Shai Davidai
| Shai Davidai | |
|---|---|
| Native name | שי דוידאי |
| Born | 1983/1984 (age 41–42) Ramat Gan, Israel |
| 💼 Occupation | |
| Title | Assistant Professor of Business |
| 👶 Children | 2[1] |
| 🏅 Awards | * Association for Psychological Science (APS) "Rising Star" (2020)
|
Shai Davidai (Script error: The function "langx" does not exist.; born 1983/1984 (age 41–42)) is an Israeli assistant professor of business at Columbia Business School[1] known for his outspoken advocacy for Israel and against the 2024 Columbia University pro-Palestinian campus occupations.[2][3] After the October 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel and subsequent Gaza war, Davidai's pro-Israel activity has led him into conflict with Columbia University students, faculty, and administrators,[4] leading to his suspension from the university for harassment of employees.
Early life and education
Davidai is Jewish, and was born in Ramat Gan, Israel.[5][6] His father was born in Haifa and his mother in Givatayim in Israel.[6]
Davidai earned a B.A. in psychology and cognitive science from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 2009.[1][7] After moving to the United States, he earned a Ph.D. in social psychology and personality psychology from Cornell University in 2015.[1][7][8] Professor Thomas Gilovich was his Ph.D. advisor.[1]
Career
Davidai did a post-doctoral fellowship at the Princeton University School of Public and International Affairs in 2015-16.[1] His first faculty position was at The New School for Social Research, where he was assistant professor of psychology from 2016 to 2019.[1][7]
In 2019, Davidai joined the Columbia Business School faculty as assistant professor of business.[1] He studies how people's views on inequality, success, and failure affect their well-being.[9][1]
His work has been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and numerous social and experimental psychology journals.[10] Davidai's findings on FOMO, nepo babies, and perception of income inequality have been featured in The New York Times,[11] Scientific American,[12] The Guardian,[13] and The New Yorker.[14]
Columbia University protests
After the October 7 attacks and subsequent Israel-Hamas war, protests erupted at numerous educational institutions, including Columbia University. After a Columbia SJP leader and a faculty member called the attacks "an unprecedented historic moment" and "a stunning victory", Davidai spoke at a candlelight vigil on campus.[15] He approached the Columbia Business School dean, met with the university president,[8] and called on the school administration to condemn Hamas.[8]
Davidai wrote an open letter to every parent in America, warning them about antisemitism at universities and criticizing university leadership for supporting pro-terror campus organizations.[15] He argued that KKK or ISIS supporters would not be allowed to demonstrate on campus.[15][16] He described his alarm at students' "hatred" of "the existence of Israel as a homeland for the Jewish people".[17]
Davidai's ID card was temporarily deactivated in April 2024, preventing him from accessing the main campus.[18] In April 2024, a petition alleging that Davidai harassed pro-Palestinian students and calling for his termination obtained over 10,000 signatures.[18] Davidai denied targeting any individual students and said he focused on "student organizations that have turned this campus into a hostile environment by openly celebrating terrorism and promoting violence against Israel and Jews".[19] He added that he was receiving death threats daily.[19]
In October 2024, Davidai was temporarily suspended from Columbia's campus following the anniversary of the October 7 attacks. The university stated that he had repeatedly harassing university employees. He subsequently published a video of himself following and questioning a university administrator about the university's response to pro-Palestinian protests on campus that day.[4][20][21] Columbia said Davidai threatened and intimidated the university's chief operating officer, Cas Holloway, violating university policies.[4] Over 400 university professors, students, parents, alumni, and staff signed a letter to interim university president Katrina Armstrong calling Davidai's suspension "egregious".[22] In December 2024, when a Jewish student was punched in the face at a Barnard pro-Palestinian protest, Davidai argued that the university's tolerance of hateful demonstrations, demonization of Jewish students, and indoctrination by Students for Justice in Palestine had promoted the conditions leading to the violence.[23]
Political views
Davidai opposes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and supports the creation of a Palestinian state.[5][24] He considers himself pro-Israel, pro-Palestinian, anti-terror, and a liberal leftist.[15][24] He has been critical of Columbia University's response to pro-Palestinian campus occupations and antisemitism on its campus.[25][26] Davidai's videos include warnings against the dangers of hate speech.[27] He interprets "from the river to the sea" and "globalize the intifada" as calls to violence against Israelis and Jews.[28] He notes that student organizations have condemned "Zionists" on campus.[28]
See also
- Antisemitism at Columbia University
- Antisemitism and higher education in the United States
- Criticism of Israel
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Kristy Bleizeffer (June 5, 2023). "2023 Best 40-Under-40 MBA Professors: Shai Davidai, Columbia Business School," Poets & Quants.
- ↑ Patel, Vimal; Otterman, Sharon (2024-10-16). "Columbia Bars Vocal Pro-Israel Professor From Campus". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-03-11.
