Combating Antisemitism Initiative
Antisemitism, hate speech, and ignorance are not abstract threats—they are real and rising. The Global Jewish Studies Program at FIU has the reach, diversity, and leadership to take meaningful action, providing foundational knowledge on antisemitism, its historical context, manifestations in modern society and strategies for countering prejudices among students, faculty, and staff.
For more information about the Combating Antisemitism Initiative, please contact Dr. Oren Stier at stiero@fiu.edu.
Holocaust and Genocide Studies Program
The Holocaust and Genocide Studies Program offers both the university and broader South Florida communities numerous opportunities to study the Holocaust and other cases of genocide and mass violence. Through organizing lectures, co-sponsoring film screenings and increasing course offerings in these topics, this undergraduate certificate program strives to raise awareness about the darkest of moments in history.
Israel Studies Initiative
The Global Jewish Studies Program promotes awareness of and travel to Israel, exposing students, faculty, and staff to the rich diversity of the region’s only democracy and the important role Israel plays in the Middle East and on the global stage.
For more information about the Israel Studies Initiative, please contact Dr. Oren Stier at stiero@fiu.edu.
Initiative for Global Jewish Communities
Throughout history, vibrant Jewish communities with far reaching family, commercial and cultural ties have flourished throughout the world. Ever since the dawn of the Diaspora, Jews have been building communities throughout the world with global Jewish connections. The Initiative for Global Jewish Communities promotes innovative research and education, concentrating on the extraordinary and unparalleled diversity and plurality of Jewish communities in diverse settings and cultures.
For more information about the Initiative for Global Jewish Communities or to apply for a graduate scholarship, please contact Dr. Tudor Parfitt at tparfitt@fiu.edu.
Latin American Jewry Initiative
A collaborative project between the Global Jewish Studies Program and the Latin American and Caribbean Center, the Latin American Jewry Initiative seeks to explore the Jewish experience throughout the Americas from a multidisciplinary perspective through lectures, workshops and symposia.
For more information about the Latin American Jewry Initiative, please contact Dr. Oren Stier at stiero@fiu.edu.
Initiative for Sephardi-Mizrahi Studies
The Initiative for Sephardi-Mizrahi Studies is supported by the Yitzhak Navon Professorship, which was established by an endowment gift from the South Florida Sephardic community. The professor teaches and conducts research in the field and organizes a lecture series exposing the FIU community to the history and experiences of Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews and their culture.
For more information about the Initiative for Sephardi-Mizrahi Studies please contact Dr. Tudor Parfitt at tparfitt@fiu.edu.
Initiative for Interfaith Dialogue
The Initiative for Interfaith Dialogue explores the historical, cultural, sociopolitical, economic and geographic linkages that exist between Jews and members of other faith traditions. The initiative fosters interdisciplinary scholarship in these areas, supporting teaching and research activities that examine and create new avenues of engagement. The initiative also sponsors thought provoking discussions and artistic events that highlight the historical and cultural intersections between Jews and people of all faiths, showing how these intersections can serve as points of departure for meaningful dialogue and the celebration of shared human values.
For more information about the Initiative for Interfaith Dialogue, please contact Dr. Iqbal Akhtar at iakhtar@fiu.edu.
Catholic-Jewish Alliance
The Catholic Jewish Alliance is dedicated to strengthening bonds between Catholics and Jews, grounded in our shared values—faith, family, justice, and human dignity. Through education, dialogue, and joint action, the CJA seeks to advance mutual understanding, confront hatred, defend human rights, and promote unity, working to cultivate solidarity between the Catholic and Jewish communities as a moral calling and a force for good. The CJA features three focus areas: teacher training, a student seminar series, and leadership development through community outreach and interfaith dialogue.
For more information about the Catholic Jewish Alliance, please contact Dr. Oren Stier at stiero@fiu.edu.