JSZN Mission Statement
The Jewish Studies Zionist Network is composed of scholars and educators in Jewish Studies who affirm that Zionism is a legitimate movement for the national self-determination of the Jewish people in their ancestral homeland.
As experts in Jewish studies with a commitment to the peace and welfare of all communities in Israel, the world’s sole Jewish State, we reject characterizations of Zionism and Israel that seek to discredit their legitimacy and that judge them according to standards not applied to any other nation.
The uncritical use of concepts such as “European settler colonial project,” “genocidal,” “Jewish supremacist,” or “apartheid,” to describe Zionism and Israel is agenda-driven, manipulative, and therefore antithetical to promoting knowledge and scholarship in our communities.
Higher education plays a crucial role in shaping the minds and attitudes of younger generations. It is therefore incumbent on higher education to deepen and enhance younger generations’ understanding of the history of Zionism and the Jewish State in ways that do justice to their nuance and complexity.
We have no unified position on Israeli or Jewish politics generally, or on the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict specifically, other than to uphold the right of the Jewish people to national self-determination and of Israelis to craft their own future.
We welcome scholars of all religious, national, and ethnic backgrounds who seek to advance Jewish and Israel studies, and who accept the existence of the State of Israel as a legitimate expression of Jewish peoplehood.
Our mission is the following:
1) To reaffirm as scholars and educators intimately familiar with the history of the Jewish people and Zionism, to our colleagues, our students, and the wider community the legitimacy of Zionism as the historical movement of Jewish self-determination and of the State of Israel as a Jewish State in the community of nations.
2) To thwart efforts to demonize Zionism and Israel, via such charges as “apartheid,” “a racist endeavor,” “genocide,” and “Jewish supremacy,” which are driven by ideological rather than scholarly considerations.
3) To foster scholarship in our respective disciplines that gives voice to multiple approaches and perspectives contributing to better intellectual and educational outcomes.
4) To ensure that a safe space exists on college campuses for Jewish students and faculty to express their identities as Jewish Zionists in public, just as this safe space is provided to members of other minority communities.
Coordinating Committee*
Dr. Jarrod Tanny, Associate Professor and Block Distinguished Scholar in Jewish History, University of North Carolina Wilmington
Dr. Adam L. Fuller, Associate Professor of Politics and International Relations, Youngstown State University
Dr. Naya Lekht, Independent Scholar
Dr. Moshe Y. Bernstein, Independent Scholar
Signatories*
Dr. Victoria Aarons, O.R. & Eva Mitchell Distinguished Professor of Literature, Trinity University
Dr. Massimo Longo Adorno, Independent Scholar
Dr. Baruch Alster, Senior Lecturer, Givat Washington Academic College of Education, Israel
Dr. Seth Armus, Professor of History, St. Joseph's University
Dr. Steven Bayme, American Jewish Committee (Retired)
Michael Bazyler, JD, Professor of Law and The 1939 Society Scholar in Holocaust and Human Rights Studies, Fowler School of Law, Chapman University
Yossi Ben Harush, PhD student, Ben Gurion University of the Negev
Dr. Raphael BenLevi, Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Political Science, University of Haifa
Dr. Alan L. Berger, Raddock Family Eminent Scholar Chair in Holocaust Studies, Florida Atlantic University
Dr. David Berger, Ruth and I. Lewis Gordon Distinguished Professor of Jewish History, Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies, Yeshiva University
Dr. Corinne E. Blackmer, Professor of English and Judaic Studies, Southern CT State University
Dr. Emmanuel Bloch, Research Fellow, Herbert D. Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies, University of Pennsylvania
Dr. Yaakov Borut, Yad Vashem, Jerusalem
Dr. Gabriel Noah Brahm, Professor of English and World Literature, Northern Michigan University; Senior Research Fellow, Herzl Institute for the Study of Zionism, University of Haifa
Dr. Michal Brandl, Associate Professor, Chair of Judaic studies, University of Zagreb
Dr. David Brodsky, Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Judaic Studies, Brooklyn College, City University of New York
Michael J. Broyde, J.D., Professor of Law, School of Law & Berman Projects Director, Center for the Study of Law and Religion, Emory University
