UA Ruhr Action Days against Antisemitism and Racism

Harassment, discrimination, and abuse of power occur in all areas of society, including universities. During the UA Ruhr Action Days against antisemitism and racism, participants with diverse professional and personal backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives will come together. This will result in a varied programme with diverse perspectives. This will create a varied program that incorporates multiple viewpoints. To establish a space that is as free from discrimination as possible for all participants, the following Code of Conduct outlines the expected respectful behavior during the Action Days.

By participating in the Action Days, you agree to comply with the following Code of Conduct:

1. We expect participants to demonstrate consideration and respect in both speech and actions.

2. We encourage participants to engage in constructive dialogue on contentious issues.

3. Discriminatory behavior based on gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, economic status, employment status, disability, illness, neurodiversity, physical appearance, origin, nationality, ethnicity, race, skin color, age, religion, or any other identity category will not be tolerated.

4. Any (non-)verbal, physical, or visual harassment is strictly prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to: intimidation, stalking, harassment, photographing or recording individuals without consent, persistent disruption of lectures, workshops, or other events, unsolicited physical contact, and any form of sexual violence.

5. The photo policy will be strictly enforced: no photos or other recordings (audio, video, etc.) are allowed during events.

6. Participants who are asked to stop harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately.

7. We expect participants to remain mindful of their surroundings and the presence of others.

If participants observe harassment, discrimination, abuse of power, or other behavior that violates this Code of Conduct, or if they are personally affected, they can confidentially contact the awareness team or the organizational team

Consequences of unacceptable behaviour:

The organizational team reserves the right to take appropriate measures in response to unacceptable behavior by participants, which may include exclusion from the event.

Anti-muslim racism and antisemitism remain widespread in both society and institutions. In schools, discrimination manifests not only in the form of educational disadvantages for pupils but also as discrimination against teachers with a migration background. How can racism be made visible? What experiences of racism do people encounter in schools? Prof. Dr. Karim Fereidooni will present selected findings from his study, "Experiences of Racism in the Classroom," along with other studies on the topic of "Racism in the Classroom." The focus will be on the question: "Why is it still so difficult to talk about (experiences of) racism in society and schools?"

Registration at: https://eveeno.com/262842036

Ernst Grube was born in Munich in 1932 to a Jewish mother and a Protestant father. After the destruction of Munich's main synagogue in June 1938, the adjacent buildings of the Jewish community on Herzog-Max-Straße were "aryanized," meaning they were looted. The Grube family was evicted from their rented apartment in one of these buildings. In their distress, Ernst's parents brought him and his two siblings to a Jewish children's home just two days before the November pogrom of 1938. Nearly all of the children placed in this home were later deported and murdered by the Nazis.

From spring 1942, Ernst and his siblings were sent to the "Milbertshofen Jewish camp," and later transferred to another camp in Berg am Laim until April 1943. Three months before the war ended, the Grube children and their mother were deported to the Theresienstadt ghetto, where they remained imprisoned until liberation on May 8, 1945.

Registration at: https://eveeno.com/287940793

About the person:

Ernst Grube is one of the last surviving witnesses to recount his personal memories and experiences during the Nazi reign of terror. Birgit Mair, a book author and expert on right-wing extremism who has conducted over five hundred interviews with Holocaust survivors since 2005, will lead the discussion. She will provide historical context for the eyewitness's stories and present pictures and documents from his life. Following the talk, there will be an opportunity for audience questions.

A cooperation with the lecture series "Positionen zur postmigrantischen Gesellschaft" of the Faculty of Philology

Participants: Taban Abas, Dilan Celik, Laura Morgenthaler-García, Barsan Sidik, Michalina Trompeta

Registration at: https://eveeno.com/237691984

Since October 7th, antisemitic incidents have been on the rise in Germany, including at colleges and universities. Antisemitism affects Jewish individuals in various ways, yet there are very few spaces where they can openly discuss their experiences without denial or relativization.

October 7th marks a significant turning point. Places and spaces that once felt secure are no longer taken for granted. In this Safer Space, we aim to address these changes and provide mutual support. Through guided group discussions, we intend to create an environment where participants can be there for one another.

