1938-2018: Antisemitism in an Age of New Populism, or Can we trust our democracy today?
A Panel Discussion

Thursday 1st November at 7.45pm

On the evening of the 9th November 1938, Jewish people living in Germany found themselves under attack. In a series of co-ordinated riots, over 7000 shops owned by Jews were destroyed and 200 synagogues were hit. 90 Jews were killed that night and thousands were taken to concentration camps. Kristallnacht changed the nature of persecution in Germany, marking a turning point in relations between Nazi Germany and the rest of the world. Tragically, as we know, it did not mark the culmination of Nazi violence.

After the Holocaust, people everywhere believed that it could never happen again, but today as representative democracy finds itself increasingly on the defensive the evidence is unmistakable that antisemitism, xenophobia, and nationalism is dramatically on the rise once more. This event will invite some specialists and members of the public to grapple with painful questions: Why now? What is—or isn’t—new? Is a second Holocaust possible, this time in the Middle East? What can be done to strengthen democracy and counter anti-democratic tendencies?

To discuss these issues with the audience we have the following panel :

David Hirsh, lecturer in Sociology at Goldsmiths College, University of London and the founder of Engage, a campaign against the academic boycott of Israel.

David Jünger, DAAD Deputy Director of the Centre for German-Jewish Studies, Lecturer in Modern European History, University of Sussex

Michael Newman, Chief Executive, The Association of Jewish Refugees (AJR)

Gideon Reuveni, Director, Centre for German Jewish Studies, University of Sussex

Chair: Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg

In partnership with the University of Sussex, the Wiener Library and AJR.