The Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Hillel club is hosting multiple workshops throughout the week to educate people on antisemitism, according to an Instagram post put out by the organization.
On Wednesday, the director of antisemitism education at Hillel International Tina Malka and the director of SLO Hillel Lauren Bandari will speak at an antisemitism education open forum at the yakʔitʸutʸu community room from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. This event will focus on how to hold discussions about antisemitism with others.
On Thursday, a student ambassador from the organization Jewish on Campus will be tabling at the UU plaza from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Previously, the Hillel and Jewish Community Center have collaborated on a similar event called the Festival of Jewish Learning, which takes place from Feb. 24-26 and is intended to educate people on Jewish culture and life. However, this is the first time there will be an on-campus event that is a collaborative effort between SLO Hillel and the university to educate people on antisemitism.
In partnership with the university, SLO Hillel also hosted an antisemitism training for administrative staff on Tuesday.
“A lot of people don’t know what antisemitism is,” Bandari said. “They don’t even know there have been these conspiracy theories for so long.”
Bandari said that the lack of education on antisemitism allows for antisemitic conspiracy theories to gain traction.
Content creators such as Candace Owens and celebrities like Ye (formerly Kanye) West, Kyrie Irving and Nick Cannon have helped spread open, antisemitic hate online and in public.
“What’s really disturbing is reading reports of signs hanging on the 405 [that say] honk if Kanye is right or Dave Chappelle saying ‘I’ve been to Hollywood, there are a lot of Jews,’” Bandari said. “It feeds the fire.”
Bandari also points out how, here at Cal Poly, antisemitic beliefs could have an easier time manifesting as there is no Jewish space.
“We don’t have a Jewish space on campus,” Bandari said. “In a way that keeps us protected, but that also keeps us hidden.”