On 23 March 2025, the University of Bristol’s Department of Religion and Theology hosted a conference on antisemitism[. Kevin Mattison (Lecturer in Jewish Studies), Anastasia O’Reilly (MArts in RETH, year 4) and Ruby Lockey-Pope (RETH year 1) organised the conference] in cooperation with Bristol Jewish Society, the Bristol Hebrew Congregation, and the Bristol & West Progressive Congregation. Speakers included UoB academics, representatives of local and national Jewish organizations, other political and religious representatives, and an interfaith panel including Anglican, Muslim, Jewish, and Sikh speakers. Attendees included university students and staff, including Bristol JSoc members, as well as members of our local Jewish congregations, other faith groups, city Councillors, and other interested Bristol residents.
The conference was cited in the House of Lords as an example of good practice, as universities nationwide respond to the Community Security Trust’s report on campus antisemitism:
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The programme included several themed sessions approaching the problem of antisemitism from different angles.
The university welcomed attendees with a video greeting from Vice Chancellor Evelyn Welch and opening remarks from Kevin Mattison and Bristol JSoc president Jonah Levy.
Our first session provided a broad view of antisemitism historically and in the present. Dr Gene Feder OBE spoke on the possibility and necessity of disentangling antisemitism and antizionism. Clive Lawton OBE examined the continued evolution of antisemitism in ‘Pinning down antisemitism - the shape-shifting hatred’. Guy Wilkinson CBE spoke on the history of Christian anti-Judaism.
In our second session, “The contemporary impact of antisemitism - testimony from the field,” Jonah Levy (President, Bristol Jewish Society) Peter Brill (member and interfaith and inter-community representative of the Bristol and West Progressive Congregation), and Damien Egan MP (Member of Parliament for Bristol North East) spoke on how antisemitism manifests and affects our communities.
Our final session was an interfaith panel. Clive Lawton moderated the panel, which included Christian (Guy Wilkinson), Muslim (Farooq Siddique), Sikh (Javinder Singh) and Jewish (Tony Gordon) perspectives.
Some of the most important moments of the conference came in Q&A and discussion. Bristol city Councillors Susan Kollar and Tom Renhard voiced their support for our local Jewish communities and engaged in discussion with Jewish attendees about the misgivings that many have about the Council’s recent BDS resolution. We also got the opportunity to hear from Bristol’s small Israeli community and from the Holocaust Awareness charity.
Approximately 100 people attended the event in person or on Zoom. Attendees were happy with the event overal (4.04/5) and felt like they had learned something about this tremendously important issue (3.83/5). Attendees described the event as “Energising and hopeful” and “a hugely important conference” with “An excellent array of passionate speakers.” Many attendees expressed a strong desire to reprise the event in different ways, including further discussion of antisemitism, other topics relating to Judaism, and continued interreligious dialogue.