The Alpha Epsilon Pi (AEPi) fraternity house at Rutgers University in New Brunswick was egged and targeted in two separate, recent incidents.
The first incident occurred on April 22, when pro-Palestinian protesters from a nearby Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) rally drove by the house waving Palestinian flags and reportedly lobbed accusations of Jewish students of being “baby killers” and “terrorists.” Rutgers Hillel alleged that the protesters spat at the house as well.
📍 Rutgers University – attendees from a Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) rally yesterday drove to a Jewish fraternity house to harass members, waving Palestinian flags and referring to the Jewish students as baby killers and terrorists. pic.twitter.com/7E3eflrDf0
— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) April 24, 2022
The other incident, the egging, occurred on either the evening of April 25 or the following morning, just before Yom HaShoah. The house was also egged the year before as students were reading out the names of those who perished during the Holocaust to commemorate Yom HaShoah.
📍 Rutgers University – just days after a Jewish fraternity house gets harassed by pro Palestinian activists (video in thread), the same home was vandalized with eggs on the eve of Yom Hashoah, a day we commemorate victims of the Holocaust.
Truly sickening @RutgersU! pic.twitter.com/1jrMqiMUuO
— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) April 28, 2022
Video of the harassment – these cars were circling the home multiple times before the police was called.
This is also the 2nd time in 2 years the fraternity house was egged during the Yom Hashoah time period. pic.twitter.com/soXKUGQqmU
— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) April 28, 2022
The university announced that they are going to beef up security around the house in light of the recent incidents. “There is no place for this type of targeted hate on our campus, and Rutgers Hillel condemns these anti-Semitic acts in the strongest terms,” the university said in a statemen, per ABC7. “The direct targeting of members of our Jewish community goes against everything our campus community stands for and is unacceptable, especially during a program remembering the horrific impact anti-Jewish hate can have.” University Chancellor-Provost Francine Conway also said in a statement, “We understand and are sensitive to the concerns of those who were targeted, and stand by our Jewish students, faculty and staff,” she wrote. “Harassment based on religious belief, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or for any reason, is antithetical to our values at Rutgers University.”
Rutgers Hillel denounced the incidents and thanked the university in a statement. “There is no place for this type of targeted hate on our campus and Rutgers Hillel condemns these antisemitic acts in the strongest terms,” the organization said, per The Algemeiner. “The direct targeting of members of our Jewish community goes against everything our campus community stands for and is unacceptable, especially during a program remembering the horrific impact anti-Jewish hate can have.”
They added that they “appreciate the support our community has received from the Chancellor, who released a statement about this incident Monday, reaffirming that targeting students because of their Jewish identity is wrong, and their willingness to address these issues systemically through participating in Hillel International’s Campus Climate Initiative with us. We continue to support our AEPi students, as well as all members of our campus community, as we reaffirm our commitment to ensuring the Rutgers Jewish community feels safe, respected and welcome on campus.”
Adam Kaufman, who heads the AEPi chapter, told MyCentralJersey that the university needs to do more to combat antisemitism. “They sent an announcement but we just feel that we’re being silenced—that they are just putting out announcements to make us feel better. But, there’s not really any change or any plan of action to present to us.”
Representative Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) tweeted that he was “disgusted” by the incidents. “These recent acts of antisemitism and harassment toward Jewish Rutgers students are appalling,” he wrote. “Antisemitism is reprehensible, and this harassment deserves to be condemned without any equivocation.”
I am disgusted.
These recent acts of antisemitism and harassment toward Jewish Rutgers students are appalling.
Antisemitism is reprehensible, and this harassment deserves to be condemned without any equivocation.https://t.co/INpjZwSoo0
— Rep Josh Gottheimer (@RepJoshG) April 27, 2022
Jewish groups also condemned the recent incidents. “Appalled by the continued vile antisemitism targeting @RutgersAEPi,” Anti-Defamation League New York / New Jersey tweeted. “After being harassed w/ #antisemitic rhetoric, the fraternity home was vandalized w/ eggs during a #YomHaShoah program. [Thank you] @RutgersU for providing additional support to students impacted.”
Appalled by the continued vile antisemitism targeting @RutgersAEPi. After being harassed w/ #antisemitic rhetoric, the fraternity home was vandalized w/ eggs during a #YomHaShoah program. TY @RutgersU for providing additional support to students impacted. https://t.co/ygiUdlWnj1
— ADL New York / New Jersey (@ADL_NYNJ) April 28, 2022
The American Jewish Committee tweeted, “In the past few days, the @AEPi fraternity chapter at @RutgersU has been targeted with antisemitic insults and egging during a reading of names of Holocaust victims. We thank the university for taking action to protect its Jewish students against this hate.”
In the past few days, the @AEPi fraternity chapter at @RutgersU has been targeted with antisemitic insults and egging during a reading of names of Holocaust victims. We thank the university for taking action to protect its Jewish students against this hate.https://t.co/frMpaZlpeh
— American Jewish Committee (@AJCGlobal) April 28, 2022
SJP’s Rutgers-New Brunswick chapter issued a statement on April 27 saying that the protesters who harassed the AEPi house on April 22 are not students at Rutgers and are not in any way affiliated with SJP. “Our inquiries led to the acquisition of video footage which suggests that it was members of AEPi who approached the individuals who attended our rally with slurs, Islamophobic rhetoric, and attempts to provoke physical altercation,” they said. “The individuals involved passed through Sicard Street due to its close proximity to our rally at Brower Commons, the Rutgers-designated ‘free speech zone’ on the College Avenue campus.” The Commons is where the SJP rally April 22 rally was held. “Our fight for Palestinian liberation is inextricable from efforts for the liberation of all oppressed groups, including the American Jewish community. Individuals who plan to engage in antisemitic or otherwise hateful behavior are not welcome into our organization or at any of our events, rallies and/or protests.”
Kaufman, on the other hand, told MyCentralJersey that AEPi “didn’t start anything” and that “none of us attended the rally.” “Unfortunately, [the pro-Palestinian protesters] decided to do a drive-by with cars full of people raising Palestinian flags, and calling us names and stopping by the house on purpose. And the fact that it also was the second to last day of Passover creates a little bit more of an impactful timing to hurt us on an even more deeper level.”
Jewish News Syndicate (JNS) reported that the AEPi members are currently fundraising to further Holocaust education and provide support for Jewish Ukrainian refugees afflicted by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The members said they are showing “that we are not intimidated by anti-Semitism and will use this as a way to raise money and awareness for Jewish causes alike.”
