The Yale Initiative for the Interdisciplinary Study of Anti-Semitism
Encyclopedia
The Yale Initiative for the Interdisciplinary Study of Antisemitism (YIISA) was an academic center at Yale University
in New Haven, Connecticut
. Founded in 2005, it was the first university-based center in North America dedicated to the study of antisemitism. Professor Charles A. Small
was the director. In early June 2011, Yale announced the closure of the Initiative by the end of July, sparking protest from the organized American Jewish community.
At the time, it was the fourth university center for antisemitism to be established, following centers at the Technical University of Berlin
, and Hebrew University and Tel Aviv University
in Israel.
Yale's decision sparked widespread criticism from the American Jewish community. David Harris, Executive Director of the American Jewish Committee
, said the Initiative's termination would "create a very regrettable void." National Director of the Anti-Defamation League
, Abraham Foxman
, stated, "Especially at a time when anti-Semitism continues to be virulent and anti-Israel parties treat any effort to address issues relating to anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism as illegitimate, Yale’s decision is particularly unfortunate and dismaying."
Others alleged that Yale's decision to close YIISA was political in nature, owing to the Initiative's controversial focus on Muslim antisemitism. Abby Wisse Schachter, a commentator at the New York Post
wrote that Yale "almost certainly" terminated the program because it "refused to ignore the most virulent, genocidal and common form of Jew-hatred today: Muslim anti-Semitism." Walter Reich, a member of the board of advisers of YIISA and a former director of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum wrote that the closure came on the tails of a "firestorm" which ensued after YIISA hosted a conference in August 2010 entitled "Global Antisemitism: A Crisis of Modernity", where some of the speakers highlighted instances of antisemitism in the Arab-Muslim world.
Conversely, Antony Lerman
, a British scholar of antisemitism, welcomed Yale's decision to close YIISA. Lerman argued that the organization was politicized and that its demise should be welcomed by those who "genuinely support the principle of the objective, dispassionate study of contemporary antisemitism." Robert Wistrich, the director of the Vidal Sassoon International Center for the Study of Antisemitism at Hebrew University agreed with the decision to close the center, saying that there was "no way that Yale could have come to a different decision" given the program's perceived lack of academic rigor.
announced the creation of a new program for the study of antisemitism named the "Yale Program for the Study of Anti-Semitism" (YPSA). In the wake of the YIISA decision, Salovey said a group of faculty members expressed interest in creating a new initiative. Professor Maurice Samuels, director of the new institute, said research would be devoted to both contemporary and historical antisemitism, stating, "Like many, I am concerned by the recent upsurge in violence against Jews around the world."
Charles Small, the former executive director of YIISA expressed skepticism regarding the new program, accusing it of being too historically focused: "Anti-Semitism is a 21st-century relevant issue. To focus on its roots and history, glosses over issues scholars must address today, especially when it comes to the threat of contemporary radical Islamist anti-Semitism."
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
in New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
. Founded in 2005, it was the first university-based center in North America dedicated to the study of antisemitism. Professor Charles A. Small
Charles A. Small
Charles Asher Small is the founder and Director of the Yale Initiative for the Interdisciplinary Study of Antisemitism. Dr. Small is also the founding Director of the nonprofit Institute for the Study of Global Anti-Semitism and Policy and is a lecturer on the Ethics, Politics and Economics...
was the director. In early June 2011, Yale announced the closure of the Initiative by the end of July, sparking protest from the organized American Jewish community.
History
Professor Charles Small founded the Institute for the Study of Global Anti-Semitism and Policy (ISGAP) in 2005 in New Haven, as an independent research organization to study global antisemitism and other forms of racism. In 2006, the center became part of Yale University as the Yale Initiative for Interdisciplinary Study of Antisemitism (YIISA). It is part of the university's Yale's Institution for Social and Policy Studies. Small explained his motivations to a reporter this way, "The world is changing rapidly and I think Anti-Semitism is changing rapidly... As scholars it is our responsibility and job to begin to analyze and understand these processes."At the time, it was the fourth university center for antisemitism to be established, following centers at the Technical University of Berlin
Technical University of Berlin
The Technische Universität Berlin is a research university located in Berlin, Germany. Translating the name into English is discouraged by the university, however paraphrasing as Berlin Institute of Technology is recommended by the university if necessary .The TU Berlin was founded...
