Vidal Sassoon International Centre for the Study of Antisemitism
Encyclopedia
The Vidal Sassoon International Center for the Study of Antisemitism (SICSA) was established in 1982 at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
by an international group of scholars, as an interdisciplinary
research center
dedicated to an independent, non-political approach to the accumulation and dissemination of knowledge necessary for understanding the phenomenon of anti-Semitism
. The Center engages in research on anti-Semitism throughout the ages, focusing on relations between Jews
and non-Jews, particularly in situations of tension and crisis.
Robert S. Wistrich, the Neuberger Chair in Modern Jewish History at the Hebrew University and a world expert in the field of anti-Semitism, serves as the Center's director.
Felix Posen Fellowships are awarded to doctoral candidates whose dissertation focuses on some aspect of the phenomenon of anti-Semitism.
A link to the Felix Posen Bibliographic Database on Antisemitism and a host of streaming audio and videos files of lectures and conferences are available online.
Published titles include:
Upcoming volumes (2010) include:
A massive and increasing number of books and articles have been written on the topic since 1945; whether popular or scholarly, descriptive or interpretative. Prior to the establishment of the bibliographic project these publications were not listed in a way that permitted optimal use of them by scholars and students, as well as to enhance public awareness of the subject.
For the purpose of the bibliography, anti-Semitism is defined as antagonism toward Jews and Judaism as expressed in writings (i.e. in religious texts, polemical literature, and works of fiction), in the visual arts (i.e. art, caricatures, posters, and film), and in actions (i.e. massacres and pogroms, discriminatory legislation, and the Holocaust).
The online data base is accessible through the Israel University Inter-Library Network and the Center’s website(go to “search the bibliography”). It also appears as a series of printed volumes entitled Antisemitism — An Annotated Bibliography published by K. G. Saur Verlag
, Munich, Germany.
Monthly lectures on topics currently researched by scholars supported by or affiliated with the Center are held on the Hebrew University campus.
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem ; ; abbreviated HUJI) is Israel's second-oldest university, after the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. The Hebrew University has three campuses in Jerusalem and one in Rehovot. The world's largest Jewish studies library is located on its Edmond J...
by an international group of scholars, as an interdisciplinary
Interdisciplinarity
Interdisciplinarity involves the combining of two or more academic fields into one single discipline. An interdisciplinary field crosses traditional boundaries between academic disciplines or schools of thought, as new needs and professions have emerged....
research center
Social research
Social research refers to research conducted by social scientists. Social research methods may be divided into two broad categories:* Quantitative designs approach social phenomena through quantifiable evidence, and often rely on statistical analysis of many cases to create valid and reliable...
dedicated to an independent, non-political approach to the accumulation and dissemination of knowledge necessary for understanding the phenomenon of anti-Semitism
Anti-Semitism
Antisemitism is suspicion of, hatred toward, or discrimination against Jews for reasons connected to their Jewish heritage. According to a 2005 U.S...
. The Center engages in research on anti-Semitism throughout the ages, focusing on relations between Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
and non-Jews, particularly in situations of tension and crisis.
Robert S. Wistrich, the Neuberger Chair in Modern Jewish History at the Hebrew University and a world expert in the field of anti-Semitism, serves as the Center's director.
Research
More than 120 studies have been conducted under the Center’s auspices, covering a wide range of disciplines — history, psychology, sociology, anthropology, literature and art.Felix Posen Fellowships are awarded to doctoral candidates whose dissertation focuses on some aspect of the phenomenon of anti-Semitism.
Website
Full information on the actives of the Center, as well as a list of its publications, conferences, lectures, and seminars can be found on the Center's website.A link to the Felix Posen Bibliographic Database on Antisemitism and a host of streaming audio and videos files of lectures and conferences are available online.
