“Antisemitism: Definition, History, and Contemporary Manifestations”
Professional Background
Deborah Lipstadt is currently Dorot Professor of Modern Jewish History and Holocaust Studies at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. She is probably best known for having been sued for libel by David Irving, one of the world’s leading Holocaust deniers. The case, which lasted for six years and was heard in court in a twelve-week trial, resulted in Irving being declared by the court to be “a right wing polemicist,” who engages in antisemitism, racism, and misogyny. That trial was depicted in the 2016 film Denial, which was based on her book History on Trial: My Day in Court with a Holocaust Denier.
Dr. Lipstadt is the author of several other books on the Holocaust, including The Eichmann Trial and Beyond Belief: The American Press and the Coming of the Holocaust. Her most recent book, Antisemitism: Here and Now, provides a captivating analysis of current political trends that bolster prejudice and hostility towards Jews in today’s world.
Fellowship Research
As the 2019-2020 Ina Levine Invitational Scholar at the Mandel Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies, Dr. Lipstadt aims to create an online reader designed for the college classroom dealing with the topic of antisemitism. Her research will focus specifically on the definition, history and contemporary manifestations of this hatred. As such her dedication to exposing the pervasive and intricate patterns of antisemitism is a testament to the continuous struggle scholars face in combating Holocaust denial.
Dr. Lipstadt will deliver the Ina Levine Annual Lecture in the spring of 2020.