Jewish Life and Anti-Semitism in Contemporary Europe

Transcription

1 Jewish Life and Anti-Semitism Budapest

2 Preliminary Agenda For centuries, Europe has been a unique place of prosperous Jewish life. At the same time, it was the location of the most severe tragedy of our human and Jewish history. In its conference on Jewish Life and Anti-Semitism in Contemporary Europe, the Tom Lantos Institute takes stock of this twofold legacy by focusing on both relevant issues of Jewish life in Europe today as well as ways of combating anti-semitism. DAY ONE October 1, 2013 Sessions are held in the former Upper House of the Parliament. 09:00-10:30 Opening Ceremony Welcome speech by Dr. Anna-Mária Bíró Video message by H.E. Mr. Herman Van Rompuy Address by Mrs. Annette Lantos Address by H.E. Mr. Yair Lapid Introduced by Mr. Philip Friedman Opening speech by H.E. Mr. Viktor Orbán President and CEO of the Tom Lantos Institute President of the European Council Chairman of the Lantos Foundation Minister of Finance of the State of Israel Member of the Executive Committee of the Tom Lantos Institute Prime Minister of Hungary Introduced by Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett President of the Lantos Foundation and Co-Chair of the Executive Committee of the Tom Lantos Institute 10:30-11:00 Coffee break 2

3 11:00-12:45 Keynote Speeches - The political aspects of Jewish life today Chaired by H.E. Mr. Zsolt Németh, State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Hungary Introductory remarks by the Chair of the session Understanding, identifying, acting, re-acting, ignoring (?) anti- Semitism in diplomacy European fundamental ideals/values against Antisemitism Representing and protecting interests: the perspective of the Federation of Hungarian Jewish Communities The raison d etre of intergovernmental cooperation on post- Holocaust issues The New Anti-Semitism: Addressing the Campaign of Delegitimization on a National and International Level Executive power and countering anti-semitism H.E. Mr. Zsolt Németh State Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Hungary (Budapest) H.E. Amb. Ilan Mor Ambassador of the State of Israel to Hungary (Budapest) H.E. Mr. Kyriakos Gerontopoulos Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Hellenic Republic András Heisler President of the Federation of Hungarian Jewish Communities (Budapest) Sir Andrew Burns Special Envoy for Post-Holocaust issues of the United Kingdom (London) Malcolm Hoenlein Executive Vice Chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations (New York) Ira Forman Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, U.S. Department of State (Washington, D.C.) 12:45-14:00 Buffet Lunch 14:00-15:00 Keynote Speeches: Politics, anti-semitism and Holocaust remembrance Chaired by Katrina Lantos Swett, President of the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice and Co-Chair of the Executive Committee of the Tom Lantos Institute Brief reflection by special guest Josef Weiss, Honorary Consul of Hungary to Jerusalem The mandate and activities of the Ambassador to the Office of Religious Freedom Inter-parliamentary cooperation for combating anti-semitism Intergovernmental cooperation on Holocaust education, remembrance, and research Jewish issues in political ideologies The Church s Road out of Antisemitism H.E. Amb. Andrew P. W. Bennett Ambassador of the Office of Religious Freedom (Ottawa) MP John Mann Member of the Inter-parliamentary Coalition for Combating Antisemitism (London) Mario Silva Chair of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (Ottawa) Emanuelis Zingeris Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Seimas (Vilnius) Vice President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Father Patrick Desbois President of Yahad In Unum (Paris) 15:00-15:30 Coffee break 3

4 15:30-15:50 Introductory remarks Jews, anti-semites and Europe. What is the problem? Prof. András Kovács Professor of the Nationalism Studies and Head of Jewish Studies Program at the Central European University (Budapest) ANTI-SEMITISM IN EUROPE 15:50-18:00 Plenary session: Perspectives on anti-semitism Chaired by Deidre Berger, Director of the American Jewish Committee Berlin Office Anti-Semitism in Europe in a comparative perspective Anti-Semitism in Central and Eastern Europe and Hungary Anti-Semitism: left and right in Europe Anti-Semitism and Islam Prof. Dr. Andreas Zick Professor for Socialization and Conflict Research at the University of Bielefeld (Bielefeld) Péter Krekó Assistant Professor at Eötvös Loránd University, Director of Political Capital Institute (Budapest) Prof. Lars Rensmann Associate Professor of Political Science at the John Cabot University (Rome) Prof. Dr. Jean-Yves Camus Research Fellow at the Institute of International and Strategic Relations (Paris) 18:00-18:45 Break for light refreshments 18:45 19:45 Budapest Klezmer Band Concert (Upper House) 4

