Harnessing the Power of Literature to Combat Antisemitism

Literature is fraught with antisemitic tropes and stereotypes. From Shakespeare’s Shylock in The Merchant of Venice to Dickens’ Fagin in Oliver Twist, the long legacy of antisemitism pervades old and new literature. Today, there are a growing number of writers using literature as a means of exposing and combating this age-old hate, particularly within the Young Adult genre. In this webinar, we will speak with two YA authors who used literature to stand up against bigotry, and a Western States fellow who wrote a toolkit for confronting white nationalism in schools.

This webinar will be a conversation with YA (Young Adult) authors who have addressed antisemitism in their work. Liza Wiemer, author of The Assignment and Sarah Darer Littman, author of Some Kind of Hate will be joined by Western States Center Fellow Jessica Acee, who cowrote an educators’ toolkit on confronting white nationalism in schools. We’ll discuss how literature can be a means to spreading awareness about the pervasive nature of antisemitism, its various impacts, and how to combat this form of hate.

During the webinar, we will: 

• Examine the manifestations of antisemitism that show up in YA literature
• Explore how literature can be a means to spreading awareness about the pervasive nature of antisemitism, the way it impacts people and how to combat it. 
• Identify evidence-based strategies to confront and combat the spread of white nationalism and antisemitism among young people

Captioning will be provided during this webinar, which takes place from 7–8 PM ET/6–7 PM CT/ 5–6 PM MT/4–5 PM PT. If this time doesn’t work for your schedule, be sure to register and we’ll notify you once the recording is available On-Demand.

You will be eligible to receive one-hour of professional development credit for participation if you actively watch the webinar. At the conclusion of the webinar, you will be able to download a certificate of completion from the webinar console. Check with your school or district in advance of the webinar to ensure that the professional development credit is accepted.