David Feldman

The cover of History Workshop Journal 100. The cover is a woodland green, and shows an abstract illustration of a coniferous tree based on Sadiah Qureshi's article on the Wollemi pine.

The latest issue of History Workshop Journal is out now, and it marks two exciting milestones: 50 years and 100 issues of innovative radical history.

You can read the journal on the HWJ website through the link below!

academic.oup.com/hwj...

Tuesday briefing: Why efforts to tackle Britain’s long history of antisemitism have fallen short In today’s newsletter: A scholar of antisemitism on how we define it, how it has operated in Britain, and what can be done

BISA’s David Feldman on antisemitism in Britain and what can be done

www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...

Birkbeck Institute for the Study of Antisemitism receives further funding boost

BISA has received a major grant of USD$650,000 from Open Society Foundations @open-society.bsky.social to support its work. Director David Feldman @dmf101.bsky.social is joined by Brendanmcgeever.bsky.social as Co-Director. Full story www.bbk.ac.uk/news/birkbec...

Letter now republished by #LeftRenewal leftrenewal.org/statements-e... and @ukfost.bsky.social ukfost.co.uk/holocaust-st...

Cc @edgyjewishthinking.bsky.social @duhaut.bsky.social @evafrojmovic0.bsky.social @guesnet.bsky.social @clairelefoll.bsky.social @brendanmcgeever.bsky.social

An Editors' Picnic Barbara Taylor introduces our new series with her memories of a picnic she enjoyed with other History Workshop Journal editors in 1984.

Today we are launching a new series of articles and podcasts to mark the 100th issue of History Workshop Journal 🎉✊🗃️

In this introductory article, Barbara Taylor reflects on a picnic she shared with other editors in 1984, and what it meant to be part of the HWJ collective.

The Green party’s policies on Israel are appealing to young British Jews | Letter Letter: Prof David Feldman, Dr Ben Gidley and Dr Brendan McGeever from the Birkbeck Institute for the Study of Antisemitism say it is wrong to characterise Jewish support for the Greens as ‘paradoxica...

Why is support for the @greenparty.org.uk growing among British Jews and how do we understand this? A letter by @dmf101.bsky.social, @bengidley.bsky.social and me for the Guardian. 1/5

The Guardian quotes @jprdata.bsky.social calling the Green vote “paradoxical” (“for a significant minority of Jews, domestic priorities and progressive values outweigh foreign policy concerns”) BUT in fact it seems much of the Jewish Green vote comes from the growing minority who are not Zionist…

To keep this in perspective: 11% had turned to Reform, 18% to Green. The Green surge among Jews 9 times bigger than in the whole population; the switch to Ref was far smaller than in the whole population. The Green surge is the Jewish-specific story: the switch to Ref a weak echo of national trends.

Feeling physically sick to hear on the news Shabana Mahmood saying that “illegal migration is tearing the country apart” which she must know is not true. What’s “tearing the country apart” is the cynical entrepreneurs of fear and hate who have gleefully pushed this non-issue.

The difficult truth about antisemitism Why don’t we acknowledge that there are different ways of measuring the prevalence of anti-Jewish prejudice?

More Jewish people in Britain are concerned by general racism than the number who are worried by antisemitism. This is a building block for anti-racist politics, write three Birkbeck experts. @bisa-bkk.bsky.social

The difficult truth about antisemitism Why don’t we acknowledge that there are different ways of measuring the prevalence of anti-Jewish prejudice?

Antisemitism: how to measure it, how to confront it. Read BISA’s David Feldman @dmf101.bsky.social, @bengidley.bsky.social and @brendanmcgeever.bsky.social in www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/religi...

Material and political support from this 'vertical alliance' has provided British Jews with some reassurance in recent years but it is a poor strategy in the long term, we argue in the report. It reflects the fragmentation of anti-racism. It is not a 'Jewish problem'.

The effectiveness of Jewish leaders is part of the landscape in the UK. I agree we need to be careful how we talk about this but neither should evade it.

Jewish leaders have not been passive. They have brought their concerns to politicians and civil servants and have built this 'vertical alliance'. This can be documented and I have witnessed it at first hand.

