Egyptian writer and educator Hussein Aboubakr joined Hillel at University of San Diego recently to discuss antisemitism with students.
“Everyone’s voice should be included in the conversation about combatting antisemitism,” reacted Simon Mizrahi. “Hussein gave students some essential tools to guide students in their approaches.”
Aboubakr was born in 1989 to an Arab Muslim family in Cairo, Egypt, and taught that Jews were less than human. But it was not until he studied Jewish and Middle Eastern history and Hebrew literature at Cairo University that he realized his view was inaccurate and he became an Israel advocate. Persecuted by state police for his research at the Israeli Academic Center of Cairo, Hussein participated in the Egyptian revolution until he departed Egypt as a political refugee.
Today, Hussein lives in the United States and is a member of JIMENA: Jews Indigenous to the Middle East and North Africa an organization based in San Francisco. He teaches Hebrew, educates people about Israel and helps students fight anti-Semitism on college campuses.
At USD, the conversation with Hussein “shed light on the existential threat that antisemitism in the Middle East poses to Israel and Jews around the world,” reflected Marcos Saade. Hussein’s appearance was funded in part by a grant from Hillel International.
Said Benjamin Zarrabian: “This event gave me hope for college campus’ ability to combat antisemitism.”
