February 25, 2026, 12:00pm ET

Sounding the Shofar: Jewish leadership, antisemitism, and democratic renewal

A conversation between Kevin Rachlin of the Nexus Project and Amy Spitalnick of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs.

The Heritage Foundation’s Project Esther purports  to combat rising antisemitism. Many Jewish leaders, however, argue that it weaponizes antisemitism, warning that its approach risks undermining civil liberties and democratic norms. In this conversation, Kevin Rachlin of the Nexus Project and Amy Spitalnick of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs examine alternative Jewish responses, drawing on the Nexus Project’s Shofar Report to argue that the most effective way to confront antisemitism is by strengthening democratic institutions, protecting civil rights, and building broad civic and interreligious coalitions.

Event hosted by the Institute for Islamic, Christian, & Jewish Studies.

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