Dr. Justin Cammy, Professor of Jewish Studies, World Literatures, Smith College
Dr. Ellen Cannon, Professor of Political Science and Jewish Studies at Northeastern Illinois University
Dr. Michael Carasik, Independent Scholar
Dr. Michael Chernick, Professor Emeritus, Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion
Dr. Boaz Cohen, Western Galilee College
Dr. Zvi Y. Cohen, Independent Scholar and Educator at Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community (High) School
Dr. Shimon Dar, Emeritus Professor of Classical Archaeology of the Land of Israel, Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology, Bar Ilan University
Dr. Avram Davis, Independent Scholar
Assaf Derri, Lecturer in Law, Haim Striks Law Faculty, The College of Managment, PhD Candidate, Faculty of Law, University of Haifa
Dr. James A. Diamond, Joseph and Wolf Lebovic Chair of Jewish Studies, University of Waterloo
Dr. Donna Robinson Divine, Morningstar Professor Emerita of Jewish Studies and Professor Emerita of Government, Smith College
Rabbi Dr. Elliot Dorff, Rector and Distinguished Service Professor of Philosophy, American Jewish University
Dr. Erika Dreifus, Adjunct Associate Professor, Baruch College of The City University of New York
Dr. Stanley Dubinsky, Professor of Linguistics, University of South Carolina
Dr. Samuel Edelman, Professor Emeritus, CSU Chico, former Dean at American Jewish University
Dr. Carl S. Ehrlich, University Professor of History and Humanities, York University
Dr. R. Amy Elman, Professor of Political Science and Weber Chair of Social Science, Kalamazoo College
Dr. Miriam F. Elman, Associate Professor, Syracuse University
Dr. Jessica Emami, Adjunct Professorial Lecturer, Sociology Department, American University
Dr. Ari Engelberg, Associate Professor, Department of Behavioral Sciences, Hadassah Academic College, Jerusalem
Manuel Ferez, PhD student, Alberto Hurtado University, Santiago de Chile
Dr. Steven Fine, Churgin Professor of Jewish History; Director, YU Center for Israel Studies, Yeshiva University, New York and Jerusalem
Dr. Rachel Fish, Independent Scholar
Dr. Laura Shaw Frank, Director of Contemporary Jewish Life Dept, American Jewish Committee
Dr. Rivkah Fishman-Duker, Lecturer Emerita, Jewish History , Rothberg International School, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Dr. Steven Frankel, Department of Philosophy, Xavier University
Dr. Aviva Freedman, Emeritus, Linguistics and Language Studies, Carleton University
Dr. Charles Freedman, Adjunct Research Professor, Department of Economics, Carleton University
Dr. Ilan Fuchs, Esq., Research Associate, Hadassah Brandeis Institute
Dr. Jerome Gellman, Professor Emeritus, Department of Philosophy, Ben-Gurion University
Rabbi Dr. Pinchas Giller, Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies, American Jewish University
Dr. Lewis Gilnert, Professor of Middle Eastern Studies, Dartmouth College
Dr. Norman J.W. Goda, Norman and Irma Braman Professor of Holocaust Studies, University of Florida
Stanley Goldman, JD, Professor of Law, Founder and Director of The Center for the Study of Law and Genocide, Loyola Marymount University
Dr. Elaine Goodfriend, Lecturer, California State University Northridge
Dr. Sandor Goodhart, Professor of English and Jewish Studies, Purdue University
Dr. Daniel Gordon, Professor of History, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Dr. Alyssa Gray, Professor of Codes and Responsa Literature, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion
Dr. Kenneth Hart Green, Professor, Department for the Study of Religion, University of Toronto
Rabbi Dr. Irving (Yitz) Greenberg, Retired Professor of Jewish studies, The City College of New York, CUNY
Dr. Haskel Greenfield, Distinguished Professor, University of Manitoba
Dr. Adam Gregerman, Associate Professor of Jewish Studies, Dept. of Theology and Religious Studies, and Associate Director of the Institute for Jewish-Catholic Relations, Saint Joseph’s University
Dr. Marat Grinberg, Professor of Russian and Humanities, Reed College
Dr. Kay Schweigmann-Greve, Research Assistant at the Faculty of Law of Leibniz University Hanover
Dr. Elvira Groezinger, Emerita, Lecturer in Yiddish and Jewish Studies, University of Potsdam
Dr. Rachel Hallote, Professor of History, Purchase College SUNY
Dr. David Hazony, Independent Scholar
Dr. Yoram Hazony, President, The Herzl Institute, Jerusalem
Dr. Joel Hecker, Professor of Jewish Mysticism, Reconstructionist Rabbinical College
Dr. Jeffrey Herf, Distinguished University Professor, Department of History, University of Maryland, College Park
Dr. Geoffrey Herman, Directeur d'études, Chair of Ancient Judaisms and Classical Rabbinic Literature, École Pratique des Hautes Études, PSL
