Amanda Berman

Last updated

Amanda Berman is an American civil rights attorney. She is the founder and executive director of the Zioness Movement, an organization that supports the activities of progressive Jews and Zionists toward promoting social justice. [1]

Contents

Early life and education

Berman graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and the Cardozo School of Law. [2] She was the director of legal affairs at the Lawfare Project before founding Zioness. [2]

Zioness Movement founding and activities

In 2017, Berman founded Zioness with a dozen friends after three Jewish participants at the Chicago Dyke March were ejected for carrying Pride flags adorned with the Star of David. Berman mobilized the new group to march in SlutWalk Chicago, a demonstration against sexual violence, bearing Star of David symbols. [3] Berman told NBC News “It’s important that we all call out anti-Semitism in our own spaces”. [4] She declared the group's goal to "empower Jewish activists in the future in every variety of social justice movement.” [5]

Berman explains her organization’s philosophy as “Can you Be Zionist and Progressive? (Of course!)”. [6] She describes Zionism as "a liberation movement and a progressive value", arguing that the progressive movement has long benefitted from the contributions of Zionists, that Jew hatred harmed Jeremy Corbyn's party, and that white supremacists blame Jews for helping other minority groups. [7]

Board members of Zioness include Elisha Weisel, who noted, "I found Zioness (on social media) before they found me”. [8] In her 2019 book on fighting antisemitism, Bari Weiss quoted Berman as saying “We have to be as intolerant of antisemitism from our political allies as from our foes.” [9]

In 2020, Zioness expressed outrage at the death of George Floyd [10] and produced a guide for fighting antisemitism while supporting Black Lives Matter. [11]

In fall 2023, Berman objected to responses to the Israel-Hamas war which involved projecting American experiences of racism onto Israel. She expressed shock that feminists were questioning the evidence that women had been sexually assaulted by Hamas attackers. [1] She cautioned against reducing the Middle East conflict to an oppressor/oppressed binary. [12] Berman expressed concerns with the practice of linking antisemitism and Islamophobia together when discussing either form of hate. [13]

In August 2024, Berman told the Washington Post that while American Jews still find their traditional political home in the Democratic party, antisemitism on the left had grown since the October 7 Hamas-led attacks on Israel. [14] On the sidelines of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Berman moderated Zioness’s panel discussion on free speech and antisemitism on college campuses. [15] The panel featured legal scholar Erwin Chemerinsky and U.S. Department of Education official Catherine E. Lhamon. [16]

In September 2024, Berman emcee’d the Jewish New Year ceremony at the Israeli embassy in Washington DC. Attendees included Israeli Ambassador Michael Herzog, Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt, and cybertechnology official Anne Neuberger. [17]

Views on pro-Palestinian campus protests

In April 2024, Berman told NewsNation that Columbia University “could be doing so much more” to protect the rights of Jewish students on campus during the 2024 Columbia University pro-Palestinian protests. [18]

In November 2024, Berman told Moment Magazine that “to attack Hillel on campuses is to attack Jewish life on campus”. [19]

Selected articles

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neturei Karta</span> Anti-Zionist Haredi Jewish religious group

Neturei Karta is an anti-Zionist and pro-Palestine Haredi Jewish group.

New antisemitism is the concept that a new form of antisemitism developed in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, typically manifesting itself as anti-Zionism. The concept is included in some definitions of antisemitism, such as the working definition of antisemitism and the 3D test of antisemitism. The concept dates to the early 1970s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jewish Voice for Peace</span> American anti-Zionist advocacy group

Jewish Voice for Peace is an American Jewish anti-Zionist and left-wing advocacy organization. It is critical of Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories, and supports the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel.

Antisemitism at universities has been reported and supported since the medieval period and, more recently, resisted and studied. Antisemitism has been manifested in various policies and practices, such as restricting the admission of Jewish students by a Jewish quota, or ostracism, intimidation, or violence against Jewish students, as well as in the hiring, retention and treatment of Jewish faculty and staff. In some instances, universities have been accused of condoning the development of antisemitic cultures on campus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ameinu</span> American progressive Jewish organization

Ameinu is a left-wing American Jewish Zionist organization. Established in 2004 as the successor to the Labor Zionist Alliance, it is the continuation of Labor Zionist activity in the United States that began with the founding of Poale Zion, which came together in the period 1906, or an “offshoot” of the Israeli Labor Party. In 2024, Ameinu merged with Americans for Peace Now to form the New Jewish Narrative.