The Safer Space will be moderated by two counselors from the OFEK team. It is explicitly open to Jewish students to focus on the specific context of higher education and the uncertainties associated with it.

When? 29.10.24 16-18 h

Where? The Safer Space takes place digitally. You will receive the access link after registration at: saferspaces@ofek-beratung.de

OFEK is the first counselling centre in Germany that specialises in antisemitism and community-based counselling for those affected.

Registration at: saferspaces@ofek-beratung.de

This lecture offers an analysis of the various forms of militaristic discourse in Israel, situating them within the broader context of the ongoing war escalations in the region. We will also explore the different political currents within the Israeli protest movement that advocate for a hostage deal and oppose the Israeli government, linking these to the efforts of leftist actors striving to create an alternative, peace-oriented discourse and political majority. Furthermore, the lecture will highlight both the continuities and shifts compared to the anti-government protests of 2023. Finally, we will address the question of how these leftist protests resonate internationally, particularly in relation to global protests against the Gaza war.

Registartion: https://eveeno.com/357814525

Whether in schools, prisons, or the media, theater educator and author Burak Yilmaz challenges the normalization of right-wing extremist attitudes through his work. He particularly explores the phenomena of antisemitism and racism, examining how they intersect and how loyalties and affiliations are negotiated. In this lecture, Yilmaz will provide insights into his work and offer ideas on how to create social spaces of resonance to foster greater awareness and responsibility. A Q&A session will follow the lecture.

Registration at: https://eveeno.com/172986440

A cooperation with the lecture series "Positionen zur postmigrantischen Gesellschaft" of the Faculty of Philology.

Registration at: https://eveeno.com/337530501

In our panel talk, we will discuss the war in Israel/Palestine and its impact on people both on the ground and here in Germany. The discourse around this war is often polarized and aggressive, marked by a struggle for interpretative sovereignty and moral superiority that leaves little room for the pain of those affected, nuanced opinions, and collaborative solutions. We aim to foster radical empathy for all those affected and tolerance of ambiguity for differing perspectives.

This 90-minute event is open to UA Ruhr students and other interested individuals. As an introduction, a short film about a peace initiative in Israel/Palestine will be shown, followed by a moderated panel discussion in English. At the end of the event, participants will have the opportunity to ask written questions, which the speakers will address.

Registration at: https://eveeno.com/260677599

About the speakers:

Zey (she/he) is a queer feminist activist and teacher. She grew up in Turkey with Palestinian and Syrian parents. She has been living in Germany for four years and currently works as an inclusion tutor at a school in Cologne.

Swetlana (she/her) is a sociologist with Ukrainian-Russian-Jewish roots. She holds workshops on political and religious radicalization, conspiracy myths, and abuse of power in political and religious contexts.

For many Jewish people, religion is an important part of their lives, shaping their everyday experiences, whether visibly or invisibly. But what does it actually mean to practice the Jewish faith? Is membership in a Jewish community necessary? Are there specific commandments one must follow? And what role does religion play for Jewish students and university members in their daily university life?

The aim of this event is to provide insight into Jewish life in the Ruhr region and to foster dialogue among participants.

Registration at: https://eveeno.com/679307279

A cooperation with the lecture series "Positionen zur postmigrantischen Gesellschaft" of the Faculty of Philology and the Discussion Forum of the Institute of Arabic and Islamic Studies "(Angst)frei debattieren über den Nahostkonflikt: Wo, wenn nicht an der Universität?" ("Debating the Middle East Conflict Without Fear: Where, If Not at the University?")

Registration at: https://eveeno.com/340308593

A cooperation with the Center for Teaching and Learning at the Ruhr-University Bochum.

Many lecturers are familiar with situations in courses in which they are confronted with political statements, exclusionary, misogynistic or racist remarks. We are not always prepared for this, we do not always know how to react ad hoc.

In the workshop, we first want to define some terms and bring some clarity to the jungle using scientific definitions: Diversity, integration, racism, radicalism, populism, nationalism. What forms of exclusion and political border-crossing do we experience in courses and at the university? How do we deal with them? And how can we intervene appropriately?

