‘Keep showing up’: Columbia prof-turned-activist Shai Davidai rallies Canadian Jews

Shai Davidai became a public figure shortly after Oct. 7, 2023 when the assistant professor from Columbia University starred in a video warning Jewish parents at elite American universities about the explosion of antisemitism on campuses across the United States. Davidai’s impassioned plea changed his life: the Israeli researcher soon became a vocal activist who took on the mission of calling out American universities for failing to curb Jew hatred. Last week, Columbia banned Davidai from certain parts of the New York campus—including his office and faculty meetings—because he was “repeatedly harassing and intimidating” fellow university employees, according to a statement sent to CNN. But if you ask Davidai, he’ll say he was standing up against staff members and campus groups who support terrorism. What’s undeniable is how Davidai’s spotlight on Columbia—the site of the first pro-Palestinian encampment in April—did help lead to the school’s president stepping down, and also resulted in the firing of three senior Columbia deans after their snide text messages full of antisemitic remarks were leaked to the public. Davidai is in Canada this week to rally the local Jewish community and share his advice about fighting antisemitism. He’s on a three-day tour organized by the pro-Israel Tafsik organization. On Oct. 21, he is set to attend a rally for Jewish students at the University of Toronto before leaving for Winnipeg, where he will speak on Oct. 22. Davidai sat down with _The CJN Daily _host Ellin Bessner in between Toronto events to explain why fighting hatred the old ways don’t work, and why he believes masked protesters are behaving like members of a cult.

What we talked about

• Read more about Shai Davidai, the Columbia University professor who fights antisemitism on his campus since October 7, 2023.  Follow Shai Davidai’s new podcast “Here I Am” on YouTube.
• Tafsik also brought Maj. John Spencer to Canada on a speaking tour earlier this year. Read our interview with the West Point military officers about how Israel is waging war, in The CJN.
• Hear more about Shai Davidai's visit to Montreal to stand with the Jewish community outside Concordia University in September 2024, on The CJN Daily.

Credits

• Host and writer: Ellin Bessner (@ebessner)
• Production team: Zachary Kauffman (producer), Michael Fraiman (executive producer)
• Music: Dov Beck-Levine

Support our show

• Subscribe to The CJN newsletter
• Donate to The CJN (+ get a charitable tax receipt)
• Subscribe to The CJN Daily (Not sure how? Click here)