I wasn’t surprised that YouTube censored my recent video as “Hate Speech.” It’s happened before.

Talking about antisemitism, violence, and even the Holocaust is part of my work as a historian, and the algorithms are obviously set to look for key words and images related to these noxious topic. So my lectures have been flagged before. This time, however, was a little different: I lost my appeal to have the video reinstated, which seems rather silly: I’m a tenured full Professor speaking about antisemitism, not speaking antisemitically, and I’m surprised that they didn’t catch the difference. But that’s okay.

On the whole I appreciate the efforts of the YouTube Creator Team, as they have made it much easier to remove the intellectual vandalism that frequently sullies the comment boxes, not to mention the mental pollution that some people spew onto the web. I’ve noticed that the filters have gotten stricter in recent months, and in general I have been very pleased with these changes.

If YouTube flags my videos by accident, I’m fine with that (at least for now). The nasty stuff is just so awful that I would rather they err on the side of caution. I can always post my lectures here, on my personal website.

I hope you find this lecture on the history of antisemitism worthwhile.

No responsible teacher wants to teach students to “hate each other” or “hate America.” But we all participate in a sacred covenant with our students: They expect us to tell them the truth. 

Please click here to read this article on JTA.

Please join me on Sunday, July 11 for a panel discussion on the history of antisemitism, appropriate for the Nine Days. Discussants include Professor Adam Mendelsohn, director of the Kaplan Centre for Jewish Studies & Research and Associate Professor of History at the University of Cape Town, Professor Karen Milner, Gauteng Chair of the SA Jewish Board of Deputies, and Wendy Kahn, National Director of the SAJBD.

Register at: bit.ly/sajrweb106

A brief sampling of some of the humiliations of exile that the Jewish people endured over their millennial exile, shocking yet overshadowed by the far greater tragedies of violent massacres. Lecture delivered on the 17th of Tammuz, on Zoom and live at the Young Israel of Lawrence-Cedarhurst.

Premiere with live chat scheduled for Sunday, July 4 at 1pm ET (New York time).

Hello students of Jewish history! I am very pleased to let you know that we now have a very auspicious number of students in this new experimental online course, A Thousand Years of Ashkenaz. I know some of them from earlier interactions on YouTube and in selected classes, and it promises to be a lively group, representing at least five countries and a wide range of backgrounds and perspectives.

I’m very enthusiastic about this new initiative, and I’d like to encourage more students to join this select circle. YouTube is great, but with 5,000 people watching every day (we are up to nearly 45,000 subscribers), I can’t possibly keep up with the discussions. This online class will allow us to have a more compact, focused learning environment, featuring more meaningful online discussions and feedback.

Please join us! You will be welcomed.

Hello fellow students of Jewish history! Here’s a new experimental online course. Please click here for a look at what’s going on: A Thousand Years of Ashkenaz.

Premiering today, hopefully with live chat, at 12pm ET (New York time). Here’s part 1 if you want to catch up or even review.