Labeled as the “hottest ticket in Connecticut” for the evening of Oct. 28 by the Director of the Open VISIONS Forum, Philip Eliasoph, Bari Weiss sure can draw in a large crowd. This completely sold out community forum was hosted by Fairfield University’s own President Nemec and Professor of Judaic Studies Glenn Dynner. The featured speaker of this discussion, Bari Weiss, is an entrepreneurial, feminist journalist whose novel entitled, “How to Fight Anti-Semitism,” won the 2019 National Jewish Book Award and inspired generations of oppressed Jews.
Before founding her now almost one million subscriber journalism institution “The Free Press,” Weiss worked as an opinion writer for “The New York Times” and as an op-ed and book review editor at “The Wall Street Journal.” Weiss’ multiple accolades and accomplishments during her professional career have made her a frontrunner in the fight for fairness and honesty in modern media.
The lively atmosphere of the Regina A. Quick Center of the Arts at Fairfield University was buzzing with excitement and activity prior to Bari Weiss’ highly anticipated Open VISIONS Forum. Although a majority of the crowd included community members of Fairfield County according to the Quick Center’s Box Office, a handful of interested students also attended this highly sought-after event. Sponsors such as the Jewish Federation of Greater Fairfield County, as well as the Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven, helped make the event a success.
Prior to the start of the discussion involving journalist and novelist Weiss, students from Professor Glenn Dynner’s Zionism course at Fairfield University occupied the benches arranged on the stage to form the forum. Once the lights dimmed and President Nemec introduced Weiss to the audience, an abundance of applause was heard from excited “Free Press” readers. Various topics were covered by Weiss in great detail such as the conflict currently occurring in the Middle East involving Israel and Palestine, her decisive resignation from “The New York Times,” university protests occurring across the country, and the effects of anti-semitism on Jewish people.
Weiss was very willing to explain her reasoning for resigning from the prestigious news source, “The New York Times.” She explains that it “was very clear [her] views weren’t welcome” in the environment in which she was working. Completely lost and unaware of what her next venture would be, Weiss praised her wife for helping her branch out and build an entirely new institution where the nation would begin to trust the media again. Weiss emphasized that the system needed more than just simple reformations, but needed complete changes throughout. In “The Free Press,” Weiss explained she places higher importance on listening to people that have differing opinions and views than what she or her writers may hold.
As for Weiss’ thoughts on the modern views of young Americans who will soon be running the country themselves, she believes social media’s contextless clips of famous influencers are corrupting immature minds. According to Weiss, young Americans on college campuses across the country are merely following the latest fad spewed at them through social media sites. She noted that the majority of young adults are supporting the “liberation of Palestine,” after the events that transpired on Oct. 7 this past year. Columbia University, Weiss’ alma mater, has become a hub for student protesting on divisive topics in the last few years. Weiss is upset by these riots, as she did not believe it “was possible for a university to betray itself” and the beliefs it once upheld.
A majority of Weiss’ discussion revolved around the continuing conflict between Israel and Palestine. When asked if anti-semitism will dissipate if a two-state solution is agreed upon by Israel and Palestine, Weiss says that anti-semitism has always existed in the world and will not be eradicated any time soon. During the “information war” in which we all are currently living, Weiss believes that the world’s perceptions have been turned against the country of Israel and its civilians.
Two Fairfield University sophomore students, Sarah LaBrutto and Jenna Thauer, currently enrolled in Professor Dynner’s Zionism class, were participants of the Open VISIONS Forum with Weiss. When asked what their initial impressions of Weiss’ discussion were, LaBrutto says she was “very informative” and a “powerful voice in the media.” Thauer enjoyed Weiss’ intimate connection with her audience, as she felt the conversation felt personal. Thauer also says she “appreciated [Weiss’] humor” because it “kept [her] engaged” throughout the entire open forum discussion. Bari Weiss’ sold out Open VISIONS Forum at the Quick Center was a direct display of how important the media is to modern American citizens. Weiss’ thorough discussion regarding highly debated topics such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, university protests, and anti-semitic hate, engaged Fairfield University students and staff members, as well as Fairfield County community members. Weiss advised her audience to read “The Free Press” if they were searching for a news outlet intended for the “normal person.” Weiss’ praised novel, “How to Fight Anti-Semitism,” can be purchased from Amazon.
Leave a Reply