Shai Davidai an Israeli born Associate Professor at Columbia University, the site of the first pro-Palestinian encampment in North America, has been calling out universities for failing to curb growing antisemitism, which has led to intimidation and harassment of  Jews on campus.  The professor turned activist recently told an audience of 300 people at Shaarey Zedek synagogue that it is time to recognize that since Oct 7, “the Jewish community is entitled to equal treatment, like all other minority communities.”

Davidai hails from a prominent family. His grandfather was a founding executive of El Al, Israel’s national airline and the hospital wing in which Prime Minister Netanyahu obtained heart treatment is named after Davidai’s parents. He has never identified himself with the Israeli right, but rather with the Israeli-left.

He maintains that after the October 7 Hamas attacks, too many people in Western societies have denied or justified the  massacre of Jews and the raping of Israeli women in those attacks, even though these were  so well documented by Hamas itself.

Davidai made international headlines this month when he was barred  from his New York campus after he posted videos of himself confronting university officials about anti-Israel protests on October 7, the one-year anniversary of Hamas’s attack, protests which he says "support Hamas terrorism." Davidai publicized the University’s decision to restrict him from campus in a video in which he said “the University has decided to not allow me to be on campus anymore. My job. Why? Because of  Oct. 7. Because I was not afraid to stand up to the hateful mob..." Davidai told one administrator, “You are such a useless administrator. But you know what, there were so many useless administrators in Nazi Germany, and you know what? After the war, they said they did everything they could.”

Columbia University maintains Davidai repeatedly harassed and intimidated University employees in violation of University policy, but Davidai says that his restriction from campus is an attempt to "silence other Jews" and marginalize Jewish life on campus.  “Some of my colleagues have posted horrible things, and yet I’m the only one suspended."

No administrator from either University of Manitoba or University of Winnipeg met with Davdai when he was here, nor attended his talk, but Davidai says “If I were a person coming here to speak about harassment and intimidation of indigenous people, black people or gay people, someone would come. They don’t come because curbing antisemitism isn’t a priority.” He says he is always willing to dialogue and would meet anyone via a  zoom call if they wished to discuss these issues.

Davidai stressed that in addition to our long standing Jewish institutions, there is a need for grassroots organizations to be vocal in a more public way.

”There is a war going on in the Middle East, and no matter what you think of that war, if you are for it, if you are against it, if you’re indifferent, it doesn’t matter what you think of that war, there is no excuse for harassing Jewish people 5,000 miles away from that war — that is pure anti-semitism,” Davidai told his audience.

Davidai notes that since Oct 7, “Many people are trying to make Jews uncomfortable in public,” and in response members of the Jewish community “must start being Jewish in public.” Although Davidai does not define himself as a “religious Jew”, he proudly wears a Star of David “to say that we Jews are here to stay,” and that he refuses to be marginalized. He told the audience that he has been speaking out to ensure a better world for his children. 

Davidai told his audience that the Jewish community must “start to make noise’, and “stand up “and demonstrate” to “take to the streets” to put forth “our collective rights as a community.” For example, Davidai says if Jewish students are spat upon at a university campus, the Jewish community and its allies ought to demonstrate at that university campus. ‘We need to congregate in the public square, and not just outside our own Jewish community centres.”

As Davidai told his audience “no one is coming to save us.” He notes that “many Jews do not feel comfortable rallying outside of  their areas or near their JCC’s , “but we need to congregate in the public square ,not just in JCC’s.”  Davidai emphasized that when there is an antisemitic speaker at an event, the Jewish community ought not demonstrate the actual antisemite, but rather the institution that allows that antisemitism to occur. For example he said, if there is antisemitic speaker on a university campus, the protest ought to occur outside the university's administrative office rather that the university venue at which the individual is speaking. 

Davidai further suggested individual donors ought to pause their donations to universities at which there is an antisemitism problem, and donors should inform the institutions all monies will be given if/when the university cleans up its antisemitism problem.

Davidai stressed that in addition to our long standing Jewish institutions,  there is a need for grassroots organizations to be vocal in a more public way. He said everyone ought to attend the weekly rally to bring home the Israeli hostages in Gaza and also to bring a friend to them.

Davidai also explained that it is better to send children to receive a Jewish education to ensure our people carry on. In this regard he went to Gray Academy of Jewish education while in Winnipeg and spoke briefly with some classes.

Davidai believes that since the Oct 7 Hamas attacks which triggered the current war, and the explosion of antisemitism in North America, “the Jewish community won’t be able to go back to having the same level of comfort it has previously.” But he says that there has been a gradual shift in the political climate. ‘There are people who are showing up to stand with the Jewish community, and are realizing that although this starts with the Jews, it doesn’t end with us. Many of the pro-Palestinian protesters stand against Western values.”

Regarding  how the world has changed since Oct 7th, Davidai says he doesn’t want to go back to where Jew-hatred simply festered under the surface. 

Davidai pointed out that the term anti-semitism was first coined by a German Nazi in the late eighteen hundreds as a scientific sounding and more palatable term for Judenhass, which is Jew-hatred. Because of this Davidai, prefers not to use the term antisemitism but to call this out for what it is- Jew -hatred. 

In terms of a call to action, Davidai noted that one tangible take away from his talk would be for individuals to come up with an idea and find nine others to help. He tied it in to the need for a minyan to pray. He said there is strength in numbers and everyone can do more for the fight.

When asked regarding students applying to universities, Davidai responded that it is better not to hide being Jewish and to attend a university where one can be oneself and not need to hide being Jewish rather than attend an institution where if you are openly Jewish they wouldn't want you. 

Davidai was brought to Winnipeg by Tafsik, an organization formed to combat Jew hatred.