Speakers:

Dr. Claudia Bade

Prof. Dr. Malte Schophaus

Registration under: https://fortbildungsportal.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/kurs?id=2226

Antisemitism manifests as a form of violence across various social spaces and is increasingly appearing within institutional contexts. The persistence of antisemitic structures and the growing intensity of antisemitic incidents in universities highlight the need for a more professional and structural approach to addressing antisemitism. Only through the increased focus on contemporary antisemitism from Jewish perspectives and the emergence of the first empirical studies on antisemitism in educational settings have antisemitism-critical and intersectional analyses developed in recent years. These analyses have drawn greater attention to the impact of antisemitic structures and practices and can now, in part, be applied to the university context.

This workshop will present key challenges and offer practical strategies for addressing antisemitism, prioritizing the protection of those affected.

To register: https://eveeno.com/236820487

About the novel "Das Land, das ich dir zeigen will":

Israel – the country she often visited as a child, where part of her family found refuge decades ago. It is the land of the people S. came to know through her grandfather's stories, and at the same time, the people she meets today while hitchhiking between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. In the past, there was the underground fighter Yitzchak, who could make tomatoes grow in the desert. There were Eva and Zwi Goldberg, who tried to soothe their longing for their old homeland with German roses. Today, there is Mohammad, a DJ in a techno club who can't move on from his Jewish ex-girlfriend. There is the settler Rafi and the Bedouin Abdallah, who look like twin brothers but are not. And there is the café owner Lior, who dreams of a road trip with his daughter in a sky-blue VW bus. As S. learns more about the lives of these people, her own story—and her place in this country—begins to unfold.

Sara Klatt shows us a country as multi-layered as its inhabitants, taking us on an extraordinary journey through both the Israel of today and its past. A land full of vitality, but also one caught between dream and trauma.

Registration at: https://eveeno.com/290325222

About the author:
Sara Klatt, born in 1990, grew up in Hamburg. She is the granddaughter of a Berlin Jew who emigrated to Israel and the daughter of a German refugee from Königsberg. She first moved to Tel Aviv for a year at the age of 21 and has since returned for longer stays and numerous photographic projects. She studied Photojournalism & Documentary Photography in Hanover and Jewish Studies in Potsdam and Haifa. In Jerusalem, she photographed for an Israeli press agency and most recently managed a network for German-speaking Shoah survivors from Tel Aviv. Sara Klatt now lives in Berlin. Das Land, das ich dir zeigen will is her first novel.

This event is organized in cooperation with Ruhr University’s Psychological Student Counseling Service.

A Stolperstein is a small memorial that honors the victims of Nazism. Each brass-plated stone, placed in front of the victim's last freely chosen residence, bears their name and dates of life. These stones commemorate Jews, Roma, Sinti, dissidents, Jehovah's Witnesses, homosexuals, people with disabilities, and others persecuted by the Nazi regime. By 2024, tens of thousands of Stolpersteine will have been laid across Europe, making it the largest decentralized memorial in the world.

In Germany, November 9th is often marked by the "Stolperstein cleaning." This commemoration holds special significance as it coincides with the anniversary of the violent November pogroms of 1938. By cleaning these stones, participants remember the victims and emphasize the importance of Holocaust remembrance and the fight against hatred.

At Ruhr University, we aim to honor the victims of persecution and extermination by organizing an interactive excursion to immerse ourselves in the history and lives of those affected by the Nazi regime in Bochum.

Meeting Point: Bochum Town Hall at 4 p.m.

Together, we will explore several Stolpersteine in Bochum's city center, delve into the history and life stories of the people of the 20th century, and "stumble" over their fate to bring awareness to their experiences. Afterward, we will return to the university campus to reflect on the topic together over tea.

The excursion will last 2-3 hours.

Please download the ‘Stolpersteine NRW’ app in advance!

