Debates over the meaning of antisemitism have recently entered public discussion in an unprecedented manner— including here in King County. But debates over the meaning of antisemitism—and the politicization of those debates— are by no means new but are as old as the term itself, dating back to 19th century Germany and continuing today in the 21st century United States. This talk explores why the meaning of antisemitism has been so contested, the roots and context of the current debate, and what is at state in the endeavor— for individual Jews, for Jewish institutions, for scholars, for activists, and for the broader public. 

Devin E. Naar is an Associate Professor of Jewish Studies and History and the Isaac Alhadeff Professor of Sephardic Studies at the University of Washington. His book, Jewish Salonica: Between the Ottoman Empire and Modern Greece, won, among other prizes, a National Jewish Book Award. A former Fulbright scholar, Naar teaches courses on Jewish history, the history and memory of the Holocaust, Sephardic studies, and race and migration. He was featured in the Stroum Center for Jewish Studies podcast series on antisemitism and was appointed as an inaugural member of the Antisemitism and Academic Freedom Taskforce of the Association for Jewish Studies. Naar has lectured widely about the relationships between antisemitism and other forms of racism and prejudice, including at the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle and Jewish Family Service. He has also written for popular venues like the Washington Post, Public Radio International, the Jewish Review of Books, Jewish Currents, and Tablet Magazine.