Episode 55: Marc Dollinger on Black Power and Jewish Politics Before and After October 7

Evolve

Marc Dollinger has seen a thing or two. In his academic career, the historian of American Jewry has been labeled a “self-hated leftist Jew” and “right-wing Zionist colonialist.” He’s been criticized for failing to capture the full nuance of black-Jewish relations and been abandoned by his publisher for suggesting that Jews bear some responsibility for the continuance of American racism. And, while he studied leftist anti-Israel sentiments for decades — focusing on its origins after the Six Day War — he’s been utterly shocked by the virulence of anti-Israel sentiment on campuses since Oct. 7, 2023. In this packed interview, Dollinger addresses the nature of academic freedom, the importance of DEI work in Jewish communities and the lines between anti-Zionism and antisemitism. He also talks about his previous book Black Power, Jewish Politics and his forthcoming memoir of his campus intellectual battles.

Theme song, “Ilu Finu” by Rabbi Miriam Margles. Her album This is the Day is available for purchase at CDBaby: https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/miriammarglesandthehadarensemb

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This podcast is produced by Reconstructing Judaism. Visit us at ReconstructingJudaism.org.

Special Guest: Marc Dollinger.

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Links:

• Read Marc Dollinger's Evolve essay: "Anti-Israel, Anti-Zionist, Antisemitic: Reflections on the San Francisco Bay Area (and beyond) after Oct. 7"
• Sign up for Evolve's free newsletter to stay up to date on the latest essays, videos and podcasts
• Support Evolve with a donation of $36
• Register for the next Evolve Web Conversation: What If We Stopped Assuming That the Human Species is the Chosen Species?
• Buy Marc Dollinger's book, Black Power, Jewish Politics: Reinventing the Alliance in the 1960s
• Explore Evolve's essays about the Israel-Hamas war
• Explore Evolve's essays about antisemitism
• Read the open letter, "Brandeis University Press is silencing debate"
• Read Brandeis University Press' response letter