The Louis D. Brandeis Center was pleased to sign on to the following letter, signed by over 100 organizations and organized by the AMCHA Initiative, commending Pitzer College President Melvin Oliver for his strong stance against an attempted academic boycott of Israel on Pitzer’s campus. The boycott, which sought to suspend Pitzer College’s study abroad program in Haifa, was approved by the Pitzer College Council before President Oliver refused to give his required approval. President Oliver stated that resolutions like the one proposed on Pitzer’s campus “curtail the academic freedom of those students who wish to study [in Israel]. Among Pitzer’s core values is the promotion of intercultural understanding.” President Oliver went on to state that study abroad programs in Israel provide Pitzer’s students with the opportunity to “reach their own conclusions about some of the world’s most vexing challenges through on-the-ground, face-to-face, people-to-people experience.” The entire text of the letter can be found below. Dear President Oliver, Our organizations heartily applaud you for your courageous leadership in vetoing the College Council’s vote to shut down Pitzer’s study abroad program at the University of Haifa. Your staunch defense of the academic freedom and educational opportunities of Pitzer students and faculty in the face of an academic boycott of Israel is exemplary. We hope that your outstanding statement affirming Pitzer’s commitment to the pursuit of knowledge and the fostering of intercultural understanding and acknowledging that academic BDS undermines that commitment will serve as a model for university presidents across the country.Thank you again for your strong moral leadership, Academic Council for Israel Academic Engagement Network Aggies for Israel Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity (AEPi) Alums for Campus Fairness – National Alums for Campus Fairness – UC Davis Alums for Campus Fairness – UCLA Alums for Campus Fairness – University of Michigan AMCHA Initiative America Israel Cooperative Enterprise American Council of Trustees and Alumni American Institute for Jewish Research American Jewish Congress American Society of the University of Haifa American Truth Project American Values American Zionist Movement Americans Fighting Antisemitism Americans for a Safe Israel Americans for Peace and Tolerance B’nai B’rith International BEAR: Bias Education, Advocacy & Resources Binghamton University Zionist Organization (BUZO) Bobcats for Israel at Ohio University Boston Israel Action Committee Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law Bulldogs for Israel (Brooklyn College) California Association of Scholars Campus Anti-Semitism Task Force of the North Shore Christians and Jews United for Israel Club Z Coalition for Jewish Values Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America (CAMERA) Creative Community for Peace CUFI on Campus Dartmouth Students for Israel Davis Faculty for Israel Eagles Wings Endowment for Middle East Truth (EMET) Facts and Logic About the Middle East (FLAME) Grandchildren of Holocaust Survivors Hasbara Fellowships Hillel of Silicon Valley Hillels of Northern Nevada Institute for Black Solidarity with Israel Iranian American Jewish Federation Iranian Jewish Women’s Organization Israel in NYC Israel Matters Israel on Campus Coalition Israeli-American Civic Action Network Israeli-American Civic Education Institute Ithaca Area United Jewish Community JAM Jewish American Affairs Committee of Indiana Jewish War Veterans of the USA Jews Indigenous to the Middle East and North Africa (JIMENA) Mercaz USA Merrick-Bellmore Jewish Community Council Middle East Forum Middle East Political and Information Network (MEPIN) National Conference on Jewish Affairs National Council of Young Israel Nazareth College Hillel NCSY NH4Israel North Carolina Coalition for Israel North Carolina Hillel Northeastern Hillel Proclaiming Justice to the Nations Rabbinical Alliance of America Rhode Island Coalition for Israel Russian Jewish Community Foundation Santa Barbara Hillel Scholars for Peace in the Middle East Simon Wiesenthal Center Slugs for Israel (University of California Santa Cruz) StandWithUs StandWithUs Saidoff Legal Department Stop BDS on Campus Students and Parents Against Campus Anti-Semitism Students Supporting Israel at City College of New York Students Supporting Israel at Columbia Students Supporting Israel at Drake University Students Supporting Israel at San Jose State University Students Supporting Israel at UCLA Students Supporting Israel at University of Minnesota Students Supporting Israel at Wake Forest University Students Supporting Israel National Swarthmore Alums Against Antisemitism on Campus Swarthmore Students for Israel The Hillels of Israel The Israel Christian Nexus The Israel Group The Israel Project The Lawfare Project Tufts Friends of Israel University of New Mexico Hillel WoMen Fight Antisemitism World Jewish Congress, American Section Young Jewish Conservatives Zionist Organization of America ZOA’s Fuel for Truth