We point to the concern for antisemitism demonstrated by successive governments and senior politicians, something which has been much greater than their concern for other sorts of racisms. State money spent on security is one expression of this but not the only one.

Joining this conversation late....We are at cross purposes. In the parts of the Runnymede report you highlight we focus on politics, you focus on security.

'Scale of unite the kingdom march shows free speech alive and well in UK, says minister

This is, I believe, the first official word from the Government on what happened yesterday in London. Not only inaction in the face of violence and hate, but a celebration of it. I passed through London twice yesterday with my two kids & what Labour seem to be missing is that people aren't just...

Important thinking and reading, with the correct David Feldman retagged: @dmf101.bsky.social .

The truth in Diane Abbott’s ill-judged remarks Politicians need to find better of ways of thinking about racism—and of acting against it

Diane Abbot, anti-Black racism, antisemitism - read David Feldman @dmf101.bsky.social, @bengidley.bsky.social and @brendanmcgeever.bsky.social in ‪@prospectmagazine.co.uk www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/identi...

And thanks from me too, Lia

Against political purity: A reply to Eli Machover The authors of Facing antisemitism argue for embracing the shifting ground of the Jewish community.

"The politics of purity, of friend and enemy, with us or against us, does not serve the anti-racist movement but undermines it”

David Feldman (@dmf101.bsky.social), @bengidley.bsky.social and I reply to Eli Machover.

Grateful to @vashtimedia.bsky.social for hosting this discussion. (2/2)

Against political purity: A reply to Eli Machover The authors of Facing antisemitism argue for embracing the shifting ground of the Jewish community.

"We are in a historical moment in which key parts of the Jewish community are shifting: a moment in which the possibility of a politics of horizontal solidarity can be glimpsed."

@dmf101.bsky.social, @bengidley.bsky.social, and @brendanmcgeever.bsky.social reply. vashtimedia.com/against-poli...

‘The choice is one between anti-racism and Zionism as such’ A response to the authors of Facing antisemitism.

It’s published alongside a critique of our report by Eli Machover. @vashtimedia.bsky.social have kindly offered us the opportunity to respond to this in a future issue.

vashtimedia.com/response-to-...

The state of anti-antisemitism An interview with the authors of a new Runnymede Trust report.

The state of anti-antisemitism

An interview with @dmf101.bsky.social, @brendanmcgeever.bsky.social and me in @vashtimedia.bsky.social about our recent report on antisemitism for @runnymedetrust.bsky.social

vashtimedia.com/state-of-ant...

Everything about this conference is so grim from the speakers to the framing 🤢. Shame on United Synagogue and Rabbi Mirvis for participating.

Home | The International Conference on Combating Antisemitism

I’m sorry but Netanyahu’s “antisemitism confidence” is nothing but a fascist rally. Germany’s antisemitism commissioner has pulled out on seeing the full line up. If Chief Rabbi Mirvis has any integrity he should too.

www.international-conference-antisemitism-jerusalem.com

Facing antisemitism: the struggle for safety and solidarity Antisemitism is hardwired into UK society, but current methods of tackling it are not working

Combating antisemitism must happen alongside wider anti-racist initiatives, including building alliances with other racialised minorities.

Read the full report here 👉 ow.ly/LEp550UFjVP

Join our report launch this evening at Birkbeck University 👉 ow.ly/T4w650UFjJ9

Antisemitism is hardwired into UK society, but current methods of tackling it are not working.

Our new report, written by colleagues at @bisa-bkk.bsky.social, shows how we can move beyond framing antisemitism in ways that pit communities against one another.

Written by BISA’s David Feldman @dmf101.bsky.social, @bengidley.bsky.social‬ and @brendanmcgeever.bsky.social, and commissioned by the @runnymedetrust.bsky.social‬, the report highlights how…

Antisemitism is a stain on UK society. Current responses to tackling the problem are not working, and we urgently need a new approach to both thinking about and combating antisemitism – says a new report out today. Read the report here: ow.ly/LEp550UFjVP. A thread.