Teaching Israel/Palestine in an Age of Atrocities

Session Submission Type: Roundtable

Abstract

Since the Hamas terror attack of October 7, 2023, and the Israeli military response, many professors who teach about Israel/Palestine and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have begun to reconsider their methods and the content of our courses. This roundtable will address several issues attendant to the changes wrought by the war in Gaza, including whether our standard forms of pedagogy for teaching the conflict, such as a multi-narrative approach, are sufficient or ethical; how to handle affect and emotion in the classroom; the vocabulary we use to teach about Israel/Palestine; and the role and position of Jewish Studies professors in the university, especially around issues relating to Israel, since October 7.

Melissa Weininger will discuss the way that Jewish Studies Programs have been isolated by friction with Hillel and other Israel-advocacy organizations on campus at the same time that they face tensions with other departments over Israel pedagogy and campus politics around anti-Zionism.

Mira Sucharov will examine the possibilities and limits of a dual-narratives approach and the role of emotion and mindfulness in speaking to anti-oppression.

Michal Raucher will explore the challenges teaching about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to a diverse audience of students who have a personal stake in the region while also balancing the needs of students who do not.

Lital Levy will discuss the dilemmas of teaching cultural perspectives on the conflict in light of the overwhelming and seemingly intractable realities on the ground, coupled with student desire to see culture as a driver of collective transformation and ultimately, policy change. She will also discuss teaching multiple narratives and incorporation of emotions into pedagogy.

Hilary Falb Kalisman will discuss teaching Israel/Palestine as connected history rather than a dual or multi-narrative approach. She will also discuss the challenges of balancing students’ performance in the classroom with their political views and levels of engagement.

Sub Unit

• Pedagogy & Professional Practice

Moderator

• Zackary Berger, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine

Discussants

• Lital Levy, Princeton University

• Hilary Kalisman, University of Colorado Boulder

• Michal Raucher, Rutgers University

• Melissa Weininger, California State University Northridge

• Mira Sucharov, Carleton University

Zoom Host

• Zoom Host 15