Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on May 30, 2024

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President Cauces May 15 statement on the encampment in the Quad, insensitively released on Nakba Day, as well as the one released two days later, marginalized Palestinian students and all students speaking up for Palestinian human rights including the many Jewish students, staff, and faculty that participated in the protest and supported its demands while weaponizing antisemitism to repress peaceful student-led protest of the universitys financial ties to the genocide unfolding in Gaza.

The Presidents statements raise the question: are only some Jewish students worthy of safety on UW campus?

Claiming in broad strokes that the encampment is antisemitic is not only counterfactual, but invalidates the existence of the Jewish students, staff, and faculty that support Palestinian liberation. Those of us enacting our values of Tikkun Olam (Hebrew for repairing the world) by raising our voices against grave injustice and loss of life cannot live, learn and work without fear on campus when UWs actions amplify the national effort to conflate criticism of the Israeli government and Zionism with antisemitism. University leaders who only recognize some Jews as worthy of protection invalidate our Jewish identity while weaponizing it to suppress speech supporting Palestinian rights. This puts many marginalized members of the university community, including Jewish members, in danger and creates a shield behind which the university continues its tacit support for a state that is enacting genocidal policies and practices.

We, the undersigned, are Jews reasserting our voices, our values, and our existence within the UW community. Shabbat services were held every Friday evening in the encampment, belying the idea that Jewish students did not feel safe there. Is feeling uncomfortable the same as actually being in danger? Is that feeling of safety and comfort contingent on a students political views? Is it right to prioritize the safety and comfort of Jewish students who support Israels actions above others? This erasure of Jewish identity does a disservice to the inclusive community that the administration purports to support and itself could be described as antisemitic.

Given that the university held one of its focus groups for the antisemitism task force at Hillel UW, an off-campus chapter of a national organization that is steadfastly committed to the support of Israel and will not partner with, house, or host organizations, groups, or speakers that as a matter of policy or practice support [the] boycott of, divestment from, or sanctions against the state of Israel, it is clear that the university has decided which Jewish members of our community have legitimate claims to safety and which do not. Calling for healing in the face of a continuing genocide is deeply hypocritical, and invalidates the justifiable anger and fear of the Palestinian, Muslim and Arab students, faculty, and staff most directly impacted.

The attached letter, which was signed by nearly 300 Jewish students, staff, faculty and alumni of the university and local Jewish community members, was written in support of the student encampment before the events of the last few weeks. We submitted this letter to the president and university administration in an effort to combat the erasure of our perspective and the continued weaponization of our Jewish identity. To date, we have not received any response nor an acknowledgment from the university; we hope to receive one soon.

Sincerely,

A Wagner, Student

Abraham Flaxman, Faculty

Alana McGovern, Student

Alex Henry, Student

Alys Weinbaum, Faculty

Amelia Fruzzetti, Alum

Andrea Marcos, Staff & Alum

Anna Feit, Student

Anna Reed, Staff & Alum

August Rivers, Student

Carolina Hohl, Student

Charlie Cade, Student

C. Berger, Staff

Dan Berger, Faculty

Dana Barnett, Incoming Student

Deborah Nemens, Staff & Alum

Eden Shore, Alum

Elyanah Posner, Student

Emily Grayson, Alum

Erin McElroy, Faculty

Ethan Nowack, Alum

Eva Cherniavsky, Faculty

Gabriela Indivero, Student

Greta Treistman, Alum

Hannah Gallagher, Student

Hannah Katz, Student

Henry Noble, Student

Jade Minzlaff, Student

Jason Groves, Faculty

Jen Greenstein, Alum

Jenna Udren, Staff & Alum

Jessica C. Trupin, Staff & Alum

Joie Waxler, Staff & Alum

Joseph Temes, Student

Julianna Alson, Staff

Lauren Berliner, Faculty

Ledah Kaplan-Wilcox, Student

Maya Hahn, Alum

Melissa Diamond, Student

Neal Koblitz, Faculty

Nell Gross, Alum & Staff

Nicolaas Barr, Faculty, Staff, & Alum

Nicole Minkoff, Staff

Nina Galanter, Student

Noelani Yonahara Stewart, Alum

Pascal Diamond, Student

Rebecca Gross, Alum

Roger Lippman, Alum

Samantha Gilbert-Janizek, Student

Sara Caplan, Student

Sarah Potter, Alum

Sarah-Ahava Ezra Fernndez, Student

Shelby Handler, Alum

Stacey Prince, Alum

Stephanie Clare, Faculty

Susan Glenn, Faculty

Wendy Eisheva Somerson, Alum

Zachary Zimmerman, Alum

Zo Bermet, Staff

More here:

Statement of Jewish staff, faculty and students regarding UW President Cauce's response to the Palestinian Solidarity ... - Dailyuw

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