‘Possible disruptions’ spur Hamilton’s McMaster University to move Jewish lecture online

Hamilton’s McMaster University has moved an in-person lecture about anti-Jewish racism to an online format because of “possible disruptions” related to the escalating Israel-Hamas war.

After a four-year hiatus, the public Goldblatt lecture was scheduled to be held in person today (Oct. 23). But the university’s Department of Religious Studies changed the plan and announced three days ago that it would be online.

“The ongoing conflict in Israel and Gaza has heightened tensions and raised the risk of possible disruptions at public events such as the Goldblatt Lecture,” the university stated in an emailed announcement through the Hamilton Jewish Federation. “To ensure Monday’s Goldblatt Lecture proceeds peacefully and fosters productive discussion, the organizers at McMaster have moved to an online format, open to all who wish to attend via a registration process.”

The university said those who have already registered for the event will receive a Zoom link and won’t need to re-register. 

For Monday’s online lecture, guest speaker Prof. Dov Waxman will explore how to think about anti-Semitism at 7 tonight. Those who would like to attend the Zoom event can register here.

The Goldblatt Lecture is an annual lecture series in Jewish studies. The late Marvin Goldblatt created it in memory of his wife, Lillian, in 2002. 

Waxman is the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation chair of Israel studies at the University of California Los Angeles. He’s also the director of the UCLA Y&S Nazarian Center for Israel Studies. His research focuses on topics such as the conflict over Israel-Palestine, Israeli politics and foreign policy and contemporary antisemitism. He wrote four books, including The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: What Everyone Needs to Know (Oxford University Press, 2019).