5 DAY TWO October 2, 2013 Sessions are held either in the former Upper House or the Delegation Room as indicated below. 09:00-10:30 Plenary Session: Combating anti-semitism: best practices at national, international and transnational levels (Upper House) Chaired by Michael A. Salberg, Associate National Director and Director of International Affairs of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) What can national governments and Jewish organisations do? Role of international organisations in combating anti-semitism Michael Whine Director of the Government and International Affairs at the Community Security Trust (London) Floriane Hohenberg Head of the OSCE ODIHR Tolerance and Non-Discrimination Department (Warsaw) 10:30-11:00 Coffee Break JEWISH LIFE IN EUROPE 11:00-13:00 Panel A: Jewish identity in Europe (Upper House) Chaired by Prof. Tibor Várady, Professor of Law, Central European University (CEU) Jewish identities in Europe Multiple identities and related challenges Israel and the Diaspora changing generations, changing relations Konstanty Gebert JEditor in Chief of Midrasz, Jewish socio-cultural magazine (Warsaw) Prof. Lars Dencik Professor of Social Psychology at the Roskilde University (Roskilde) Prof. Raphael Vago Senior Lecturer at the University of Tel-Aviv and Senior Research Fellow at the Kantor Center for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry (Tel-Aviv) 11:00-12:30 Panel B: Representing Jewish interests through politics and civil society (Delegation Room) Chaired by Sam Grundwerg, Director General of World Jewish Congress Israel The representation of Jewish interests in political life in Europe Managing Jewish heritage in Europe: Jewish organizations, civil society and strategic thinking Dr. Tomas Kraus Executive director of the Federation of Jewish Communities in the Czech Republic (Prague) Ruth Ellen Gruber Journalist and photographer at the Jewish Telegraphic Agency (New York) 5

6 12:30-13:00 Side event: The Jewish Strategy: taking the responsibility in combating antisemitism (Delegation Room) Rabbi Slomó Köves Founder, Action and Protection Foundation (TEV), Budapest Dániel Bodnár Executive, Chairman of the Board of Action and Protection Foundation (TEV), Budapest 13:00-14:10 Buffet Lunch 14:10-15:40 Panel A: Jewish education (Upper House) Chaired by Prof. György Haraszti, Professor of the University of Jewish Studies Holocaust remembrance, Holocaust education and anti- Semitism The function and best practices of Jewish education in Europe Mónika Kovács Associate Professor at Eötvös Loránd University (Budapest) Rabbi Joshua Spinner Executive Vice President and CEO of the Ronald S. Lauder Foundation (Berlin) 15:40-16:10 Side event: Introducing the Hungarian version of the ODIHR/Anne Frank House Teaching Materials on Anti-Semitism (Upper House) Anne Giebel Adviser on Combating Anti-Semitism, OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (Warsaw) Mónika Kovács Associate Professor at Eötvös Loránd University (Budapest) Kinga Ágnes Farkas Educational program coordinator, Zachor Foundation for Social Remembrance (Budapest) 14:10-16:10 Panel B: Contemporary Jewish culture in Europe: the role of literature and culture (Delegation Room) Chaired by Prof. György Schöpflin, MEP, Chair of the Board of the Centre for Democracy Public Foundation In Twofold Minority: Modern European Jewish Literature: does it exist at all? The role of Jewish culture in European Jewish identity Acculturation, Assimilation, Deconstruction: The Impact of Jews on the National Literatures and National Literatures on Jewish Literatures Gábor T. Szántó Novelist, poet, and Editor-in-Chief of Szombat, the Hungarian Jewish Monthly (Budapest) Dov H. Maimon Senior Fellow at the Jewish People Policy Institute (Jerusalem) János Kőbányai Editor-in-Chief at the Past and Future journal and publishing house (Jerusalem, Budapest) 6

7 16:10-16:45 Coffee break 16:45-18:30 Plenary Session: : Interfaith dialogue (Upper House) Chaired by H.E. Péter Card. Erdő, President of the Council of the European Bishops Conferences, Trustee of the Appeal of Conscience Foundation Keynote speech by the Chair of the session, H.E. Péter Card. Erdő President of the Council of the European Bishops Conferences, Trustee of the Appeal of Conscience Foundation Prof. Marios Begzos Dean of the Theological School of the University of Athens Address by H.E. Bishop Péter Gáncs Address by Rabbi Walter Homolka Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hungary Rector of the Abraham Geiger College Vice President of the European Union for Progressive Judaism Address by H.E. Bishop Gusztáv Bölcskei Clerical President of the Synod of the Reformed Church in Hungary Address by Rabbi István Darvas Rabbi of the Dózsa György street Synagogue Address by Rabbi Ferenc Raj Founding Rabbi of the Bet Orim Reform Jewish Congregation, Budapest and Rabbi Emeritus of Congregation Beth El, Berkeley, California 18:30-19:00 Closing remarks (Upper House) Address by Rabbi Andrew Baker Personal Representative of the OSCE Chair-in-Office on Combating Anti-Semitism AJC Director of International Jewish Affairs (New York) Address by H.E. Mr. János Martonyi Minister of Foreign Affairs of Hungary 7

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