courtesy of&nbsp;Anna Shternshis)</em></p> <p><strong>Why is doing this work important to you?</strong></p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">I teach diaspora studies and the students and I often discuss what it鈥檚 like to be asked the question, 鈥淲here are you from?鈥 This question rarely comes out of curiosity, but most often out of the need to assert difference or even a distrust. My research draws attention to experiences of violence among people who are 鈥渘ot from here,鈥&nbsp;or treated as strangers even in their own land. It is challenging to look at people as people, as opposed to just talking about numbers, processes and resources, but I argue that such an approach is crucial for understanding both the past and the present. My work is clearly connected to my personal family history as well 鈥 through my journeys, I got a little closer to understanding what my ancestors went through.</p> <p><strong>How can telling the stories of survivors help create a more equitable and inclusive society?</strong></p> <p>I think a lot about that. Racism often comes from a point of view of fear 鈥 and it鈥檚 hard to be afraid of someone who you鈥檝e met and had a conversation with, or to see that person as a source of potential danger. Almost all mass violence happens preventively: 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to kill those people so that they don鈥檛 kill us.鈥 It鈥檚 much harder to believe those kinds of statements if you actually begin to understand the other person. Obviously, my work does not have direct policy implications, but I do think in-depth learning of those refugee experiences really helps, including talking about the history of the Holocaust and antisemitism.</p> <h3><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001h56n">Listen to <em>Yiddish Glory</em> on the BBC Radio 3</a></h3> <h3><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/2QYxmNlmxzSn4dN4svRDvb1/flight-across-the-steppes-the-jews-who-escaped-the-holocaust-by-journeying-to-central-asia">Read more on <em>Yiddish Glory</em> from the BBC</a></h3> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 27 Jan 2023 16:36:02 +0000 siddiq22 179443 at 茄子直播 to host restorative circle, other events in support of Jewish community /news/u-t-host-restorative-circle-other-events-support-jewish-community <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">茄子直播 to host restorative circle, other events in support of Jewish community</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/UofT88782_2022-02-07-Students%20on%20Campus.%20%281%29-lpr.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=B1Sdb4SO 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/UofT88782_2022-02-07-Students%20on%20Campus.%20%281%29-lpr.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=01nUj-lc 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/UofT88782_2022-02-07-Students%20on%20Campus.%20%281%29-lpr.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=cdwGZbAN 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/UofT88782_2022-02-07-Students%20on%20Campus.%20%281%29-lpr.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=B1Sdb4SO" alt="Concrete University of Toronto entrance sign on St. George"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2023-01-06T13:21:50-05:00" title="Friday, January 6, 2023 - 13:21" class="datetime">Fri, 01/06/2023 - 13:21</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">(photo by Johnny Guatto)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/adina-bresge" hreflang="en">Adina Bresge</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/antisemitism" hreflang="en">Antisemitism</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/anti-racism-cultural-diversity-office" hreflang="en">Anti-Racism &amp; Cultural Diversity Office</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/meric-gertler" hreflang="en">Meric Gertler</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/multi-faith-centre" hreflang="en">Multi-Faith Centre</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p style="margin-bottom:11px">The University of Toronto will host a restorative circle for the Jewish community this month as part of a slate of programming that aims to address antisemitism on its campuses and beyond. &nbsp;</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">The <a href="https://antiracism.utoronto.ca/reflect-restore-action/">Jan. 23 session</a> 鈥 led by Jacqueline Dressler, advocacy manager at Hillel 茄子直播 and organized by 茄子直播鈥檚 Anti-Racism and Cultural Diversity Office 鈥 will provide a forum for faculty, students, staff and librarians who identify as Jewish to share experiences about the harms of antisemitism while healing through restorative practices.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">It鈥檚 just one example of the many seminars, workshops, training sessions and other initiatives taking place across the university 鈥 including in its various faculties and divisions 鈥 that seek to eradicate what 茄子直播 President <b>Meric Gertler</b> has condemned as 鈥渁 pernicious and despicable form of racism.鈥</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px"><a href="https://president.utoronto.ca/letter-to-governors-december-20-2022/">In recent a letter to 茄子直播鈥檚 Governing Council</a>, President Gertler called on all members of the 茄子直播 community to unite against the scourge that plagues Jewish people.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">鈥淲e must do everything we can to combat and eradicate it,鈥 he said. 鈥淎ntisemitism subverts and demeans our entire community, not just those who are targeted.