Mission Statement

Anti-Judaism, or the controversial term coined in the 1870s by Wilhelm Marr, Antisemitism, is one of the most complex and, at times, perplexing forms of hatred. It spans history, infecting different societies, religious and philosophical movements, and even civilizations. In the aftermath of the Holocaust, some contend that Antisemitism illustrates the limitations of the Enlightenment and modernity itself. Manifestations of Antisemitism emerge in numerous ideological based narratives and the constructed identities of belonging and otherness such as race and ethnicity, nationalisms, and anti-nationalisms.  In the contemporary context of globalised relations it appears that Antisemitism has taken on new complex and changing forms that need to be decoded, mapped and critiqued.

The subject matter of Antisemitism, like prejudice more generally, has a long and impressive intellectual and research pedigree.  It remains a topic of ongoing political importance and scholarly engagement.  However, unlike other related topics, such as prejudice and discrimination directed at other social groups, Antisemitism seems to be studied outside an organized institutional framework.  This initiative is the first comprehensive, interdisciplinary research initiative dedicated to the the study of Antisemitism based at a North American university.   This approach to the examination of Antisemitism will promote interdisciplinary analysis at the historical, sociological, political, philosophical, psychological and economic levels.  It will encourage a diverse range of research methodologies that operate at the intersection of science and policy.  The analytical assessment of the study of new forms of Antisemitism in the age of globalization will be promoted.

Subsequently, the initiative's mission aims to explore this subject matter in a comprehensive, interdisciplinary framework from an array of approaches and perspectives as well as regional contexts.  Eminent scholars and researchers are invited regularly to present seminar papers and engage in research projects at the conceptual and empirical level. The development of a curriculum with an interdisciplinary perspective, and the publication of analytical and policy based publications is a central objective.   The main objective of YIISA is to create a vibrant space in which high caliber scholarship, discussion and debate can develop and be nurtured.