Wednesday, January 31, 4-5:30pm, Hagerty Hall [Rm. 198A], 1775 College Rd.

The OSU Center for the Study of Religion is excited to host visiting scholar Elliot Ratzman for a series of events to be held throughout the 2024 Spring Semester. These visits will include public lectures, a reading group, and classroom lectures and visits. The first event in this series is a research lecture, “Jewish Pacifism from Joshua to Gaza,” or “American Jewish Pacifism: Countertraditions and Interreligious Networks 1918-1973.”

In these times, who would claim that Judaism is, in essence, a pacifist religion? Christians who want to justify war and capital punishment turn to the “Old Testament”; most of 21st century Jewry is proud of Israel’s military, its conquests, and support its current war on Hamas; the war against Nazism is considered the key counterpoint to the pacifist appeal; American Jews believe that antisemitism is a danger requiring armed protection and severe punishment; the most admired military leader in the world today is Jewish . . . Ukraine’s Zelensky! Yet after World War I, a network of rabbis and theologians advocated a Judaism that was, on principle, anti-war, anti-death-penalty, even in the wake of the Holocaust. In this presentation, Ratzman recounts this lost “peace tradition” within Judaism, showing how pacifists reacted to Nazism, the State of Israel, decolonization, and threats of antisemitism, insisting that Judaism demanded a distinct brand of pacifism, arguing for its distinctiveness in contrast to the Christian peace traditions.

We value in-person engagement at our events as we strive to amplify the energy in the room but we also recognize the fact that not all our guests will be able to visit our space. Zoom access will be available to this event upon request. If you wish to have such access or have any other accommodation request, please send your request to Megan Moriarty at <moriarty.8@osu.edu>.

Hosted by OSU Center for the Study of Religion.