, and Hebrew University and Tel Aviv University
Tel Aviv University
Tel Aviv University is a public university located in Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel. With nearly 30,000 students, TAU is Israel's largest university.-History:...
in Israel.
Closure
In early June 2011, Yale University notified YIISA that the center would be closed at the end of July. A Yale spokesman stated that the initiative did not meet "its academic expectations and has been canceled."Yale's decision sparked widespread criticism from the American Jewish community. David Harris, Executive Director of the American Jewish Committee
American Jewish Committee
The American Jewish Committee was "founded in 1906 with the aim of rallying all sections of American Jewry to defend the rights of Jews all over the world...
, said the Initiative's termination would "create a very regrettable void." National Director of the Anti-Defamation League
Anti-Defamation League
The Anti-Defamation League is an international non-governmental organization based in the United States. Describing itself as "the nation's premier civil rights/human relations agency", the ADL states that it "fights anti-Semitism and all forms of bigotry, defends democratic ideals and protects...
, Abraham Foxman
Abraham Foxman
Abraham H. Foxman is the National Director of the Anti-Defamation League.-Early life:Foxman, an only son, was born in Baranovichi, just months after the USSR took the town from Poland in the Nazi-Soviet Pact and incorporated it into the BSSR. The town is now in Belarus...
, stated, "Especially at a time when anti-Semitism continues to be virulent and anti-Israel parties treat any effort to address issues relating to anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism as illegitimate, Yale’s decision is particularly unfortunate and dismaying."
Others alleged that Yale's decision to close YIISA was political in nature, owing to the Initiative's controversial focus on Muslim antisemitism. Abby Wisse Schachter, a commentator at the New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
wrote that Yale "almost certainly" terminated the program because it "refused to ignore the most virulent, genocidal and common form of Jew-hatred today: Muslim anti-Semitism." Walter Reich, a member of the board of advisers of YIISA and a former director of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum wrote that the closure came on the tails of a "firestorm" which ensued after YIISA hosted a conference in August 2010 entitled "Global Antisemitism: A Crisis of Modernity", where some of the speakers highlighted instances of antisemitism in the Arab-Muslim world.
Conversely, Antony Lerman
Antony Lerman
Antony Lerman is a British writer who specializes in the study of antisemitism, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, multiculturalism, and the place of religion in society. From 2006 to early 2009, he was Director of the Institute for Jewish Policy Research, a think tank on issues affecting Jewish...
, a British scholar of antisemitism, welcomed Yale's decision to close YIISA. Lerman argued that the organization was politicized and that its demise should be welcomed by those who "genuinely support the principle of the objective, dispassionate study of contemporary antisemitism." Robert Wistrich, the director of the Vidal Sassoon International Center for the Study of Antisemitism at Hebrew University agreed with the decision to close the center, saying that there was "no way that Yale could have come to a different decision" given the program's perceived lack of academic rigor.
Successor program
On June 20, 2011, less than three weeks after Yale said YIISA would be closed, Yale's provost Peter SaloveyPeter Salovey
Peter Salovey is Provost and the Chris Argyris Professor of Psychology at Yale University. He joined the Yale faculty in 1986 after receiving an A.B. and M.A. from Stanford University in 1980, with departmental honors and university distinction, and a Ph.D. from Yale in 1986...
announced the creation of a new program for the study of antisemitism named the "Yale Program for the Study of Anti-Semitism" (YPSA). In the wake of the YIISA decision, Salovey said a group of faculty members expressed interest in creating a new initiative. Professor Maurice Samuels, director of the new institute, said research would be devoted to both contemporary and historical antisemitism, stating, "Like many, I am concerned by the recent upsurge in violence against Jews around the world."
Charles Small, the former executive director of YIISA expressed skepticism regarding the new program, accusing it of being too historically focused: "Anti-Semitism is a 21st-century relevant issue. To focus on its roots and history, glosses over issues scholars must address today, especially when it comes to the threat of contemporary radical Islamist anti-Semitism."