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Ruth Lichtenberg-Contreras

Avi Eisbruch, University of Michigan; Ron Hoz, Ben-Gurion University; Stephen Schaefer, University of Manitoba; Gabor Frankl, Queen Mary University; Dan Golomb, UMass; Asher Eder, Jerusalem; Rafael Levi, UC-Irvine

I graduated from the Vienna University in Zoology in 1972 and was lucky after some years teaching biology and geography at schools in Vienna to work in my profession as an entomologist at the Museum of Natural History in Vienna where I where I was the head of the Department of Entomology from 1995 until my retirement in 2003. After my retirement I started Jewish Studies at the University in Vienna.

At the age of 6 I came to Austria with my parents who had decided immediately after the World War II to return to Vienna after emigrating to Colombia, where they had managed to escape the Nazi-terror. It was in Vienna where I had my first experiences with anti-Semitism - even if I did not perceive them as such - from schoolmates who shouted taunt verses at me. It was my mother who told me that these verses were anti-Semitic.

Developing my political conscience from my early childhood on I became involved with social democrat youth organizations where I met several of children of immigrants, second generation of Holocaust survivors and thus for a very long time it never came to my mind that anti-Semitism could be something to be observed also in leftwing movements.

Austria's postwar history is characterized by

its self-perception as the first victim of the National Socialists Therefore dealing with Austria's past and the narrative of Austria as victim that influenced many areas of Austrian politics was something which accompanied during my whole life and development of political thinking..

As a student of biology, I learned in the 1960's that there were still professors teaching at the University in Vienna who had a Nazi-past and did not even deny it. On the contrary they tried to influence in their students. This was certainly a key experience for my decision to dedicate my political activities in combating fascism and anti-Semitism which I did within several Social democrat organizations in Austria.

After World War II, the Socialist International took a pro-Israeli stance which was also common opinion in the Austrian social democrat movement. Changes of this perception took place especially after the 1973 Yom Kippur War. This has become an increasing problem in the left and specially also within leftist intellectuals due to a wrong perception of the Arab-Israeli conflict.

When I learned about the founding of Scholars for Peace in the Middle East in 2002, I felt that this was an organization whose mission and goals were compatible with mine and very necessary for Austrian and European Universities.

In 2006 I found some academic colleagues in Austria who were interested in founding also a Chapter of SPME in Austria which evolved as the first chapter of SPME outside of America. SPME has a role that no other organization is covering. SPME is filling an "ecological niche"- that nobody else is filling. We are doing our work on an academic scholarly basis. I am proud that this organization is now known internationally and also highly respected.

Ruth Lichtenberg Contreras serves on the SPME Board of Directors as Secretary and also as Co-Editor of the SPME Faculty Forum, Coordinator for European Chapters and Chair, SPME Austria. She lives in Pitten (near Vienna) Austria.

All stories by: Avi Eisbruch, University of Michigan; Ron Hoz, Ben-Gurion University; Stephen Schaefer, University of Manitoba; Gabor Frankl, Queen Mary University; Dan Golomb, UMass; Asher Eder, Jerusalem; Rafael Levi, UC-Irvine

Clarification on SPME Ariel University Center Statement in Response to Feedback…And For Something Completely Different – The Taboo That Just Won’t Shut Up, Chapter 43

Clarifying SPME’s Position On the Ariel Effort In Response to Feedback Dear SPME: I have supported SPME actions for several years. However, your objections to the expulsion of Ariel College from Spain raises this question: Should there not be a…

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