Antisemitic tropes, also known as antisemitic canards or antisemitic libels, are "sensational reports, misrepresentations or fabrications" about Jews as an ethnicity or Judaism as a religion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of the Jews in Qatar</span>

The history of the Jews in Qatar is relatively limited unlike some of the neighboring countries in the Gulf of Persia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jewish left</span> Left-wing ideologies and movements among Jews

The Jewish left consists of Jews who identify with, or support, left-wing or left-liberal causes, consciously as Jews, either as individuals or through organizations. There is no one organization or movement which constitutes the Jewish left, however. Jews have been major forces in the history of the labor movement, the settlement house movement, the women's rights movement, anti-racist and anti-colonialist work, and anti-fascist and anti-capitalist organizations of many forms in Europe, the United States, Australia, Algeria, Iraq, Ethiopia, South Africa, and modern-day Israel. Jews have a history of involvement in anarchism, socialism, Marxism, and Western liberalism. Although the expression "on the left" covers a range of politics, many well-known figures "on the left" have been Jews who were born into Jewish families and have various degrees of connection to Jewish communities, Jewish culture, Jewish tradition, or the Jewish religion in its many variants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Linda Sarsour</span> American Muslim feminist activist

Linda Sarsour is an American political activist. She was co-chair of the 2017 Women's March, the 2017 Day Without a Woman, and the 2019 Women's March. She is also a former executive director of the Arab American Association of New York. She and her Women's March co-chairs were profiled in Time magazine's "100 Most Influential People" in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">IfNotNow</span> American Jewish advocacy group

IfNotNow is an American Jewish activist group which opposes the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Its membership demonstrates against politicians, United States policies, and institutions that support Israel's occupation, usually seeking to apply pressure through direct action and media appearances. It has been characterized variously as progressive or far-left.

<i>How to Fight Anti-Semitism</i> 2019 book by Bari Weiss

How to Fight Anti-Semitism is a 2019 book by journalist Bari Weiss that explores the history and current manifestations of antisemitism and attempts to provide strategies to oppose it. She identifies the main strains of antisemitism as left-wing, right-wing, and Islamic antisemitism, and tries to provide a history of each variety. Weiss said that the book discusses the "alarming rise of antisemitism in and in Europe" and will propose ways to address the problem.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rudy Rochman</span> Israeli activist (born 1993)

Rudy IsraelRochman is a Jewish-Israeli rights activist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amichai Chikli</span> Israeli politician (born 1981)

Amichai Chikli is an Israeli politician who serves as the Minister of Diaspora Affairs. He served in the 24th Knesset as part of the Yamina party slate, and in the 25th Knesset as part of Likud.

Zionist antisemitism or antisemitic Zionism refers to a phenomenon in which antisemites express support for Zionism and the State of Israel. In some cases, this support may be promoted for explicitly antisemitic reasons. Historically, this type of antisemitism has been most notable among Christian Zionists, who may perpetrate religious antisemitism while being outspoken in their support for Jewish sovereignty in Israel due to their interpretation of Christian eschatology. Similarly, people who identify with the political far-right, particularly in Europe and the United States, may support the Zionist movement because they seek to expel Jews from their country and see Zionism as the least complicated method of achieving this goal and satisfying their racial antisemitism.

Zionist as a pejorative or Zio is a term commonly used by "anti-Zionists" as described by academics, political parties and civil rights organizations as antisemitic, including but not limited to the American Jewish Committee (AJC), Anti-Defamation League (ADL), the British Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats.

Globalize the Intifada is a slogan that has been used for advocating for global activism in support of Palestinian resistance against Israeli occupation. The term intifada being derived from the Arabic word nafada meaning to "shake off", refers to Palestinian uprisings or resistance against Israeli control, and the call to "globalize" it suggests extending the spirit and actions of these uprisings beyond the regional context to a worldwide movement.

Within Our Lifetime - United For Palestine (WOL), is a pro-Palestinian and anti-Zionist activist organization primarily active in New York City. The group has expressed support for Hamas.