- ↑ souza, sabrina (2024-10-16). "Shai Davidai: Columbia University temporarily bans pro-Israel professor after October 7 protest". CNN. Retrieved 2025-03-11.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Patel, Vimal; Otterman, Sharon (2024-10-16). "Columbia Bars Vocal Pro-Israel Professor From Campus". The New York Times. Retrieved 2025-01-10.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Harri Haworth (October 17, 2024). "40 Facts About Shai Davidai," Facts.net.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Shai Davidai (September 17, 2024). "I was born in Ramat Gan...," Twitter (X).
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 "Shai Davidai," Columbia Business School.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Judy Berger (May 30, 2024). "WJC 'Israel Connection' Series Features Columbia Professor Shai Davidai," Jewish Link.
- ↑ Michael W. Kraus, Shai Davidai, and A. David Nussbaum (May 1, 2015). "American Dream? Or Mirage?," The New York Times.
- ↑ "Shai Davidai," Columbia Business School.
- ↑ Mullainathan, Sendhil (2017-04-28). "To Help Tackle Inequality, Remember the Advantages You've Had". The New York Times. Retrieved 2025-01-10.
- ↑ Fitz, Nicholas (2015-03-31). "Economic Inequality: It's Far Worse Than You Think". Scientific American. Retrieved 2025-01-10.
- ↑ Frank, Robert H (2017-10-08). "How much of a role does luck play in our success or failure?". The Telegraph. Retrieved 2025-01-10.
- ↑ Konnikova, Maria (2016-11-17). "America's Surprising Views on Income Inequality". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2025-01-10.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 Otterman, Sharon (2023-10-24). "Columbia Postpones Giving Day Fund-Raiser as Conflict Over Israel War Deepens". The New York Times. Retrieved 2025-01-10.
- ↑ Shai Davidai (October 2023)/ "An Open Letter to Every Parent in America," YouTube.
- ↑ Sutton, Mia (2024-06-30). "Professor Shai Davidai speaks out against antisemitism and hate on college campuses". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 2025-01-10.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 The New York Times; Closson, Troy (2024-04-22). "Scenes of Campus Protests at Columbia, Yale, MIT and NYU in Photos and Video". The New York Times. Retrieved 2025-01-10.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 Bandler, Aaron (2024-03-11). "Columbia Prof Shai Davidai Says University Has Launched Retaliatory Investigation Against Him". Jewish Journal. Retrieved 2025-02-09.
- ↑ Tress/Jta, Luke (2024-10-17). "Columbia bars Shai Davidai, outspoken Israeli and pro-Israel professor, from campus". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 2025-01-10.
- ↑ Marcelo, Philip (16 October 2024). "Shai Davidai: Pro-Israel professor at Columbia barred from campus after harassing and intimidating other employees". AP News. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
- ↑ Gomez-Sotomayor-Roel, Aleka (2024-11-02). "Hundreds of Columbia affiliates sign letter condemning suspension of Shai Davidai, calling for reversal". Columbia Daily Spectator. Retrieved 2025-01-10.
- ↑ Starr, Michael (2024-12-12). "Jewish Columbia student punched in face by anti-Israel activist". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 2025-01-10.
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 "Ivy League Antisemitism". Tablet Magazine. 2024-02-14. Retrieved 2025-01-10.
- ↑ Rosman, Katherine (2024-04-22). "On Columbia's Campus, a Protest Encampment Grows and Tensions Flare". The New York Times. Retrieved 2025-01-10.
- ↑ Ewe, Koh (2024-04-23). "Who Is Shai Davidai? The Columbia Professor Protesting Protesters". TIME. Retrieved 2025-01-12.
- ↑ "July 25, 2024," Instagram.
- ↑ 28.0 28.1 Tress, Luke; Magid, Jacob; Berman, Lazar; Fabian, Emanuel; Magid, Jacob; Bachner, Michael; Fabian, Emanuel (2024-03-09). "Israeli professor who's slammed campus antisemitism says Columbia investigating him". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 2025-01-10.
External links
- Shai Davidai on Instagram
- Shai Davidai on TwitterLua error in Module:WikidataCheck at line 23: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
- " June 2024 testimony to U.S. House Ways and Means Committee"
- Shai Davidai, "An Open Letter to Every Parent in America," video.
- Merle van den Akker (July 3, 2022). "Interview with Shai Davidai," Money on the Mind
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- 21st-century Israeli scientists
- 21st-century Israeli Jews
- 21st-century psychologists
- Activists against antisemitism
- Columbia Business School faculty
- Cornell University alumni
- Hebrew University of Jerusalem alumni
- Israeli activists
- Israeli cognitive scientists
- Israeli psychologists
- Opposition to antisemitism in the United States
- Organizational psychologists
- People from Ramat Gan
- Personality psychologists
- Social psychologists
- The New School faculty