Dr. David Hirsh, Senior Lecturer, Goldsmiths, University of London
Dr. Bruce Hoffman, Professor, School of Foreign Service and Director, Center for Jewish Civilization, Georgetown University
Dr. Motti Inbari, Professor, Department of Philosophy and Religion, The University of North Carolina at Pembroke
Dr. Oleg Ivanov, Independent Scholar
Dr. Martin Jander, Lecturer, Freie Universität Berlin (FU-BEST)
Dr. Raphael Jospe, Professor of Jewish Philosophy (retired), Bar Ilan University
Dr. Seth (Avi) Kadish, Oranim Academic College of Education, Kiryat Tivon
Dr. Sergei Kan, Professor of Anthropology, Dartmouth College
Ellen Kaplan, M.F.A., Professor of Theatre, Smith College
Dr. Lawrence Kaplan, Associate Professor, Department of Jewish Studies, McGill University
Dr. Joshua Karlip, Denenberg Associate Professor of Jewish History, Associate Director of the YU Center for Israel Studies, Yeshiva University, New York and Jerusalem
Dr. Stephen Katz, Professor, Modern Hebrew Language and Literature, Department of Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures, Indiana University
Dr. Steven T. Katz Alvin J. and Shirley Slater Professor of Jewish Holocaust Studies, Department of Religion, Boston University
Dr. Menachem Kellner, Chair, Department of Philosophy and Jewish Thought, Shalem College
Dr. Victoria Khiterer, Associate Professor, History Department, Millersville University
Dr. Reuven Kimelman, Professor of Classical Rabbinic Literature, Brandeis University
Dr. Olga Kirschbaum-Shirazki, Independent Scholar
Dr. Nancy Koppelman, American Studies, The Evergreen State College
Dr. Eugene Korn, Independent Scholar
Dr. Melissa Landa, Independent Scholar
Dr. Jacob Lassner, Professor Emeritus, Northwestern University
Dr. Phyllis Lassner, Professor Emerita Northwestern University
Dr. Berel Dov Lerner, Associate Professor, Western Galilee College
Mr. Clifford Lester, Professor Emeritus, Photography Department, Cypress College
Dr. Jon D. Levenson, Albert A. List Professor of Jewish Studies, Harvard University
Dr. Holli Levitsky, Director of Jewish Studies, Professor of English, Loyola Marymount University
Dr. Risa Levitt, Professor & Chair, Department for the Study of Religion, Classics & Humanities Department, Director of the Jewish Studies Program, San Diego State University
Dr. Robert J. Lieber, Professor Emeritus of Government and International Affairs, Georgetown University
Dr. Howard Lupovitch, Professor of History and Director of the Cohn-Haddow Center for Judaic Studies, Wayne State University
Dr. Peter Machinist, Hancock Professor of Hebrew and Other Oriental Languages Emeritus, Harvard University
Dr. Aren M. Maeir, Professor of Biblical and Near Eastern Archaeology and Head of the Institute of Archaeology, Bar-Ilan University
Dr. Peter Margolis, Independent scholar
Dr. Gerry R. McDermott, retired from the Anglican Chair of Divinity at Beeson Divinity School
Dr. Rafael Medoff, Founding Director, The David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies
Dr. Natan Meir, Lorry I. Lokey Professor of Judaic Studies, Portland State University
Dr. David A. Meola, Director of Jewish & Holocaust Studies, Meisler Assistant Professor of History & Jewish Studies, University of South Alabama
Dr. Rochelle L. Millen, Professor Emerita of Religion, Wittenberg University
Dr. Diane Mizrachi, Librarian for Jewish & Israel Studies, University of California Los Angeles
Dr. Paul Morris, Emeritus Professor of Religious Studies, Victoria University of Wellington
Dr. Sébastien Mosbah-Natanson, Associate Professor of Sociology, The Sorbonne
Dr. Meir Muller, Associate Professor, University of South Carolina
Dr. Cary Nelson, Jubilee Professor, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Dr. Brian Ogren, Anna Smith Fine Associate Professor of Judaic Studies, Rice University
Dr. Josef Olmert, Adjunct Professor, University of South Carolina
Dr. Jason M. Olson, Independent Scholar
Dr. Monica Osborne, Independent Scholar; Editor-at-Large, The Jewish Journal of Los Angeles
Jon Papernick, MFA, Senior Writer-In-Residence, Emerson College
Dr. David Patterson, Hillel Feinberg Distinguished Chair in Holocaust Studies, Ackerman Center for Holocaust Studies, University of Texas at Dallas
Dr. Judea Pearl, Professor of Computer Science and Director of the Cognitive Systems Lab, University of California Los Angeles
Dr. Monty Noam Penkower, Professor Emeritus of Modern Jewish History, Machon Lander Graduate School of Jewish Studies, Jerusalem
Dr. Andrew Pessin, Professor of Philosophy, Connecticut College
Dr. Bruce A. Phillips, Professor of Sociology & Jewish Communal Service, Hebrew Union College and HUC Louchheim School of Judaic Studies at the University of Southern California