Publications
The Center has produced numerous publications, including book-length studies, collections of papers presented at conferences, occasional papers, and a journal.The Studies in Antisemitism Series
Published in conjunction with academic publishing houses or under the imprint of the Center, the titles in this series have covered a wide range of topics. A full list of the Center's publications is available at the website.Published titles include:
- Shmuel Almog, Antisemitism through the Ages (1988)
- Deborah LipstadtDeborah LipstadtDeborah Esther Lipstadt, Ph.D. is an American historian and author of the book Denying the Holocaust and The Eichmann Trial. She is the Dorot Professor of Modern Jewish and Holocaust Studies at Emory University...
, Denying the Holocaust: The Growing Assault on Truth and Memory (1993) - Cesare G. De MichelisCesare G. De MichelisCesare G. De Michelis is a scholar and professor of Russian literature at the University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy.- Biography :...
, The Non-existent Manuscript: A Study of the Protocols of the Sages of Zion (2004) - Robert S. Wistrich, Laboratory for World Destruction: Germans and Jews in Central Europe (2007)
Upcoming volumes (2010) include:
- Darren O’Brien, Pinnacle of Hatred: The Blood Libel and the Jews
- Shmuel MorehShmuel MorehShmuel Moreh is professor emeritus in the Department for Arabic Language and Literature at the Hebrew University and a recipient of the Israel Prize in Middle Eastern studies in 1999.-References:...
and Zvi YehudaZvi YehudaZvi Yehuda was a Zionist activist and later a politician.-Biography:Born in Uman in the Russian Empire , Yehuda organised two Zionist youth groups in Uman, Degel Zion and Tzeiri Zion. In 1906 he made aliyah to Ottoman-controlled Palestine, and was amongst the founders of Kvutzat Kinneret in 1908....
, eds., The Pogrom (‘al-Farhūd’) of 1941and the Persecution of Jews in Iraq - Robert S. Wistrich, ed., The Destruction of History
ACTA — Analysis of Current Trends in Antisemitism
The ACTA series is an annual report from a special SICSA research unit that provides in-depth analysis of current trends in anti-Semitism and explores the influence of anti-Jewish and anti-Zionist ideology on public opinion, and the arts, mass media, and political movements. Papers in this series are available in print and online.Posen Papers in Contemporary Antisemitism
As a supplement to the ACTA series, the Posen Papers aim to provide a more rapid response to issues of global anti-Semitism. The series is available in print and online.Antisemitism International
This semi-annual research journal focuses on topics of current importance as they relate to anti-Semitism and provides information on the activities of the Center. It is available in print and online.The Felix Posen Bibliographic Database on Antisemitism
In 1984, the Center initiated a bibliographic project on anti-Semitism. It comprises the most comprehensive computerized database of works published in most English and most European languages about anti-Semitism throughout the world in every period, including the events of the Holocaust . Each entry is accompanied by an English abstract.A massive and increasing number of books and articles have been written on the topic since 1945; whether popular or scholarly, descriptive or interpretative. Prior to the establishment of the bibliographic project these publications were not listed in a way that permitted optimal use of them by scholars and students, as well as to enhance public awareness of the subject.
For the purpose of the bibliography, anti-Semitism is defined as antagonism toward Jews and Judaism as expressed in writings (i.e. in religious texts, polemical literature, and works of fiction), in the visual arts (i.e. art, caricatures, posters, and film), and in actions (i.e. massacres and pogroms, discriminatory legislation, and the Holocaust).
The online data base is accessible through the Israel University Inter-Library Network and the Center’s website(go to “search the bibliography”). It also appears as a series of printed volumes entitled Antisemitism — An Annotated Bibliography published by K. G. Saur Verlag
K. G. Saur Verlag
K. G. Saur Verlag is a German publisher that specializes in reference information for libraries. The publishing house is owned by Walter de Gruyter and is based in Munich....
, Munich, Germany.
Conferences, symposia and lectures
Throughout the academic year, the Center sponsors international conferences on such topics as Demonizing the Other and Antisemitism and Multiculturalism. A number of lectures and presentations from its conferences are available as streaming audio and/or video files on the Center’s website.Monthly lectures on topics currently researched by scholars supported by or affiliated with the Center are held on the Hebrew University campus.