We hope to see you on campus for an exciting full slate of events this semester. As always, all events are FREE and open to the public. No need to let us know you’re coming. Just show up!
On Arab Music and Jewish History in North Africa
Monday, Feb. 10, 6:30–8 p.m. • Fromm Hall, Berman Room
For much of the twentieth century, North African Jews played an outsized role as both music-makers and purveyors of music across the Maghrib. In Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia, all under French colonial rule through the middle of the last century, Jewish vocalists, instrumentalists, and sonic impresarios utilized the phonograph to record and rescue the classical Andalusian tradition while simultaneously pioneering popular musical forms mixed in style and language. Focusing on phonograph records and their trajectories, Dr. Chris Silver, Segal Family Assistant Professor in Jewish History and Culture in the Department of Jewish Studies at McGill University, will walk us through both Jewish history and Jewish-Muslim relations in the region anew.
Palestine and the Art of Resistance
Wednesday, Feb. 19, 6:30–8 p.m. • McLaren Complex, Room 251
Palestinian-American mural artist and San Francisco native Chris Gazaleh will discuss the significance of art in nonviolent movements of resistance for Palestinians. Gazaleh—an artist, educator, and activist dedicated to promoting cultural, political, and social awareness from a Palestinian-American perspective rooted in social justice—will discuss how his art, from murals to illustrations and graffiti-style pieces to clothing designs, is meant to complexify understandings of home, diaspora, resistance, and identity. Co-sponsored by the Department of Art + Architecture.
Imposter Syndrome: Intersectionality and Authenticity as a Lived Experience
Sunday, March 1, 6:30–8 p.m. • McLaren Complex
For our 10th Annual Swig JSSJ Program Social Justice Lecture, join James Beard Award winning author, chef, and scholar, Michael W. Twitty, for a discussion on navigating social justice and identity politics as a black, gay, Jewish man of size of Southern heritage. How do we maintain our balance in a world devoted to putting each one of us in a bubble? How do we challenge our own authenticity and “realness,” while striving to meet expectations established by history and long social justice struggles and dialogues? How do we refresh this conversation for a new decade of complexity?
Anti-Occupation Activism, Trumpism, and White Nationalism in America
Thursday, March 19, 6:30–8 p.m. • McLaren Complex, Room 250
Simone Zimmerman, director of B’Tselem USA and co-founder of IfNotNow, has been involved in Jewish anti-occupation movements for nearly a decade. In this presentation she will discuss her journey from a mainstream, pro-Israel upbringing to becoming a leading voice of dissent among Jewish American millennials. She will also discuss recent on-the-ground developments in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and present a case for resisting the Israeli government’s violence and dispossession of Palestinians as part of the struggle against Trumpism and rising white nationalism in America.
Social Justice and Israel/Palestine
Wednesday, April 1, 6:30–8 p.m. • Fromm Hall, Maraschi Room
Join us for a panel discussion, moderated by Dr. Lindsay Gifford, with contributors of the recently published book Social Justice and Israel/Palestine: Foundational and Contemporary Debates. The panel will feature Dr. Aaron Hahn Tapper, co-editor of the book, along with Dr. Samia Shoman, manager of English Learner and Compliance Programs, San Mateo Union High School District; Dr. George Bisharat, professor of law at U.C. Hastings; and Dr. Oren Kroll-Zeldin, assistant director of the Swig Program in Jewish Studies and Social Justice at USF.
Immigrants, Refugees, and Borders: A Social Justice Passover Seder
Monday, April 13, 6:30–8 p.m. • McLaren Complex
The 11th annual Social Justice Passover seder will be led by Swig JSSJ Rabbi-in-Residence Camille Angel and a group of student volunteers and activists. This year’s seder will lift up student stories and voices of those who have stood in the shoes of immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers in search of safety and liberty. With more displaced people around the world than at any time in recorded history, the words of the Passover Haggadah are more poignant and relevant than ever before. Join us as we ritually explore themes of borders, transgressive acts, and liberation.