Registration at: https://eveeno.com/203944122

From the flood of images on social media to the lack of knowledge about Palestinian history in German universities; from unjustified accusations and the loss of loved ones to stigmatization in media and public spaces; and from discrimination and lack of interest from mainstream society—this meeting offers a safe space for personal and collective processing through solidarity and an opportunity to experience community support.

In difficult times, we all seek ways to cope, whether through spirituality, support from friends and family, digital solidarity networks, therapeutic spaces, activist communities, or forms of expression such as art.

• What spaces or resources have helped you process and understand the current challenges?
• How do you navigate the emotional impact of information flow and social media in your everyday life?
• What role do similarities and differences within your communities play in offering support?
• How has your emotional experience and perception shifted as a result of the past year's events?
• What is your experience of life in Germany as a person with Palestinian roots?

This dialogue invites participants to strengthen active listening, emotional expression, and empowerment during challenging times.

Paulina Abufhele is a Chilean-Palestinian cultural worker, researcher, and lecturer in Dabke and modern dance. Her research focuses on dance as a medium for processing transgenerational trauma, reactivating collective memory, sustaining life, and self-healing. Her interests lie in interculturality, decolonial feminisms, and studies of the Global South. Paulina advises cultural institutions in NRW on personnel, program design, and audience development from an antiracist perspective.

Registration at: https://forms.gle/wrDSXw9aFH8Hz1DCA

This event is organized in cooperation with Ruhr University’s Psychological Student Counseling Service.

A Stolperstein is a small memorial that honors the victims of Nazism. Each brass-plated stone, placed in front of the victim's last freely chosen residence, bears their name and dates of life. These stones commemorate Jews, Roma, Sinti, dissidents, Jehovah's Witnesses, homosexuals, people with disabilities, and others persecuted by the Nazi regime. By 2024, tens of thousands of Stolpersteine will have been laid across Europe, making it the largest decentralized memorial in the world.

In Germany, November 9th is often marked by the "Stolperstein cleaning." This commemoration holds special significance as it coincides with the anniversary of the violent November pogroms of 1938. By cleaning these stones, participants remember the victims and emphasize the importance of Holocaust remembrance and the fight against hatred.

At Ruhr University, we aim to honor the victims of persecution and extermination by organizing an interactive excursion to immerse ourselves in the history and lives of those affected by the Nazi regime in Bochum.

Meeting Point: Bochum Town Hall at 4 p.m.

Together, we will explore several Stolpersteine in Bochum's city center, delve into the history and life stories of the people of the 20th century, and "stumble" over their fate to bring awareness to their experiences. Afterward, we will return to the university campus to reflect on the topic together over tea.

The excursion will last 2-3 hours.

Please download the ‘Stolpersteine NRW’ app in advance!

Registration: https://eveeno.com/124908893

The lecture explores the dimensions of right-wing populism and extremism at universities, as identified in the study "Science-Related Right-Wing Populism/Extremism at Universities – Ways of Dealing with It and Recommendations for Action". Right-wing populism and extremism disrupt everyday research and teaching, such as when external actors enter the campus for targeted campaigns. Additionally, right-wing populist and extremist actors are often part of the university itself—they may be students, doctoral candidates, professors, or work in administration and technology.

Right-wing populist and extremist positions, therefore, are not only in opposition to academia but also claim an academic identity. This presents a science-specific challenge for universities that cuts across subject boundaries and status groups, potentially leading to blockages in educational and knowledge processes.

The lecture will conclude with an outlook on potential strategies for addressing these issues within the university context.

Registration at: https://eveeno.com/624752906

During this event, the speaker will share his subjective experiences from his political education work on Israel/Palestine. The focus will be on a critical classification of these experiences in the overall social discourse as well as in the context of German Israel/Palestine politics: Which social tensions characterise the German discourse on Israel/Palestine? How can we deal with these tensions in society as a whole and what should guide our political judgement? What needs to change discursively and politically?

As the speaker is Palestinian himself, the event will attempt to provide insights into the perception of the heterogeneous Palestinian and generally migrant community. Afterwards there will be a longer period for questions and discussion.

