Campus Watch Dec. 15, 2022

CUNY Event Disrupted by Pro-Palestinian Activists

Pro-Palestinian activists disrupted an event featuring pro-Israel academics at the City University of New York (CUNY) on December 8.

The Algemeiner reported that the event, which took place at the CUNY Graduate Center, featured Academic Engagement Network head Miriam Elman, Scholars for Peace in the Middle East head Asaf Romirowsky and Professor Donna Robinson Divine. Elman told The Algemeiner that the activists “came in front of the podium” and started screaming various “slogans” before police removed them from the event. “We lost 15 minutes of the presentation of the event,” Elman said. “It’s unacceptable.”

The activists also handed out flyers during the event alleging that Israel is engaging in “genocide” and “occupation,” according to The Algemeiner.

Colgate Chabad Menorah Vandalized

The menorah at Colgate University’s Chabad in New York was vandalized on December 8.

The Colgate Maroon-News tweeted that the Hamilton Chabad’s menorah had “smashed bulbs and cut wires.” Two students admitted to vandalizing the menorah, saying that they were “intoxicated” at the time; police are weighing criminal charges against the two students. Jewish students at the university launched a GoFundMe page to raise money to repair the menorah and have thus far raised $20,000.

Chabad Rabbi Shmuly Haskelevich told The Daily Caller that he was shocked at the vandalism and thanked the police for their work on the matter. “They are deserving of high praise,” he said.

Nevada Board of Regents Passes IHRA Definition of Antisemitism

The Nevada Board of Regents passed the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism on December 1, The Jerusalem Post reported.

The Post quoted Nevada Board Regent Byron Brooks as saying, “Antisemitism is at crisis levels nationally, and the Board of Regents wanted to be proactive here and get in front of the problem. By adopting the IHRA definition of antisemitism we are making a statement that the Nevada System of Higher Education is committed to equal protections for all our students.” The Post noted that it was the first time a state system of higher education adopted IHRA.

Michigan State Jewish Student’s Mezuzah Vandalized

A freshman Jewish student at Michigan State University recently had her mezuzah vandalized.

WILX News 10 reported that on December 5 that the student, Adina Peysakhov, found her mezuzah torn down after hearing a loud noise outside her door. 

“I could tell that it was very intentional because of how loud it was when it was smacked off and how far it was on the ground from my doorpost,” Peysakhov told the local outlet. “The whole situation, it was very hard and upsetting.”

There are no cameras outside her dorm room, so the perpetrator is currently unknown. Pesakhov told WILX that she’s “very proud of my Jewish identity” and will continue to openly practice as a Jew.

Pro-Palestinian Students Initiate First BDS Campaign at Yale

A group of pro-Palestinian students at Yale University have started the first ever Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign at the campus.

The Algemeiner reported that Yalies 4 Palestine is urging the university to divest from G4S, a British security company that partners with Israeli prisons. One member told the Yale Daily News, “We’re hoping that our campaign will generate important discussions around what it means to stand in solidarity with oppressed and colonized people around the world and what we mean when we say that all struggles are fundamentally connected.” The university told The Algemeiner that the student group hasn’t “formally asked administrators to dissolve GS4’s contract.”

“Supporting BDS and failing to see how it harms Jewish students is not activism,” Jewish on Campus tweeted. “Jewish students at @Yale do not deserve to be ostracized and isolated because of their connections to Israel. Instead, conversations about peace need to be inclusive.”

University of Cincinnati Hillel Vandalized

The University of Cincinnati’s Hillel was vandalized on December 4.

Fox19 reported that the Hillel’s Executive Director, Rachel Kaplan, announced in an Instagram post that “destroyed plants” on the property and “threw dirt at our building. They also broke spotlights and turned over trash cans.”  Kaplan added that the vandalism “has shaken our Jewish student community … Jewish students came to the building on Sunday morning with plans to relax and study for finals and found their Hillel had been targeted,” she said. “For our students, Hillel is a safe space. It should remain that way always. It breaks my heart that our students’ sense of safety was broken.” The perpetrators were caught on camera and police are investigating the matter. Police do not currently view the vandalism as a hate crime. ■