Jews have faced antisemitism and discrimination in universities and campuses in the United States, from the founding of universities in the Thirteen Colonies until the present day in varying intensities. From the early 20th century, and until the 1960s, indirect quotas were placed on Jewish admissions, quotas were first placed on Jews by elite universities such Columbia, Harvard and Yale and were prevalent as late as the 1960s in universities such as Stanford. These quotas disappeared in the 1970s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antisemitism at Columbia University</span>

Antisemitism at Columbia University was prevalent in the first half of the 20th century and has resurged in recent years. In the early 21st century, discourse surrounding the Israeli–Palestinian conflict would sometimes lead to accusations of antisemitism, but these individual controversies were typically isolated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jewish Council of Australia</span> Australian community organisation

The Jewish Council of Australia (JCA) is an Australian Jewish community organisation, founded in February 2024. It was founded to represent non-Zionist Australian Jews and oppose antisemitism and racism. Its supporters have been said to "align with the left" and the group itself has taken many left-wing positions, including being extremely critical of Israel's actions in the Israel–Hamas war.

References

  1. 1 2 Schoenberg, Shira (2023-11-13). "Is there a future for Jewish progressivism after Oct. 7?". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
  2. 1 2 "Amanda Berman at UC Berkeley Law". Brandeis Center - Advance the civil and human rights of the Jewish people and promote justice for all. 2018-04-17. Retrieved 2024-12-30.
  3. ↑ Editorial, Jpost (2017-08-11). "New 'progressive Zionist' group to march in Chicago SlutWalk". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
  4. ↑ Scher, Avichai (2019-06-21). "Israeli-Palestinian conflict tears into LGBTQ Jewish community". NBC News. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
  5. ↑ Ladinsky, Kaylene (2019-05-15). "Atlantans Eager to Launch Atlanta Zioness Chapter". Atlanta Jewish Times. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
  6. ↑ "Can You Be Zionist and Progressive? (Of Course!): Weintraub Israel Center to Bring Zioness Founder and Executive Director Amanda Berman to Tucson J, AZ Jewish Post". Arizona Jewish Post. 2024-12-29. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
  7. ↑ Melman, Lana (2023-09-12). "REFLECTIONS WITH Lana Melman: It's not a Sophie's Choice". Sun Sentinel. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
  8. ↑ Weiss, Melissa (2020-09-02). "Elisha Wiesel's next chapter". Jewish Insider. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
  9. ↑ Blum, Brian (2024-07-30). "Bari Weiss's guidelines for how to fight antisemitism in the 21st century". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
  10. ↑ Jeffries, Virginia (2020-06-01). "26 Jewish organizations speak out on the death of George Floyd". The Forward. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
  11. ↑ Sobel, Ariel (2020-06-10). "This Guide Helps Jews Tackle Anti-Semitism While Supporting Black Lives Matter". Jewish Journal. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
  12. ↑ Ziri, Danielle (2023-10-27). "On Tree of Life shooting anniversary, liberal US Jews mourn alone over Hamas atrocities". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
  13. ↑ Deutch, Gabby (2023-11-17). "Concerns rise over WH linkage of antisemitism, Islamophobia". Jewish Insider. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
  14. ↑ Alemany, Jacqueline (2024-08-23). "Amid DNC protests, Jewish Democrats seek to claim political home on the left". Washington Post. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
  15. ↑ Fink, Rachel (2024-08-22). "Antisemitism in the Academy: A DNC Panel Tries to Tackle Jewish Students' Fears on Campus". Haaretz.com. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
  16. ↑ Steinberg, Josh (2024-08-23). "Ha'aretz Covers Zioness DNC Event: Antisemitism in the Academy: A DNC Panel Tries to Tackle Jewish Students' Fears on Campus". Zioness Movement. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
  17. ↑ Rod, Marc (2024-10-01). "Ahead of Rosh Hashanah, Michael Herzog calls for Israel to 'reflect deeply' on mistakes surrounding Oct. 7". Jewish Insider. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
  18. ↑ "Columbia officials 'degrading the institution' for handling of protests: Amanda Berman". NewsNation. 2024-04-22. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
  19. ↑ Forman, Jacob (2024-11-20). "Why Do Campus Protesters Want to #DropHillel?". Moment Magazine. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
  20. ↑ Berman, Amanda (2024-06-26). "Jamaal Bowman's Defeat Is a Fatal Blow to Anti-Israel Left". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
  21. ↑ Berman, Amanda (2023-11-22). "Weaponizing 'genocide' against Jews & the truth". New York Daily News. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
  22. ↑ Berman, Amanda (2023-10-26). "Reclaiming the real progressive movement". amNewYork. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.