Caught in the Campus Crossfire

Caught in the Campus Crossfire explores the balance between free speech and the right to be protected from discrimination and intimidation on college campuses. The novel uses, as a vehicle, the fictional story of a Latino student, Javier, who takes a bullet fired by a radicalized Palestinian student, to save his Jewish best friend, Avi, during a Palestinian protest on a college campus. Avi's mother, Shifrah, a lawyer and of Arab and Israeli descent, files a lawsuit on behalf of Javier's family to bring those responsible, including the university, to justice.

The novel sensitively interweaves the complicated history of the Middle East Conflict. Written by a retired trial lawyer who practiced law for thirty-five years, the story also includes the limits of the First Amendment and the paramount right to be free from discrimination and harassment, colorfully illustrated through the climax of a courtroom drama with mention of the recent headline-making Congressional hearings on campus antisemitism. Caught in the Campus Crossfire also explores the evolution of American attitudes toward Jews and Israel, in particular, the history of Jewish and African American relations.