Call Me Back - with Dan Senor The Story of American Antizionism - with Shaul Kelner
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Jan 29, 2026 Shaul Kelner, professor of Jewish Studies and sociology at Vanderbilt and historian of Soviet Jewry, traces how Soviet anti-Zionist tactics evolved into a global movement. He maps its Soviet origins, how it spread into Western institutions and campuses, the role of ideological monocultures, and why many American Jews misread or underestimate its reach.
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Soviet Origins Of Contemporary Anti‑Zionism
- The modern anti-Zionism examined in the episode originated as a Soviet strategy to persecute Jews without using racist Nazi language.
- The Soviets labeled many negative Jewish expressions as "Zionism" to justify suppression and denial of Jewish cultural life.
Everyday Repression In The USSR
- Shaul Kelner describes daily Soviet repression: closed synagogues, banned Hebrew, job loss and exile for activists.
- He recounts that teaching Hebrew or running Jewish schools was labeled "nationalist" and punished severely.
Different Faces Of Anti‑Jewishness
- American Jews typically equate anti-Semitism with right-wing, Nazi-style racism, which misses Soviet and other non-racist forms.
- Collapsing distinct historical forms of anti-Jewishness into one label obscures different rationales and tactics.
