Here’s a twist.
In a letter addressed to the president of Brandeis, the alumni said they would withdraw funding unless the university walks back its decision to effectively ban the group Students for Justice for Palestinian from holding events on campus
Honestly, this disgusts me. Brandeis was founded to be a safe haven for Jews. It has absolutely no obligation to provide a platform for groups antithetical to that mission.
Eight students from the University of Connecticut talk about what it’s like attending university at a time when antisemitism has moved from a whisper to a shout
While I am not a super duper large donor to my undergrad and grad schools, our donations have been sizeable and have been a consistent, annual contribution. Well, not this year. Not happy with either schools’ response to the campus activities (and there are additional reasons I won’t be giving to my grad school). I suspect there are many like me who will redirect donations this year. Add to that the big donors who have already told several of these schools they will be withholding their contributions and, I agree with Israel’s minister of Economy and Industry that despite the large endowments many of these schools have, they will likely feel the pinch in funds for building and grounds maintenance, faculty salaries and scholarship $ for students. Hope it sends a message. And maybe my decision to not respond to the emails and linked in messages from the Development office also sends a message.
Not really surprising?
Donors feeling that their wealth entitles them to influence daily operations at a university will come from either side of the spectrum.
Yes - world events give extremists on either side fresh fuel to make noise:
When these students extrapolate comments about the conflict in the Middle East to mean that their fellow students hate them and wish them dead, that is of the students’ own doing. No one else is at fault, certainly not the administration.
Some people are less subtle…
Are the colleges supposed to allow no groups that promote a certain religion, race, country to form on campus or speak on campus?
On the other thread, there was a long discussion on whether a sign (not on a college campus) saying Pray for Palestine was hate speech. Should all indications of religion just be banned (except, of course, for religious run schools)? How about student groups that favor one protected group (race, national origin, religion, sex) be banned because there will be people who disagree with their positions of supporting one group over another, and it could cause ‘unrest’?
Now alumni are withholding donations. How are the schools supposed to please both sides if they allow any side to talk, demonstrate, publish letters to the editor?
Paywall, but from other reports, it seems this group has no affiliation with any university, and is likely not even local to Madison. This rhetoric, assuming it has accurately been captured, would be out of line if it were by fellow university students.
When the calls to “globalize the intifada” are heard on college campuses, who is doing the extrapolation ?
Jewish students on campus are being confronted with this rhetoric by entirely anonymous masked people in close proximity to their college campus.
Actually I don’t think the students are entirely at fault. They are in fact being confronted by hate and people that are calling for them to be killed based on their religion.
I am not blaming the schools administration but don’t think it fair to suggest the students fears are misguided or overstated.
the school administratioin could ban masks for all on-campus activities including protests…
This was neo nazis adjacent to campus but agreed for on campus.
I think President Sasse of UofF got it right when he condemned the terrorism and pledged to protect Jewish students on campus, and other presidents who tried to tiptoe about moral equivalency between Israel and Hamas are way off the mark. That said, contentious issue notwithstanding, a university president should not feel the need to protect students from other students or activists. After reading reports about colleges instructing Jewish students to avoid parts of campus lest they be attacked, or pro-Palestinian activists threatening Jews, not allowing Jewish students to use specific doors or leave buildings, I cannot help but reach the conclusion that college administrators lack moral courage.
Of course, this conflict just highlights the steady decline in freedom of speech on college campuses. When professors, activists and students shout down, threaten or even physically attack those with whom they disagree without suffering any disciplinary action by college administrators it becomes clear that many - most? - colleges in the US have abandoned their core mission of open inquiry and free debate.
Of course, much of the worst behavior would stop almost overnight if administrators grew spines. Here is a quick recipe for getting back on track:
Yes, I realize that this would be easier said than done. I also realize that after some of the more aggressive or militant activists were suspended or expelled word would spread quickly that such behavior would not be tolerated. Of course, activist groups would test administrators, and I could see a pro-Palestinian group do something as drastic as camping outside a Hillel House to intimidate, or even threaten, Jewish students. The administration would need to have the moral courage to suspend or expel those students, as appropriate “to encourage the others”.
If there are some CC members who work at universities and can shed some light on the bureaucracy, politics and inner workings on campus I would love to hear from you.
Whack jobs are legally allowed to walk the public streets.
“globalize the intifada” wasn’t mentioned in the UofCT article that I was responding to, but since that rhetoric has been used on other campuses, it would fall into the “we’re only talking about the Middle East, not you” classification.
What exactly do you think the word “globalize” means??? So your interpretation is that protestors calling for a global intifada means they are only advocating for violence against Jews in the middle east? That makes me feel so much better. Unbelievable
As if that wasn’t disturbing enough.
Absolutely
Then medically vulnerable persons who are allergic to ingredients in COVID-19 vaccines will complain about not being able to protect themselves from COVID-19.