Philosemitism in Europe Since the Holocaust: The End of an Era?

A free Shorstein Center public lecture with Professor G. Daniel Cohen. Part of the Forum for Fairness in Discourse Lecture Series. About the Lecture: After the Holocaust, antisemitism did not die out. Still, new attitudes toward Jews, Judaism, and Jewishness gradually emerged, valorizing Jews and Jewish presence in mainstream politics and culture across Western Europe and, more broadly, the European Union. The figure of the Jewish friend challenged or even superseded that of the Jewish enemy. Over the eight post-Holocaust decades, broadly defined “philosemitism” transformed Europe’s so-called Jewish question. In his talk, Professor Cohen retraces the history of this reversal, examines this new relationship, and explores the potential end of Europe’s philosemitic moment in the wake of October 7, 2023. Speaker Bios: G. Daniel Cohen is the Samuel W. & Goldye Marian Spain Professor of History and Jewish Studies at Rice University, Houston. He is the author most recently of Good Jews. Philosemitism in Europe since the Holocaust (Cambridge University Press, 2025). Norman J.W. Goda is the Norman and Irma Braman Professor of Holocaust Studies at the University of Florida. He studies modern European history and specializes in the history of the Holocaust, war crimes trials, and twentieth century diplomacy. Professor Goda has served as a consultant to the US and German governments, as well as for various radio, television, and film documentaries in the US, Europe, and Israel. Additional Event Information: • This event will be held in person at Pugh Hall Ocora and also streamed live at THIS LINK. • The event is free to attend and open to all. • Light refreshments will be served beginning at 3:00 PM Parking Information: • Parking is available in the Murphree Lot. For directions and a map, click here: https://clas.ufl.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/Shorstein-Event-Murphree-Lot-Map.pdf. • You may drop off guests directly in front of Pugh Hall before proceeding to parking. Additional parking may be found in and around campus - please make sure you comply with posting parking regulations. Questions: email [email protected]