Jewish voice silenced: Albany Book Festival drops Jewish moderator citing "impasse" over Zionist views

An authors' panel scheduled for Saturday at the Albany Book Festival was canceled after organizers revealed that two panelists refused to participate due to the "Zionist" identity of the event's moderator, Elisa Albert.

Albert, a Jewish writer, was slated to moderate the discussion titled “Girls, Coming of Age,” featuring authors Lisa Ko, Aisha Abdel Gawad, and Emily Layden. However, on Thursday, Albert was informed via email that two of the authors, Ko and Abdel Gawad, objected to sharing the stage with her due to her Zionist views.

Albert expressed disappointment but noted that the incident aligns with her experiences since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7. "Unfortunately, I’m not surprised,” Albert told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

“I’ve been vocal from the start and have lost many friends. My professional life has drastically changed. I’ve seen people act out of fear, complicity, and bigotry — this is just more of the same.”