The event is aimed at all interested parties. Basic knowledge of the Israel/Palestine conflict and the discourse in Germany is desirable, but not necessary. There will be an opportunity to ask questions if anything is unclear or to have a moderated discussion if there are differences of opinion.

Ahmad Dakhnous (he/him) is a lecturer in political education with a focus on criticism of racism and antisemitism, migration, arrival processes, and Israel/Palestine. He studied educational science, economics, and political science, with a special focus on the Israel-Palestine conflict. Ahmad grew up as a Palestinian in a refugee camp in Syria and has lived in Germany since 2016.

Registration at: https://eveeno.com/292056645

In a society where racism is commonplace, empowerment spaces can provide a much-needed opportunity to take a deep breath. This Safe(r) Space explicitly invites students with a Palestinian family background to come together for empowerment, sharing experiences, and networking. We will also explore the following questions:

• What are the necessary conditions for self-care in our daily lives and the current political circumstances?
• What role do communities and solidarity play in the context of racism and empowerment?

About the speaker:

The Online Safe(r) Space will be facilitated by Jinan Dib (she/her), a sociolinguist and political education consultant. Her work focuses on empowerment, critique of racism and power, anti-discrimination, and participation, both in youth and adult education nationwide. Jinan Dib also teaches as a lecturer at various universities and has conducted research on the effects of racist violence as a research assistant.

Registration at: https://eveeno.com/324892653

Following our conversation in July about the war in Gaza and Israel, and how it is perceived, contextualized, and represented, we invite you to continue this dialogue. Together, we will explore how and in what ways these distant events impact us as individuals and as members of the university community.

We acknowledge the confusion and strong emotions that this war and its aftermath can provoke. Therefore, the only condition for participation is to engage respectfully, without intending to harm others or dominate the discussion.

Registration at: https://eveeno.com/205370611

About the speaker:

Yariv Lapid is is a strategy consultant at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., where he leads the design of a new research center for Holocaust education. Previously, he served as Director of the Museum's Levine Institute for Holocaust Education.

Yariv studied history in Israel and Germany and was a research fellow at the Van Leer Institute. He also worked for various Israeli NGOs focused on social conflicts. From 1998 to 2006, he worked at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem, leading programs for European educators. Between 2007 and 2013, he was the senior director of the education department at the Mauthausen Memorial in Austria and a member of the Austrian delegation to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). From 2013 to 2018, he directed the Center for Humanistic Education at the Ghetto Fighters' House in Israel and was part of the Israeli delegation to the IHRA.

His most recent article, "In Search of Meaning and Relevance: Applying Participant-Centered Learning at Holocaust Sites" (Wolfgang Schmutz, Yariv Lapid & Paul Simmons, 2024), explores innovative educational methods at Holocaust memorial sites.

We will discuss (a) why anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim racism are so controversial today, (b) how we can address this controversy by thinking about them together and in terms of their historical formation within Christian Europe, and (c) what are the implications of this for Muslim-Jewish encounters.

Our core objective is to contribute to public understanding of the racisms experienced by Jews and Muslims, including the understanding of members of each minority about the other. We believe that thinking rigorously about the connections between Islamophobia and antisemitism provides a basis for a stronger anti-racist culture in Europe. For this event, we hope to provide some research-based perspective to deepen understanding of these issues.

Registration: https://eveeno.com/258465421

Yuval Noah Harari argues that wars are driven more by narratives than by material needs like food or water. Long before Harari, Saul Friedlander, in his two volumes on the Holocaust, explored the limits of narrative structures by adopting a multi-perspective approach. This event will begin with a subjective, intimate monologue reflecting on some of the dynamics driving this war, followed by an open conversation to which everyone is invited.

About the speaker:

Yariv Lapid is a policy advisor at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington DC, where he is leading the design of a new research center for Holocaust education. He was previously Director of the Museum's Levine Institute for Holocaust Education. He studied history in Israel and Germany, was a research fellow at the Van Leer Institute and worked for Israeli NGOs dealing with social conflict. From 1998 to 2006, he worked at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem and led the work with European educators. From 2007 to 2013, he was the senior director of the education department at the Mauthausen Memorial in Austria and a member of the Austrian delegation to the IHRA. From 2013 to 2018, he was the director of the Center for Humanistic Education at the Ghetto Fighters House in Israel and a member of the Israeli delegation to the IHRA.

