Deborah E. Lipstadt, MA’72, PhD’76

Deborah E. Lipstadt, the Dorot Professor of Modern Jewish History and Holocaust Studies at Emory University, writes powerfully on the Holocaust and contemporary Jewish life.

In her best-known book, “History on Trial” (2005), Lipstadt chronicled the London courtroom battle that erupted when English author David Irving filed a libel suit against her in the United Kingdom for having called him a Holocaust denier. After a 10-week trial, Irving lost his case, and the proceedings exposed the true depth of his association with neo-Nazi groups. “History on Trial” became the basis for the critically acclaimed 2016 feature film “Denial,” starring Rachel Weisz.

Lipstadt’s recent work, particularly her book “Antisemitism: Here and Now” (2019), continues to warn the world about the ever-present danger of antisemitic hatred and violence.

She founded the Institute for Jewish Studies at Emory, serving as its first director from 1998-2008, and directs the Holocaust Denial on Trial website, which contains transcripts and other materials from the Irving trial as well as scholarly materials that offer answers to frequent claims made by deniers.

Lipstadt was a historical consultant to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and helped design the section of the museum focused on the American response to the Holocaust.

The Jewish Council for Public Affairs has awarded her its highest honor, the Albert D. Chernin Award, given to “an American Jew whose work best exemplifies the social justice imperatives of Judaism, Jewish history, and the protection of the Bill of Rights.”