Dr. Juliana Geran Pilon, Senior Fellow, The Alexander Hamilton Institute for the Study of Western Civilization
Dr. Timothy R. Riggio Quevillon, Instructor of American Ethnic Studies, Department of Social Transformation Studies, Kansas State University
Rabbi Dr. Haim Rechnitzer, Professor of Jewish Thought, Hebrew Union College - JIR
Dr. Walter Reich, Yitzhak Rabin Memorial Professor of International Affairs, Ethics and Human Behavior, Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The George Washington University
Dr. Ira Robinson, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Department of Religions and Cultures, Concordia University
Dr. Samuele Rocca, Senior Lecturer, School of Architecture, Ariel University
Dr. Neil Rogachevsky, Clinical Assistant Professor, Yeshiva University
Dr. David M. Rosen, Professor of Anthropology, Fairleigh Dickinson University
Dr. Alvin H. Rosenfeld, Professor of English and Jewish Studies, Irving M. Glazer Chair in Jewish Studies, and Director of the Institute for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism, Indiana University
Dr. Suzanne D. Rutland, OAM, Professor Emerita, Department of Hebrew, Biblical & Jewish Studies, University of Sydney
Dr. Daniel Rynhold, Dean & Professor of Jewish Philosophy, Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies, Yeshiva University
Dr. Franck Salameh, Professor of Near Eastern Studies and Chair of Department of Eastern, Slavic, and German Studies, Boston College
Dr. Nahma Sandrow, Professor Emerita, Bronx Community College, City University of New York
Rabbi Jacqueline Romm Satlow, Department of Western Civilization, Providence College
Dr. Ben Schachter, Professor, Director, Visual Arts Division, Saint Vincent College
Dr. Daniel B. Schwartz, Professor, Department of History, The George Washington University
Dr. Joshua Schwartz, Emeritus Professor of Historical Geography of Ancient Israel, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel and, Chair, Board of Directors, Israel Antiquities Authority
Dr. Don Seeman, Associate Professor of Religion and Jewish Studies, Emory University
Dr. Marc B. Shapiro, Professor and Weinberg Chair of Judaic Studies, University of Scranton
Dr. Miriam Shenkar, Visiting Professor, Department of Education and Human Ecology, Ohio State University
Dr. Andrey Shlyakhter, Postdoctoral Fellow, Zvi Yavetz School of Historical Studies, Tel Aviv University
Dr. Maxim D. Shrayer, Professor of Russian, English, and Jewish Studies, Boston College
Dr. Brandy Shufutinsky, Director of Education and Community Engagement with the Jewish Institute of Liberal Values
Dr. Malka Z. Simkovich, Crown-Ryan Chair of Jewish Studies, Director of Catholic-Jewish Studies Program, Catholic Theological Union
Dr. Natan Slifkin, Director, the Biblical Museum of Natural History
Dr. Cherryl Smith, Professor Emerita, California State University, Sacramento
Dr. Saba Soomekh, Independent Scholar
Dr. Haim Sperber, Senior Lecturer of Jewish History, Western Galilee College
Dr. Gerald Steinberg, Professor Emeritus of Political Science, Bar Ilan University
Dr. Nehemia Stern, Lecturer, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Ariel University of Samaria
Dr. Stephen Sussman, Professor of Public Administration, Barry University
Dr. Marvin A. Sweeney, Professor of Hebrew Bible, Claremont School of Theology
Dr. Gil Troy, Professor, Distinguished Scholar of North American History at McGill University
Dr. Rivka Ulmer, Professor of Jewish Studies, Bucknell University
Dr. Jeremiah Unterman, Resident Scholar, The Herzl Institute, Jerusalem
Dr. Alessandra Veronese, Associate Professor of Medieval and Jewish History, Dept. of Civilization and Forms of Knowledge, Director of the Interdepartmental Centre of Jewish Studies “Michele Luzzati”, University of Pisa
Dr. Tamás Visi, Associate Professor, Kurt and Ursula Schubert Center for Jewish Studies, Palacky University, Olomouc
Dr. Seth Ward, Senior Lecturer, Philosophy and Religious Studies, University of Wyoming (Retired)
Dr. Chaim I. Waxman, Professor and Chair, Behavioral Sciences Dept., Hadassah Academic College and Rutgers University, Professor Emeritus of Sociology and Jewish Studies
Dr. Einat Wilf, Former Member of Knesset, Writer and Goldman Visiting Professor 2021-2022
Dr. Jeffrey R. Woolf, Associate Professor, Talmud Department, Bar Ilan University
Dr. Elhanan Yakira, Professor Emeritus, Department of Philosophy, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
*Any referenced titles or affiliations are included for identification purposes only. Signing this statement reflects personal views; we are not speaking for or in the name of any university, department, or program.
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