Deborah Lipstadt

Deborah Lipstadt
Name	Deborah Lipstadt
Caption	Lipstadt in 2016
Birth date	18 March 1947
Birth place	New York City, U.S.
Education	City College of New York (BA), Brandeis University (MA), Brandeis University (PhD)
Occupation	Historian, author, professor, diplomat
Employer	Emory University
Title	United States Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combating Antisemitism
Term	2022–present
Predecessor	Elan Carr

Deborah Lipstadt is an American historian and diplomat renowned for her expertise on the Holocaust and contemporary antisemitism. A professor of modern Jewish history and Holocaust studies at Emory University, she gained international prominence for her successful defense against a libel suit brought by British Holocaust denier David Irving. In 2022, she was confirmed as the United States Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combating Antisemitism, holding the rank of ambassador.

Early life and education

Born in New York City to a Jewish family, she was raised in a Hebrew-speaking household that valued education and Jewish identity. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in political science from the City College of New York, where she was influenced by prominent scholars. She then pursued graduate studies at Brandeis University, receiving a Master of Arts and later a Doctor of Philosophy in Jewish studies, focusing her research on America's response to the Nazi persecution of Jews.

Academic career

Lipstadt began her teaching career at the University of Washington and later held positions at the University of California, Los Angeles. In 1993, she joined the faculty of Emory University in Atlanta, where she helped establish the Institute for Jewish Studies. She is the Dorot Professor of Modern Jewish History and Holocaust Studies in Emory's Department of Religion and the Tam Institute for Jewish Studies. Her scholarly work has extensively analyzed Holocaust denial, American Jewry, and the coverage of the Holocaust in the New York Times.

Irving v Penguin Books Ltd

The 1996 libel case, known in the United Kingdom as Irving v Penguin Books Ltd, was a pivotal moment in her career. David Irving sued her and her publisher, Penguin Books, over her book Denying the Holocaust, which labeled him a Holocaust denier and falsifier of history. The highly publicized 2000 trial in the High Court of Justice saw Lipstadt's legal team, led by Anthony Julius and Richard Rampton, present exhaustive evidence of the Holocaust and Irving's distortions. The ruling by Mr Justice Gray completely vindicated her, finding Irving to be a racist and an antisemite who had deliberately manipulated historical evidence.

U.S. Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combating Antisemitism

Nominated by President Joe Biden and confirmed by the United States Senate in 2022, she leads American diplomatic efforts to confront antisemitism globally. In this role, with the rank of Ambassador, she works within the State Department and coordinates with foreign governments, NGOs, and international bodies like the United Nations and the European Union. Her mandate includes monitoring antisemitic incidents, promoting the adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition of antisemitism, and advocating for policies to ensure Jewish communal security.

Other public roles and recognition

Lipstadt has served on the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Council and was appointed by President George W. Bush to the board of the Holocaust Memorial Council. She is a frequent commentator for media outlets including CNN and has advised multiple U.S. administrations on issues related to antisemitism. Her life and the libel trial were dramatized in the 2016 film Denial, in which she was portrayed by actress Rachel Weisz. She has received numerous honorary degrees and awards, including the National Jewish Book Award.

Selected works

* Beyond Belief: The American Press and the Coming of the Holocaust 1933-1945 (1986) * Denying the Holocaust: The Growing Assault on Truth and Memory (1993) * History on Trial: My Day in Court with David Irving (2005) * The Eichmann Trial (2011) * Antisemitism: Here and Now (2019)

Category:American historians Category:American diplomats Category:Holocaust historians Category:Emory University faculty Category:1947 births Category:Living people