Two CUNY Professors Allege School Is Investigating Them for Criticizing Anti-Israel Lecture, Exhibit
Two professors at the Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC), which is part of the City University of New York (CUNY) umbrella, are alleging that BMCC is investigating them for criticizing an anti-Israel lecture and exhibit put on by the school.
The New York Post reported that the two professors are Assistant Mathematics Professor Avraham Goldstein and another who requested anonymity; the two professors had gone to the media and criticized the BMCC’s Social Justice and Equity Centers in March for holding “a lecture in March that discussed ‘the structure of apartheid’ in Israel and an exhibit featuring a display ripping it for ‘settler colonialism, military occupation, land theft, and ethnic cleansing.’” According to the Post, the investigation is due to the center’s then-multicultural center program coordinator Nadia Saleh alleging that Goldstein and the other professor harassed her through speaking to media outlets that published false information about her. However, Goldstein and the anonymous professor denied speaking to the media about Saleh. “It is evident to me that this investigation against us is a retaliation by CUNY Administration for our activity — for us publicly complaining about the antisemitic events on BMCC campus, and for our complaints against those responsible for these events,” Goldstein told the Post.
Both the BMCC and Saleh declined to comment to the Post.
Petition Calls for Princeton to Remove Book Accused of Spreading Blood Libels
A petition was launched on August 15 by International Legal Forum CEO Arsen Ostrovsky calling on Princeton University to remove a book that allegedly spreads blood libels.
The 2017 book “The Right to Maim” is being taught in Princeton’s upcoming course “The Healing Humanities: Decolonizing Trauma Studies from the Global South.” Ostrovsky accused the book of promulgating the “antisemitic blood libel that Israel intentionally maims Palestinians and harvests their organs.” “This kind of blind racism would not be permitted against any other minority, and nor should it be tolerated by Princeton with respect to Jewish students, who are already experiencing record levels of antisemitism on campus,” Ostrovsky wrote in the petition. As of this writing, more than 100 people have signed the petition.
Teen Arrested Over Antisemitic Graffiti at NY School Playground
A teenager has been arrested over antisemitic graffiti on a New York school playground.
The graffiti, found at Chatterton School in the Nassau County neighborhood of Merrick on July 30, consisted of a couple of swastikas drawn in black. On August 10, the Nassau County Police Department announced that a 14-year-old male from Freeport––a village in Long Island––was arrested over the graffiti. He has been charged with third degree criminal mischief and first-degree aggravated harassment.
ADL, AEPi Announce New Partnership in Fighting Antisemitism
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and Alpha Epsilon Pi (AEPi) announced on August 14 a new collaboration in fighting antisemitism.
According to a press release, the two organizations announced at the AEPi 2023 International Convention in New Orleans that they have established the AEPi Antisemitism Response Center, which allow people to report antisemitic incidents on campuses as well as track them. The center will also provide students with resources to combat antisemitism and raise public awareness about the issue.
“ADL and AEPi were both founded in 1913 in response to antisemitism that had deep impacts on the day-to-day lives of Jews,” ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said in a statement. “This partnership unites our two historic organizations who share a vision: to confront hatred, combat antisemitism, and promote understanding across our campuses and communities.”
“This partnership with ADL will give AEPi Brothers around the world additional tools and training to help them track and fight antisemitism and become more effective advocates for Israel and a broader understanding of Jewish communities,” AEPi CEO Rob Deridiger said in a statement.
Ohio State Anthropology Professor Announces Resignation from AAA Over Israel Boycott
Jeffrey Cohen, a professor in the Ohio State University’s Anthropology Department announced that he is resigning from the American Anthropological Association (AAA) after their membership voted in favor of an academic boycott of Israel on July 24.
“I have been a member of the AAA since 1984, and this was a difficult decision to make,” Cohen wrote in an August 10 letter to the editor published in the Cleveland Jewish News. “While the AAA is my professional home, I cannot be a part of an organization that would boycott the Israeli system of higher education, that would sanction hate and that would ignore the very same behavior coming from myriad states and academies around the globe.” He also accused the AAA of misrepresenting the situation “by claiming a majority of members support the boycott when in fact only 37% of the entire membership voted.” Cohen called the boycott “an assault on academic rights for faculty and students and denies the opportunity to reflect and respond to a complex and difficult topic.” “I fear that this boycott will place Jewish and pro-Israel voices in a dangerous space where they can be easily targeted with hate crimes,” he added.
