Oberlin College professor with history of anti-Israel activism to teach ‘Jews and Power’ course
The course will ‘examine religious, philosophical, and political texts that exemplify different ways that Jews and non-Jews alike have imagined or understood the Jewish relationship to power.’
Professor Berkman has a long history of anti-Israel activism, including supporting groups like the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement.
A professor at Oberlin College in Ohio who is a fervent anti-Israel activist will be teaching a course on “Jews and Power.”
“‘Jews and Power’- an actual course being taught at Oberlin College in Oberlin, OH. The class is being taught by known antisemite Matt Berkman,” noted the group StopAntisemitism on X on Tuesday.
“Jews and Power” - an actual course being taught at Oberlin College in Oberlin, OH.
The class is being taught by known antisemite Matt Berkman.
More on Berkman via @canarymission here: https://t.co/w7ToyDontD pic.twitter.com/lw4YScL52T— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) January 7, 2025
[RELATED: Radical Islamic Kent State prof calls Oct. 7 ‘miracle,’ says it planted ‘seed of freedom’]
The course description notes: “Popular conceptions of the relationship between Jews and power tend either to adopt (in the case of sympathetic accounts) a view of Jews as perennial victims or (in the case of hostile/antisemitic accounts) a view of Jews as overly or preternaturally powerful. This course attempts to complicate that bipolar framework by exploring a more diverse range of encounters between Jews and power from antiquity to the present.”
“In addition to historical writing, we will also examine religious, philosophical, and political texts that exemplify different ways that Jews and non-Jews alike have imagined or understood the Jewish relationship to power,” it continues.
Berkman is an Assistant Professor of Jewish Studies at Oberlin. His PhD dissertation was titled: “Coercive Consensus: Jewish Federations, Ethnic Representation, and the Roots of American Pro-Israel Politics.”
[RELATED: FLASHBACK: Insane Columbia prof who praised Oct. 7 says it is ‘Hitlerian’ to claim Jews have ancient ties to Israel]
Berkman has a history of strong opposition to the Jewish state.
His profile from the watchdog group Canary Mission notes his involvement with the anti-Israel organization Jewish Voice for Peace, as well as his support for the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement.
BDS has been criticized before for anti-Semitic actions and its opposition to the existence of Israel.
Berkman is not the only anti-Israel professor slated to teach a course on Judaism.
Joseph Massad, a professor at Columbia who has praised the Oct. 7 massacre, is also going to teach a course on Judaism, specifically one focused on Zionism.
Campus Reform has reached out to Oberlin College and Professor Berkman for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
