The Weitzman Presents: Sapir Debate | Freedom of Speech and Jewish Life in America

Is free speech endangering American Jews?

No stranger to prejudice or persecution, American Jews have historically been among the most vocal proponents – and beneficiaries – of free speech protections afforded by the First Amendment. And yet, in the three years since October 7th, we witnessed a dramatic uptick in antisemitic and anti-Israel rhetoric in demonstrations, on college campuses, on social media, and on popular podcasts reaching millions of listeners. While freedom of speech is a sacred American right, the boundaries of free expression are being tested – and, some might argue, stretched to the point of harm. Does an absolutist commitment to free speech leave American Jews more vulnerable or is it the community’s strongest safeguard?

About the Speakers

Nadine Strossen is the John Marshall Harlan II Professor of Law Emerita at New York Law School and past President of the American Civil Liberties Union (1991-2008), is a Senior Fellow with FIRE (the Foundation for Individual Rights and Education) and a leading expert and frequent speaker/media commentator on constitutional law and civil liberties, who has testified before Congress on multiple occasions. She serves on the advisory boards of the ACLU, Academic Freedom Alliance, Heterodox Academy, National Coalition Against Censorship, and the University of Austin. The National Law Journal has named Strossen one of America’s “100 Most Influential Lawyers,” and several other publications have named her one of the country’s most influential women.  When Strossen stepped down as ACLU President, three (ideologically diverse) Supreme Court Justices participated in her farewell/tribute luncheon: Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Antonin Scalia, and David Souter. She is the author of HATE: Why We Should Resist It with Free Speech, Not Censorship (2018) and Free Speech: What Everyone Needs to Know® (2023).  She is also the Host and Project Consultant for Free To Speak, a 3-hour documentary film series on free speech that was released on public television in 2023 (and is also available on YouTube). Her book Defending Pornography:  Free Speech, Sex, and the Fight for Women’s Rights was named a New York Times “notable book” of 1995, and was  republished in 2024 as part of the New York University Press “Classic” series.  Her book HATE was selected as the “Common Read” by Washington University and Washburn University.

Claire O. Finkelstein is the Algernon Biddle Professor of Law and Professor of Philosophy at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School. Her research focuses on national security law and policy and related ethical and rule of law issues. In 2012, Prof. Finkelstein founded Penn Law’s Center for Ethics and the Rule of Law (CERL), a non-partisan interdisciplinary center that promotes the rule of law in contemporary conflict, warfare, and national security. An expert in the law of armed conflict, military ethics, and national security law, Prof. Finkelstein is a co-editor (with Jens David Ohlin) of The Oxford Series in Ethics, National Security, and the Rule of Law, and a volume editor of six of its titles. Prof. Finkelstein is also a sought-after consultant in ethics and national security law. She has briefed administration officials, members of the U.S. military, members of Congress, state officials and organizations and individuals in the private sector. She is also a frequent radio, broadcast, and print commentator and has published op-eds in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Newsweek, Bloomberg, and is a contributing opinion writer for The Guardian.