INTERVIEWS | PALESTINE

Interview with Author and Activist Alice Rothchild

Part 1: On the absence of Palestine in children’s literature; on her fascinating journey from a “typical” liberal Jewish American to a Palestine solidarity activist; and on Zionism and antisemitism.

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Sitting across a Zoom screen from Alice Rothchild, and this being my first interview assignment, I intimidated myself with the hard questions I had prepared. What I really wanted to know was what was it like to be a Jewish activist, at this time, who has spent a good part of her life advocating for Palestinian rights. Thankfully, Dr. Rothchild’s warm, candid manner immediately put me at ease. In less than an hour, we covered vital topics of urgent relevance to the activist community. It was indeed my fortune and honor to probe her wisdom through this informal but pertinent chat. I found Dr. Rothchild an excellent storyteller, one who approaches difficult conversations with authenticity and nuance, so I relay her words here with minimal editing.

Alice Rothchild is a retired obstetrician/gynecologist, author, filmmaker, and activist for justice in Palestine (photo courtesy of Alice Rothchild).

If you are in the Greater Washington, DC area the next two weeks, you are invited to meet Dr. Rothchild at any of the events listed after…