Antisemitism, Anti-Zionism, and the Weaponization of Islamophobia, with Dr. Logan Levkoff

Antisemitism in the United States is getting worse. But perhaps just as disturbing is the growing sense that many people no longer recognize antisemitism when it appears, particularly when it is expressed through the language of anti-Zionism, social justice, or supposedly progressive politics.

My guest today, Dr. Logan Levkoff, has experienced this firsthand. After more than two decades teaching sexuality education at the same school, Logan found herself under scrutiny, not because of anything she taught in the classroom, but because some parents discovered that she was an outspoken Zionist. Eventually, she was fired.

That experience serves as a starting point for a much broader conversation about what is happening to Jews in America today. We discuss antisemitism on both the political left and right, increased attempts to distinguish between anti-Zionism and antisemitism, and whether American Jews themselves bear some responsibility for failing to teach enough about Jewish peoplehood, Jewish history, and Zionism.

And we spend significant time discussing a word that has become increasingly prominent in our political discourse: Islamophobia. Hatred or discrimination against Muslims simply because they are Muslim is obviously wrong. But what happens when accusations of Islamophobia are used to shut down legitimate criticism of Islamism, political Islam, or particular ideas and political figures? And why, when Jews raise concerns about antisemitism, is Islamophobia so often invoked alongside it, as though the two phenomena must always be discussed together?

This is a conversation about antisemitism, anti-Zionism, the weaponization of the term Islamophobia, and the increasingly difficult challenge of talking honestly about uncomfortable ideas in a world that seems to have lost its appetite for nuance.

While we atypically don’t have a bonus question with this week’s episode, I wanted to give you a quick heads-up about something special, and hopefully a lot of fun, coming up next week exclusively for members:

Next Sunday at 8 PM Israel time, 1 PM Eastern, I’ll be hosting a live Ask Me Anything for Orthodox Conundrum Commentary members. And when I say “anything,” I really do mean anything. The Orthodox Conundrum, Orthodoxy, Israel, the IDF, Jewish Coffee House, the sale of the Lakers, the Beatles, the new podcast that Talli Rosenbaum and I just put together, Intimacy and Sexuality for Emerging Adults, what goes on behind the scenes of the podcasts, or pretty much anything else you’re curious about. The questions can be about the weightiest issues facing the Jewish world, or about subjects that are considerably less consequential but still worth talking about.

You can send your questions in advance to scott@jewishcoffeehouse.com, and you’ll also be able to ask questions live during the session.

The Q&A is open to all Orthodox Conundrum Commentary members and Patreon supporters. We’ll send out the link during the week.

Start thinking about what you’d like to ask. I’m looking forward to seeing where the conversation takes us.