In the leadup to International Holocaust Remembrance Day, which is Tuesday, Jan. 27, two Jewish students at UC Irvine brought forth a resolution to the Associated Students at UC Irvine – ASUCI, the student government – which included statements on modern antisemitism and Holocaust denial. Hillel, Chabad, AEPi, Anteater Jewish Alliance, and the Center for Jewish Studies at UC Irvine sponsored the resolution, which said, “the world continues to witness a troubling rise in antisemitism, Holocaust denial, hate speech, and violence, both globally and within local communities, which reinforces the urgent need for education, historical understanding, and active resistance to all forms of discrimination.”
However, the original version of the resolution didn’t pass. Instead, in a unanimous vote of 22-0-0, the ASUCI passed a version that was amended to remove the two students who co-sponsored it, along with all the organizations listed. It also removed mention of modern antisemitism and Holocaust denial.
“Holocaust Remembrance Day is not political,” read a joint statement from Hillel at UCI, Chabad at UCI Student Leaders, Alpha Epsilon Pi, and Zeta Tau. “It is moral, educational, and a reminder of a time that should never be repeated. ASUCI’s decision to delay and dilute legislation recognizing International Holocaust Remembrance Day erased Jewish student authorship, removed essential educational resources, and ignored the voices of all campus Jewish organizations. This failure to listen to Jewish students undermines remembrance, education, and inclusion.”
The statement also mentioned how Hillel at UCI, Chabad at UCI, and Alpha Epsilon Pi, three Jewish organizations on campus, “explicitly informed ASUCI that this revised legislation did not have our support. Despite this, the ASUCI Senate proceeded to pass the legislation unanimously. Put plainly, ASUCI has failed to listen to and represent its Jewish students.”
Julia Kremenetsky, a sophomore at UC Irvine, said that it’s deeply unsettling how “ASUCI is categorizing Holocaust Remembrance Day as a ‘political’ issue. My peers from Hillel, Chabad, and Alpha Epsilon Pi should never have had to attend an ASUCI meeting to relive the tragedies of our ancestors or to persuade senators that this remembrance holds meaning beyond politics for the Jewish community. Even after more than 10 public comments from members of the Jewish community, not a single senator approached us or addressed us directly following the meeting. The visible discomfort and guilt on some senators’ faces during the public comments, but with an unwillingness to reconsider the resolution, is upsetting and speaks great volumes to the persistence of political division and antisemitism.”
Another student, Michal (Mika) Schreiman, a junior, said, “What was originally a thoughtfully crafted Holocaust remembrance statement was fundamentally altered by ASUCI senators questioning established history, erasing Jewish authorship, and ignoring Jewish student voices. The passed version of the legislation no longer reflects the intent or integrity of the original statement. Instead of honoring remembrance, it reveals the continuous choice ASUCI members make to distort truth and marginalize the very communities they claim to represent. I want to feel proud to name my future alma mater, but at the moment, the memories being formed are wrought with disappointments, attacks, and deliberate antisemitic acts, one after another.”
Instead of honoring remembrance, it reveals the continuous choice ASUCI members make to distort truth and marginalize the very communities they claim to represent.” Michal Schreiman
Though the passed resolution has caused controversy and upset Jewish students and groups on campus, the hopeful joint statement ended not with an admonition, but an invitation.
“The Jewish community remains resilient in the face of these challenges, and we will continue to commemorate International Holocaust Remembrance Day in a way that reflects our values and centers Jewish voices,” it said. “We are inviting ASUCI senators to come and learn with us from two Holocaust survivors at our upcoming program on January 27th, and we’re reserving VIP seats for them.”
