This session will explore the experiences of how members within the Jewish community have expressed and participated in left-wing politics, and the different ways in which the community has engaged with and responded to them. Though a spectrum of political views exists across the community, left-wing politics, both within South Africa and in relation to Israel, have rarely been tolerated. Laura will focus on a few historical examples and some contemporary issues, and speak about some of the challenges to articulating a left-wing position from within the Jewish community.
Laura Phillips is a PhD student in the History Department at New York University and a Research Associate at the Society, Work and Development Institute (SWOP) at the University of the Witwatersrand.
