Actions Against Antisemitism
Bowdoin is committed to fostering a campus environment where every member of our community feels welcome, safe, and supported.
Bowdoin affirms Jewish life, learning, and identity as essential parts of the College’s intellectual and community fabric.
There is no place for antisemitism at Bowdoin.
We are committed to an environment where all members of our community—Jewish, Israeli, and beyond—are welcome, and can live, learn, and grow without fear of discrimination or harassment.
At Bowdoin, we confront antisemitism through our words and sustained actions, and also through the cultivation of a campus where Jewish life is supported, celebrated, and able to flourish.
Selected Resources for Learning 91制片厂 Antisemitism
To understand historical and contemporary challenges of the Jewish experience we offer a variety of offerings in and outside of the classroom that focus on Judaism, Jewish life, and antisemitism.
For those who are interested in learning more, below is a selection of resources from different perspectives.
American Jewish Committee:
International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance:
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum:
Bard Center for the Study of Hate:
Jerusalem Declaration:
UC Berkeley Center for Jewish 91制片厂:
A Timeline of Actions Against Antisemitism
Bowdoin has worked to combat antisemitism well before October 7, 2023, through community connections, strengthened policies, expert-led trainings and presentations, direct support for students, and an expansion of Jewish life on campus. As early as 1984, for example, a two-week summer seminar at Bowdoin led to the founding of the , which celebrated its fortieth anniversary in August 2025 and its mission of “promoting respect for human rights through outreach and education...using the lessons of the Holocaust and other events, past and present.”
The timeline below highlights additional recent selected actions and milestones.
Pre-2020-present:
Bowdoin offers ongoing academic courses, lectures, and programming related to Judaism, Jewish history, and antisemitism, including an endowed lecture series and curricular offerings and support for Jewish student life through Hillel, the Rachel Lord Center for Religious and Spiritual Life, and campus-wide programming in Jewish studies and culture.
Spring 2020:
Professors Marilyn Reizbaum and Todd Berzon introduced into the curriculum A History of Anti-Semitism, a course developed in response to rising antisemitic violence globally.
Since Fall 2020:
Bowdoin expands curricular offerings on Jewish history, religion, and antisemitism, with courses including Modern Jewish Identities.
April 27, 2023:
Bowdoin launches its Holocaust Education Lecture Series with Peter Hayes ’68 presenting on The US and the Holocaust.
October 2023:
President Safa Zaki sends a campus-wide message addressing the impact of the October 7 attacks on the Bowdoin community, and calling on the community to support one another through dialogue at a time of increased antisemitic and Islamophobic rhetoric and actions around the world.
October 24, 2023:
Deborah Dash Moore, Frederick G. L. Huetwell Professor of History and Professor of Judaic Studies at the University of Michigan, delivers a lecture through the Harry Spindel Memorial Lectureship in Judaic Studies, an annual lecture in Judaic studies or contemporary Jewish affairs.
February 13, 2024:
President Zaki condemns two acts of hate that occurred near campus, affirming that “racist, antisemitic, and bigoted acts are not tolerated at Bowdoin.”
February 28, 2024:
Judy Batalion, The New York Times bestselling author of The Light of Days: The Untold Story of Women Resistance Fighters in Hitler’s Ghettos, presents as part of the Holocaust Education Lecture Series.
September 2024:
In her welcome message for the start of the academic year, President Zaki calls on the campus community to meet challenging times with meaningful dialogue, active listening, and a commitment to a deepening understanding of the issues that divide people and communities.
2024–present:
Bowdoin launches Viewpoint Exchange, a recurring campus-wide series to promote and encourage respectful engagement, expanded education, and open dialogue on issues including antisemitism, Islamophobia, and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
April 2024–present:
Jewish Community Life page within the Bowdoin website offers resources for learning, course descriptions, support resources, and information about the student experience.
February 24, 2025:
President Zaki reaffirms that hate has no place on campus and extends an invitation to faculty and staff to join in dialogue.
March 6, 2025:
Dov Waxman, Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation Chair of Israel Studies at UCLA and the director of the UCLA Y&S Nazarian Center for Israel Studies, presents When Is Anti-Zionism Antisemitic?
March 7, 2025:
President Zaki announces a wide-ranging set of initiatives aimed at improving campus dialogue, reviewing policies, and combatting antisemitism and other forms of hate.
March 29, 2025:
President Zaki affirms Bowdoin’s commitment to rejecting antisemitism and all forms of hate.
August 2025:
Connor Dedrick begins as Jewish Life Advisor at the College.
September 19, 2025:
Connor Dedrick facilitates “Healing Intergenerational Jewish Trauma” on understanding the lasting impacts of trauma, its transmission through generations, and how we can create new narratives around our understanding of antisemitism.
October 22, 2025:
Journalist Yair Rosenberg, staff writer at The Atlantic, presents on contemporary antisemitism as part of the Viewpoint Exchange series.
November 4, 2025:
Ken Stern, director of the Bard Center for the Study of Hate and former director of the division on antisemitism and extremism at the American Jewish Committee, delivers a campus lecture on antisemitism, democracy, and public discourse as part of the Viewpoint Exchange series.
March 2026:
Connor Dedrick, Jewish life advisor, hosts a processing space for Jewish students in response to attacks on synagogues in Michigan, the Netherlands, and the UK.
Ongoing: Bowdoin continues to evaluate and strengthen policies, training, student support, and educational programming to ensure a welcoming and inclusive environment for Jewish students, faculty, staff, and visitors, including the examples below:
Initiatives
The College is working on the following initiatives:
- A comprehensive review of all discrimination and harassment policies affecting students, employees, and visitors, with the explicit goal of ensuring that antisemitism is clearly addressed and effectively remedied.
- Enhancements of support and training related to discrimination and harassment, including targeted training on antisemitism and religious pluralism for key student-facing units.
- The expansion of emergency planning exercises.
- New opportunities for communication between College leaders and the student body including an “ask us anything” series for students, staff, and faculty to engage with senior leadership with questions about multiple areas of campus life.
Trainings
- In the fall of 2025, Bowdoin created an ongoing program of specialized training for all Residence Life student and professional staff on how to understand their role as it relates to Title VI nondiscrimination and anti-harassment institutional obligations, with a focus on antisemitism, Islamophobia, and religious pluralism.
- In the spring of 2026, we began development of a comprehensive religious pluralism training module, including antisemitism and Islamophobia, for the entire Bowdoin community—scheduled for rollout beginning in the fall of 2026.