HATE: Why We Should Resist It with Free Speech, Not Censorship

By :  The Jewish Theological Seminary Posted On Oct 9, 2018 | Segal Lecture in Law and Ethics

The fall 2018 Bernard G. Segal Memorial Lecture in Law and Ethics

Nadine Strossen, John Marshall Harlan II Professor, New York Law School; former President, American Civil Liberties Union, discusses her acclaimed new book, HATE: Why We Should Resist It with Free Speech, Not Censorship.

We have recently witnessed a worrisome rise in the use of speech that denigrates and demonizes groups of people. Should hate speech be censored? Can that lead to negative consequences? What is the best way to respond? And how should we approach these questions in the context of historical and current anti-Semitism and Nazism?

Following her presentation, Ms. Strossen and Rabbi Daniel S. Nevins explore comparative perspectives on harmful speech and free speech in American and Jewish law.

Cosponsored by the Louis Finkelstein Institute for Religious and Social Studies of JTS

About the Speaker

Nadine Strossen, John Marshall Harlan II Professor at New York Law School, has written, lectured and advocated extensively in constitutional law and civil liberties, including through frequent media interviews. From 1991 through 2008, she was President of the American Civil Liberties Union, and she currently serves on the ACLU’s National Advisory Council, as well as the Advisory Boards of EPIC (Electronic Privacy Information Center), FIRE (Foundation for Individual Rights in Education), and Heterodox Academy. Strossen has also held leadership positions in other human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch. The National Law Journal has named Strossen one of America’s “100 Most Influential Lawyers,” and several other national publications have named her one of the country’s most influential women. When Strossen stepped down as ACLU President, three Supreme Court Justices–Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Antonin Scalia, and David Souter–participated in her farewell tribute luncheon.

About the Segal Memorial Lecture

The annual Bernard G. Segal Memorial Lecture was established by JTS in honor of the late philanthropist and community leader. Mr. Segal was the first Jewish president of the American Bar Association and the first Jewish chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association.