Director of the Center for the Study of Hate Kenneth Stern ’75 Interviewed by ABC Australia
Kenneth S. Stern ’75, director of the Bard Center for the Study of Hate.
Director of the Bard Center for the Study of Hate Kenneth Stern ’75 was interviewed on ABC Australia’s Radio National Breakfast about the IHRA definition of antisemitism, which he helped draft. Stern has led the Center since its founding in 2018. He discussed a new bill introduced to the New South Wales parliament intended to tighten gun laws and ban the display of symbols connected to designated terrorist groups after a December attack in Bondi Beach. Stern says that while he supports some aspects of the proposal, he is concerned by its focus on speech. “Historically, when you try to limit speech, it backfires,” he said.
“One of the things education does is teach people how to look at complexities,” he added. “[Rather than] stop people from having productive discussions about difficult issues… how do we have these discussions? That’s important for college students to learn, and evaluate why someone may have a totally different point of view.”
Further Reading:
Kenneth Stern Interviewed in Haaretz
Post Date: 01-07-2026
“One of the things education does is teach people how to look at complexities,” he added. “[Rather than] stop people from having productive discussions about difficult issues… how do we have these discussions? That’s important for college students to learn, and evaluate why someone may have a totally different point of view.”
Further Reading:
Kenneth Stern Interviewed in Haaretz
Post Date: 01-07-2026