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">鈥淭he University of Toronto must respond as a community.鈥</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Dressler will return to 茄子直播 this spring for a seminar about understanding antisemitism on campus. As well, trainer and consultant <b>Shari Golberg</b>, who holds a PhD in religion from 茄子直播, will facilitate a workshop held in collaboration with the Multi-Faith Centre (MFC) that will trace the millennia-long history of antisemitism to its modern-day manifestations, equipping participants with tools to identify and address instances of antisemitism to foster a more inclusive learning environment.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">茄子直播 staff and faculty can learn more about antisemitism at the Multi-Faith Centre鈥檚 annual religious diversity and inclusivity training later this year. The centre is also running a training program addressing antisemitism, Islamophobia and religious accommodations for the Residence Life team on 茄子直播鈥檚 St. George campus.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">President Gertler, who <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-the-remedy-for-controversial-speech-is-more-speech/">recently wrote an op-ed in the <i>Globe and Mail</i></a> on a similar topic, said in his letter that collective action 鈥&nbsp;鈥渇rom education, solidarity, speaking out, challenging casual discrimination, standing with our Jewish friends and colleagues鈥 鈥 is ultimately the key to making progress.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">鈥淭his is how we will succeed,鈥 he said.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">茄子直播鈥檚 programing 鈥 both new and ongoing 鈥 comes as the university prepares to mark the one-year anniversary of the <a href="/news/u-t-accepts-all-recommendations-anti-semitism-working-group">茄子直播 Antisemitism Working Group鈥檚 final report</a>, which was <a href="/news/u-t-marks-entrustment-anti-semitism-working-group-report-0">formally entrusted to the administration last February.</a></p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">President Gertler said in his letter that 茄子直播 <a href="https://people.utoronto.ca/inclusion/institutional-commitments-to-edi/">has already made progress on fulfilling its institutional commitments</a>, including redefining the Institutional Equity Office鈥檚 (IEO) mandate to explicitly include antisemitism, updating employment guides with clearer language on accommodations for religious observances and raising awareness on steps to report hate-related vandalism.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">But more work remains to be done, he said, and 鈥渂ecause antisemitism is insidious, like other forms of racism, addressing it will take time, persistence and patience.鈥</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Further education and outreach initiatives are underway across 茄子直播鈥檚 campuses, faculties and divisions.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">The Temerty Faculty of Medicine has made learning about the Holocaust and antisemitism part of its MD curriculum. It also has a mentorship program for diverse students, including Jewish learners, and is expanding antisemitism and antiracism training for instructors.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">The medical school is also taking accountability for injustices within its own history, issuing <a href="https://temertymedicine.utoronto.ca/news/oral-histories-are-powerful-tool-temerty-medicine-addresses-historic-antisemitic-quotas">a formal apology last fall</a> for the use of quotas to cap admissions of Jewish students around the mid-20th century.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Meanwhile, the Faculty of Law is preparing mandatory antisemitism training for all first-year law students and is considering similar programming for all upper-year students.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">茄子直播 is engaging with Jewish community members about how to promote inclusion on campus, including through regular meetings between the Institutional Equity Office and Hillel representatives.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">At 茄子直播 Scarborough, a working group representing Jewish Student Life, the Office of Student Experience &amp; Wellbeing and the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Office convenes monthly to discuss strategies and supports.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">茄子直播 Mississauga has implemented processes to simplify facilitating religious accommodation requests for students. The <a href="https://www.utm.utoronto.ca/edio/">Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Office at 茄子直播 Mississauga</a> has also created a central resource for supporting religious accommodations and keeping observances front of mind for annual academic and administrative planning.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">鈥淪adly, antisemitism is clearly on the rise in Canada and in other countries,鈥 President Gertler said.鈥淲e must not be lax on our campuses. We will commit to accelerating our progress and adding support capacity at 茄子直播.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">鈥淲e will not shrink from our goal of being the most welcoming, diverse, inclusive and excellent academic community in the world.鈥</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">&nbsp;</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 06 Jan 2023 18:21:50 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 178883 at