Jonathan Greenblatt, the CEO and national director of the Anti-Defamation League, will speak at the University on Feb. 22, according to Sylvia Carey-Butler, the vice president for institutional equity and diversity.
The event, sponsored by the Office for Institutional Equity and Diversity, was made available this week for registration by community members. Titled “An Evening with Jonathan Greenblatt,” it will spotlight a “conversation about antisemitism in the U.S.,” according to the Events@Brown. The location of the event has yet to be announced.
In recent years, both Greenblatt and the ADL have been subject to public criticism related to their comments on the ongoing Israel-Palestine war and the region’s historical tensions.
The organization’s continued statements on Students for Justice in Palestine — a national student movement which supports “Palestinian liberation and self-determination” efforts across college campuses which has itself faced scrutiny regarding its political leanings — have been a prominent source of controversy in recent years.
At the May 2022 ADL Leadership Summit, Greenblatt stated that SJP, as well as Jewish Voice for Peace and the Council on American-Islamic Relations, “epitomize the Radical Left,” labeling the groups as “anti-Zionist extremists.”
In a joint response to Greenblatt’s claims, SJP, JVP and CAIR wrote that they “unequivocally condemn the baseless allegations” made against them by the ADL, adding that the claims “will distract from the real threat of white supremacy faced by all our communities.”
Following the onset of the Israel-Palestine war this October, SJP has taken an increasingly visible role on college campuses across the country, including at Brown.
On Oct. 25, approximately 500 students walked out in a protest partially organized by Brown’s SJP chapter, The Herald previously reported. The chapter also promoted a week-long hunger strike that concluded last Friday.
The ADL has been critical of the SJP following their response to the war. In October, it sent a letter to hundreds of colleges and universities urging them to investigate their SJP chapters, claiming that the student groups may be “materially supporting a foreign terrorist organization,” CNN reported.
In an interview with The Herald, Carey-Butler said that the plan to invite Greenblatt originated before Oct. 7. She noted that Greenblatt has since become “the face” of much public conversation on the Israel-Palestine war.
“What we have is an opportunity to provide different viewpoints and educate ourselves,” Carey-Butler said. “I’m hoping that anyone who might be upset that OIED is sponsoring this event will understand it’s not about endorsing any side — it really is about bringing in a viewpoint and bringing understanding and awareness.”
OIED “takes no sides,” and aims to work with students from “all backgrounds” to ensure that they feel “supported, affirmed and respected,” Carey-Butler told The Herald.
At a Tuesday meeting, faculty members expressed some concern over Greenblatt’s visit to the University, The Herald previously reported.
Samantha is a University News editor who oversees the Affinity & Activism beat. She is a sophomore from Tampa, Florida concentrating in Sociology. In her free time, Samantha likes to cook and watch Survivor.
