Letters to the Editor

Rutgers Chabad Disappointed by Chancellor

Dear Editor:

Chabad House has been an integral part of the growth of a vibrant growing Jewish population at Rutgers for 43-years. We have witnessed many positive changes on campus, and we are proud that Rutgers has become a top destination for Jewish students nationally and internationally. Chabad House has enjoyed a close working relationship with the university administration since 1978, (with Rutgers President Ed Bloustein as Guest of Honor at our Annual Founders Dinner), and the resulting vibrant Jewish life is testimony to this.

Recently, the Jewish community has been subject to acts of violence, verbally and physically. And several buildings on campus, recognized as Jewish have been vandalized. These acts of violence did not take place in a vacuum. Rather they happened when violence against visible Jews or Jewish institutions have literally multiplied exponentially, both here in our nation, and globally in Europe, South America, and Canada.

We, as Jewish people, are aware that antisemitism doesn’t need an excuse to rear its ugliness. We have taken “Honors’ courses in this subject for centuries.

We did expect the university administration to deal with this violence with law enforcement personnel. In addition, we expected the administration to make a public statement, as it rightfully did in the past regarding other acts of violence to minorities. Instead, Chancellor Christopher Molloy issued a ‘generic’ statement deploring antisemitism and violence against all minorities. The Chancellor specifically disappointed and angered the Jewish community, when he later ‘apologized’ to a university group for failing to include his “support” of the Palestinians, in his letter regarding antisemitism.

After several attempts by the Chancellor to respond to criticism of his letter, we now discover that President Jonathan Holloway has issued a ‘new and improved’ letter condemning antisemitism on campus. While we welcome this change, we must demand better from the university administration in the days and years ahead.

We request that Rutgers University deal with any act of violence, in any shape or form, with swift action, and a clear and unambiguous statement of condemnation. We invite the administration to meet and discuss the future of Jewish life on Rutgers campuses, with responsible Jewish leadership. These meetings may discuss implementing a task force that can identify negative campus issues, and possible remedies.

Chabad at Rutgers prays and looks forward to a safe, healthy, and thriving new campus year for all Rutgers students.

Sincerely
Chabad-Lubavitch of Rutgers University

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Don Lemon’s “Pro-Palestinian” Problem

Dear Editor:

CNN Don Lemon’s Headlines: “Jewish man attacked in a ‘gang assault’ in New York City” while screaming “F—-K the Jews and Israel” on the video, as Lemon seriously wonders aloud why this happened to a Jewish man coming to a rally to support Israel.

Maybe Don missed out on reports of worldwide “gangs” of “Pro-Palestinian thugs”, attacking and screaming antisemitic slurs at Jews in London, Canada, in NYC’s diamond district. Apparently CNN’s Don Lemon has difficulty saying the words “pro Palestinian” attackers, and prefers the more generic term “gang” yet he seems to have no trouble identifying White structural racism as a cause of people of color lagging behind. When the Jew haters who are doing the assaulting does not fit mainstream media’s, CNN’s, Don Lemon’s, and the far left’s narrative, they either downplay it, do not report it or under report it, or find Orwellian denial, neutral terms that won’t offend the far left’s baseline bias of Israel as the bad guy.

Hey Don, guess what, when they yell Allahu Akbar while they’re stabbing you, that means Allah is Great and this is a terrorist crime on behalf of Islam. And when Israel is attacked by Islamic Jihad Hamas and there is a war on, and Jews are being assaulted on the streets by Israel hating “Palestinian” Arabs, yelling antisemitic threats, these are not crimes done by unknown “gangs.” These are Jew hate crimes done by Arabs, same happened in 1930’s Germany when it was a crime to be a Jew, and it was OK to attack Jews.

So Don, wake up and smell the source of the stench of Jew hate before it comes for you and it will. If you can’t even name it correctly because of your politically correct denial and bias, that means you cannot be part of the solution to stop it. Go away Don. Go far away.

Sincerely
Marina Stanikova

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It Starts With Israel and Ends With You

Dear Editor:

The chorus of unbridled, accepted-as-justified, Israel demonization is now unprecedented, goes across the spectrum, is a newly mandated norm, if you consider yourself a person who is for “Palestinian and all human rights.” The Big Lies about Israel are seen everywhere, are now a firm part of the “progressive” mantra, aggressively asserted as truths. Zionism=Racism is here again. This time to stay. This is going beyond what is repairable, beyond “only” Israel. Jews are already being attacked, will soon be painted as racists if they are Zionists, if they support the “apartheid, racist Jewish state.” It won’t be long before we are once again to blame for the world’s woes, for controlling and manipulating and “hypnotizing” the world. Wake up and smell the stench of 1930’s Germany Jew hate. It’s here to stay.

Recent headlines: “Endorsed by dozens of Vassar faculty members, “Vassar Community Stands with Palestinians”…”is filled with manifest untruths about Israel, is couched in the most inflammatory terms, characterizing Israel as “apartheid, guilty of ethnic cleansing and settler colonialism”…vilifies Israel for defending itself against more than 4000 rockets into Israel’s civilian population centers…” “Demonstrators gather outside a Nashville hat store that offered ‘not vaccinated’ yellow Star of David badges.” “Rutgers University Apologizes for Condemning Antisemitism After Pressure from Pro-Palestinian Group.” “Massachusetts School Hangs Black Lives Matter Flag Days After the Group Condemned Israel.” Protesters are seen chanting in favour of the Hamas terrorist group, which recently encouraged its followers to “cut off the heads of the Jews with knives. B’nai Brith has reported these matters to the Winnipeg Police Service.”

1. Tobin, Algemeiner, “You Can’t Be ‘Even-Handed’ About Condemning Those Who Hate Israel and Jews”, “A Jewish community that isn’t prepared to speak up with one voice on behalf of Israel and against those seeking its delegitimization is in no position to answer or isolate those who are fomenting the violence against Jews.”

American Jews need to “put aside their differences”, unite to defend Israel’s right to exist, condemn those who call for its elimination and condemn antisemitic speech and actions. I have been calling for successful Jews to fund our own Public Relations Agency to get the truth out, the hard data and facts, to no avail. Since they’re now killing us and coming after us, perhaps someone out there will take action.

Sincerely
Charles Hershmeyer