[caption id=”attachment_117441″ align=”aligncenter” width=”570″]City University of New York (Wikimedia Commons)
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While much has been made about racism on campus, Jewish concerns often go ignored.
Incidents at Oberlin College were met with indifference. Alumni and students didn’t act in a manner to disrupt anyone, but rather expressed their thoughts in a letter to the president of the college. Despite such a lacking response on this incident, students took the time in December to complain about “culturally appropriative” Asian dishes at the dining halls.
In their list of demands, the Western Washington University Student Assembly for Power and Liberation mentioned “all racist… and otherwise oppressive behavior on campus.” They didn’t mention Jews. What made the list? Denouncing “racist, anti-black, transphobic, cis-sexist, misogynistic, ablest [sic], homophobic, Islamophobic… behavior.”
Oberlin does not seem to be an outlier. CUNY, which has sizable Jewish populations at some of their campuses, is also being criticized in an opinion piece by New York Post‘s Seth Lipsky. He places the blame on New York’s leaders:
There are reports of students being harassed and faculty intimidated in the name of “justice for Palestine.” Partisans of CUNY insist its administration is marshaling the right response.
Yet almost no public officials are standing up.
It’s not just city leaders, but state leaders as well:
Groups reacted by sending a letter, detailing incidents Lipsky explains in his piece. While the Anti-Defamation League praised the response, Zionist Organization of America believes more can be done.
Such incidents do not just occur in New York, as Lipsky notes.
Noah Beck, writing for CharismaNews, warned “Anti-Israel Sentiment Grows at Connecticut College.” Beck’s piece spoke of troubles Jewish students, professors, and programs face from Conn Students in Solidarity with Palestine. Beck also details further issues Jews face on campus. Spencer J. Pack, an economics professor, “has told colleagues that his school has grown so hostile toward Jews that he can no longer recommend Jewish students or professors come to the college.”
It is Pack’s opinion that “this harassment of Jews on campus [is] in the name of fighting for social justice.” Indeed, not all social justice crusades are beneficial or productive; some are downright dangerous.