His most recent article is "In Search of Meaning and Relevance: Applying Participant Centered Learning at Holocaust Sites" (Wolfgang Schmutz, Yariv Lapid & Paul Simmons, 2024).

Although there are regular calls for education to be used as an effective measure against anti-Semitism, there is hardly any research on the diverse materials that are recommended and used for this purpose. The lecture will present interim results of a qualitative study on educational media for political education. It shows that educational work on Israel-related anti-Semitism is particularly presuppositional and is sometimes based on very different understandings of anti-Semitism. In some cases, there is a significant risk of reinforcing antisemitic images of Jews and/or Israel.

Registration at: https://eveeno.com/348024531

Berlin is the city with the largest Jewish and Muslim populations in Germany, among them a considerable Israeli as well as the largest Palestinian Diaspora in Europe. Living in proximity brings forth many forms of encounter across a wide range of domains: in formal dialogue, cultural production, commercial activities and in everyday life. Dialogue and alliances between Jews and Muslims exist in different fields such as interfaith relations, holocaust commemoration, antidiscrimination education, culture, and political advocacy. Local relations between Jews and Muslim tend to be influenced by cycles of geopolitical tensions and tranquility. Yet, the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7^th and the ensuing Israel-Gaza war have had global repercussions with seismic effects on local encounters and dialogue initiatives. This talk will explore the shifts in encounter dynamics and contact zones based on ethnographic field work carried out in Berlin between 2021–23 as part of the ORA joint research project “Muslim-Jewish encounter, diversity & distance in urban Europe: Religion, culture and social model” as well as ongoing fieldwork after October 7^th.

Registration at: https://eveeno.com/268885011

Dr. Dekel Peretz is a post-doctoral fellow at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity in Göttingen. Peretz’s research focuses on Jewish life in Germany in past and presence, Jewish–Muslim encounters, digital religion and postcolonial studies. His current research theme is “Dialogue in times of Crisis. Muslim–Jewish Encounters in Berlin in the Shadow of the October 7th Israel–Gaza war.” Peretz’s most recent book Zionism and Cosmopolitanism: Franz Oppenheimer and the Dream of a Jewish Future in Germany and Palestine deals with Jewish identity in fin de siècle Germany in the context of racial and colonial discourses.

When we say something to someone, we often assume that the listener now understands exactly what we have communicated, just as we intended. However, the dynamics of communication are far more complex. There is often a gap between what we intend to convey and how our message is received and perceived by others. Participant-Centered Education offers methods for integrating knowledge by creating space for the negotiation of perspectives and the acknowledgment of each individual participant.

Registration: https://eveeno.com/268885011

Yariv Lapid is a policy advisor at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington DC, where he is leading the design of a new research center for Holocaust education. He was previously Director of the Museum's Levine Institute for Holocaust Education. He studied history in Israel and Germany, was a research fellow at the Van Leer Institute and worked for Israeli NGOs dealing with social conflict. From 1998 to 2006, he worked at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem and led the work with European educators. From 2007 to 2013, he was the head of the education department at the Mauthausen Memorial in Austria and a member of the Austrian delegation to the IHRA. From 2013 to 2018, he was the director of the Center for Humanistic Education at the Ghetto Fighters House in Israel and a member of the Israeli delegation to the IHRA.

His most recent article is "In Search of Meaning and Relevance: Applying Participant Centered Learning at Holocaust Sites" (Wolfgang Schmutz, Yariv Lapid & Paul Simmons, 2024).

If you feel unsafe or uncomfortable on your way to the parking garage, bicycle or bus stop during events at Ruhr-Universität Bochum, you can be accompanied on campus by the security service.

You can request an escort around the clock by calling 0234 32 27001

The service is free of charge for all RUB students, employees, researchers, teaching staff and guests.

You can reach the organisation team of the UA Ruhr Action Days at: antidiskriminierung@rub.de