ODU Institute for Jewish Studies and Interfaith Understanding

We are delighted to congratulate Dr. Milligan on receiving the Faculty Changemaker Award from the Academic Engagement Network at the Israel on Campus Coalition National Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C.

The award recognizes Dr. Milligan’s commitment to supporting Jewish and Zionist students, confronting antisemitism in higher education, and strengthening Jewish life and engagement with Israel on campus.

Scholarship applications are now open! If you're involved with Jewish Studies, Holocaust & Genocide Studies, or ODU Hillel, you may be eligible for one of two endowed scholarships.

📅 Applications are due August 6.

Questions? Email [email protected]. Please share with anyone who might be interested!

Dr. Milligan was honored to serve as the featured luncheon speaker at the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities’ Tidewater Inclusive Educators’ Conference: Combating Antisemitism and Bias in Schools. Educators from across the region spent the day exploring curriculum, classroom management, and practical strategies for recognizing and responding to antisemitism and identity-based bias in K–12 schools. Dr. Milligan’s conversation focused on understanding contemporary antisemitism, supporting Jewish students, and fostering learning environments where every student can thrive.

Dr. Milligan was honored to speak today at the American Muslim and Multifaith Women’s Empowerment Council (AMMWEC) National Coalition Conference on Antisemitism and Hate at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. She joined colleagues from across the country on a panel to discuss interfaith bridge-building and combating antisemitism on college campuses. American Muslim & Multifaith Women's Empowerment Council Faculty Against Antisemitism Movement

Dr. Milligan was recently interviewed by SWR Kultur, one of Germany’s major public broadcasters and a member of the ARD network. The feature explores the role of hair in Jewish tradition, history, and contemporary culture, examining how everyday practices can illuminate broader questions of identity, religion, and gender. Dr. Milligan’s participation reflects the IJIU's commitment to public scholarship and international engagement, bringing insights from Jewish Studies to audiences around the world. Listen to the feature in German here: https://www.swr.de/swrkultur/programm/von-scheitel-bis-schlaefenlocken-haare-in-der-juedischen-tradition-glauben-2026-06-14-100.html

Thank you to the Academic Engagement Network and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum for hosting today’s powerful event, “The Dangers of Unchecked Antisemitism: A Conversation with a Holocaust Survivor.” The program featured Holocaust survivor Dora Klayman, whose testimony illustrates how antisemitism can escalate when left unchallenged and underscored why these conversations remain urgently relevant.

Dr. Milligan was honored to be invited to speak at the end of the webinar, offering practical educational strategies and action steps for translating the lessons of Holocaust remembrance into meaningful work on college and university campuses, including strategies for confronting contemporary antisemitism and anti-Zionism.

Thank you to AEN and USHMM for creating space for these important conversations and for helping participants move from remembrance to action—and a profound thank you to Ms. Klayman for allowing us to bear witness to her family’s incredible history.

Honoring those who gave their lives in service and reflecting on the weight of memory, responsibility, and gratitude--may their sacrifice be a blessing, and may we carry it forward with care.

Shavuot, which begins tonight, marks the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, a moment of revelation, responsibility, and collective becoming. Traditionally celebrated with learning, community, and by eating dairy, it invites us to reflect on what it means to receive, and to carry forward, tradition and knowledge. Chag sameach!

We celebrate our graduates and all they have accomplished. As they carry their learning forward, may they continue to ask meaningful questions, build thoughtful communities, and pursue lives of purpose. Mazel tov, Class of 2026!

Last night Dr. Milligan got to walk the “blue carpet” as a special guest of Ambassador Yechiel Leiter at the Embassy of Israel’s Yom Ha’Atzmaut celebration in Washington DC. This bipartisan event was a powerful reminder of the ways we can come together as a community across differences.