The USC Shoah Foundation Launches Countering Antisemitism Laboratory

With antisemitic harassment and violence surging ferociously around the globe, the USC Shoah Foundation establishes a Countering Antisemitism Laboratory to research and combat one of the world's most virulent hatreds.

The USC Shoah Foundation seeks an inaugural director for the Countering Antisemitism Laboratory, which will work with scholars, journalists, policymakers, and other leadership groups to address all forms of antisemitism. The Laboratory will house a major collection of testimonies from survivors of antisemitic violence, training programs centered on understanding and responding to antisemitism, an initiative focused on digital antisemitism and Holocaust denial, and other practical research efforts.

Focusing on leadership outreach, education, and training, and amplifying contemporary survivors' voices, the Countering Antisemitism Laboratory will advance research in antisemitism and hate, enabling deeper understanding of what happens when antisemitism is allowed to grow in societies.

"There's never been a more important time to fund these efforts," said Dr. Robert J. Williams, the Finci-Viterbi Executive Director of the USC Shoah Foundation and UNESCO Chair on Antisemitism and Holocaust Research. "For over a decade, we have witnessed a resurgence of antisemitism across the political spectrum. This problem grew exponentially after Hamas's deadly attacks in southern Israel on October 7, 2023. Antisemitism has existed for over 2,000 years. It is one of our society's original sins, but it does not exist on its own. Where it festers, other forms of hate multiply as well. A steadfast commitment to research, education and outreach is essential to minimize the effects of this hatred, if not reverse the course entirely."

The inaugural Laboratory director will be based at the USC Shoah Foundation's USC Capital Campus in Washington, D.C. The Foundation will staff the Laboratory with subject-matter experts capable of forming partnerships with key institutions at home and abroad. The Laboratory's goal is to increase global engagement through cutting-edge technology and research.

As the Laboratory's core, the Foundation will build a collection of 10,000 video interviews with individuals who have survived anti-Jewish violence since 1945. The collection covers the experiences of Jewish communities from all over the world, including North and South America, the Middle East, Europe, and Africa. It will also include recently collected video testimonies from survivors of the Hamas-led October 7 terror attacks in Israel. These testimonies are already available on the USC Shoah Foundation website. 

Ceci Chan, a member of the USC Shoah Foundation's Board of Councilors' executive committee, supports the Countering Antisemitism Laboratory. "For decades I have worked to support the fight against racism, hatred, and violence. It is urgent, now more than ever, for people around the world to learn from history and to understand current events. Effective education is vitally important in combatting antisemitism and all forms of irrational behavior. We need to significantly increase our safeguarding of decency, civility, and democracy to reduce future atrocities."

The Laboratory will also promote new research projects examining antisemitism and related biases within specific geographic and social contexts. International programs, workshops, and seminars will bring together experts to foster collaborative research and develop new cross-disciplinary approaches to transform the study of antisemitism. Publication and outreach efforts will ensure that research reaches key audiences, inside and outside of academia. This, in turn, will help support new and ongoing training programs dedicated to teaching undergraduate and graduate student leaders, civil servants, journalists, and other influential audiences.

As noted by Julie Epstein Bronstein, USC MPA '93, whose family was among the first to fund some of these programs, "These efforts will inspire and develop leaders capable of recognizing and understanding antisemitism, developing policies that build support and awareness of its dangers, and modeling the behaviors needed to resist it across society."

"By sharing their lived experiences, Jewish survivors allow scholars, policymakers and the public to fully comprehend the brutality that results from antisemitic hate," Dr. Williams said. "It is critical that we understand where antisemitism can lead and work toward building awareness and resilience against it."