Conversation Series

This series engages students and the public with discussions about timely topics dealing with ethnic and religious hatred and tolerance.  These moderated conversations invite scholars and practitioners to share their expertise with the campus community, to showcase diverse opinions, and to model open and respectful dialogue. 

For a complete archive of past recorded conversations in the series, see below.

For more information of the flagship course offered by the Raoul Wallenberg Instutute, which connects all of the conversations through group dialogue, click here.

"Why is it so difficult to talk about the conflict in Israel and Palestine?" (January 21, 2025)

This panel aims to unpack the contemporary implications of the conflict in our own campus community, fostering a nuanced dialogue that acknowledges diverse perspectives and seeks pathways for understanding and continued dialogue across ideologies. Exploring the complexities and differing narratives surrounding the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict, panelists will discuss the ways in which various interpretations and representations shape public perception and policy, and how they make emotions and communications around the topic difficult to navigate.

Panelists:

Mostafa Hussein: Assistant Professor, Jean & Samuel Frankel Center for Judaic Studies

Aaron Rock-Singer: Research Fellow, Raoul Wallenberg Institute; Lecturer, Judaic and Middle East Studies

Karla Goldman: Sol Drachler Professor of Social Work; Director, Jewish Communal Leadership Program; Professor, Jean & Samuel Frankel Center for Judaic Studies

Jeffrey Veidlinger, Moderator: Director, Raoul Wallenberg Institute, Joseph Brodsky Collegiate Professor of History and Judaic Studies

"Can one person make a difference, and if so, how?" (January 21, 2025)

Inspired by the historical figures of Raoul Wallenberg and Martin Luther King Jr., the Raoul Wallenberg Institute hosts an interdisciplinary and intergenerational conversation about the role of the individual in making change. Expert and activist panelists will examine various instances of individual and group influence to enact change, discussing the merit of trying and failing, the different ways that individuals have sought to influence the world around them, and how to measure and evaluate “making a difference.”

Panelists:

Irene Butter, Professor Emerita of Public Health, Holocaust survivor, and peace activist

Matthew J. Countryman, Associate Professor of Afroamerican & African Studies, and History

Sooyun Christina Kim, Undergraduate LSA - Student

Elliot Ratzman, Research Fellow, Raoul Wallenberg Institute

Jeffrey Veidlinger, Moderator: Director, Raoul Wallenberg Institute