(Source: Wiki Commons) In Toronto on November 11th, a group of four Jewish teens were assaulted “in a Hitler-inspired racial attack.” According to the Toronto Sun, while walking to their Yeshiva to study in the evening, these 17-year old Jewish teens were approached by up to 20 teenage boys. One of the victims noted that they may have been approached because they “stood out…two of us were wearing kippah’s and two fedoras (Hasidic Jewish hats).” A group of assailants, who were similar in age to the Jewish teens, punched and kicked at least two out of the four Jewish boys. Furthermore, as reported by a video the Toronto Sun published, one of the boys had their glasses broken. During this assault, numerous anti-Semitic comments, including Hitler references, were also launched at the Jewish teens. Toronto Police are currently investigating this atrocious incident as a “Robbery/Hate Crime.” Additionally, they have managed to take at least one suspect in custody and hope to locate the other suspects. Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders tweeted that the “Toronto Police will not tolerate violence and harassment against anyone.” In response to this attack, other prominent officials have released statements. The CEO of B’nai Brith Canada, Michael Mostyn remarked “It’s just vile…it’s terrifying that Orthodox Jewish teens would face something as horrific as being beaten and harassed with anti-Semitic slurs. It’s just not right.” Additionally, the mayor of Toronto, John Tory, tweeted out “no one should ever be attacked for their religion. Please help Toronto Police solve this hate crime/robbery investigation that occurred Sunday night.”
On November 6th, the American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise released a statement condemning the BDS movement. The statement contained 92 signatures from across the spectrum of Jewish organizations in the United States, including the Louis D. Brandeis Center. The different organizations represent a diverse political and religious group of organizations, all brought together in the fight against the bigoted aims of the BDS movement. We are proud to stand with these others organizations against this insidious form of hatred, and will continue to lead the legal fight against BDS on American university campuses. The full text of the statement can be found below: Believing that academic, cultural and commercial boycotts, divestments and sanctions of Israel are: Counterproductive to the goal of peace, Antithetical to freedom of speech, Part of a greater effort to undermine the Jewish people’s right to self-determination in their homeland, Israel. We, the undersigned members of the Jewish community, stand united in our condemnation of calls and campaigns for boycotting, divestment and sanctions of Israeli academic institutions, professors, products and companies that do business with Israel. We recognize and accept that individuals and groups may have legitimate criticism of Israeli policies. Criticism becomes anti-Semitism, however, when it demonizes Israel or its leaders, denies Israel the right to defend its citizens or seeks to denigrate Israel’s right to exist. The BDS movement is antithetical to principles of academic freedom and discourages freedom of speech. The movement silences voices from across the Israeli political spectrum. By pursuing delegitimization campaigns on campus, proponents have provoked deep divisions among students and have created an atmosphere of intolerance and hatred. We oppose the extremist rhetoric of the delegitimization movement and reject calls for boycotting, divestment or sanctions against Israel. We call upon students, faculty, administrators and other campus stakeholders to uphold the academic and democratic values of a free and civil discourse that promotes peace and tolerance. Prof. Mervin Verbit / Prof. Samuel Edelman Academic Council for Israel Rabbi Steven Burg Aish HaTorah Andy Borans Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity Dr. Mitchell Bard American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise (AICE) Gerald Platt American Friends of Likud Howard Kohr The American Israeli Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) David Harris American Jewish Committee (AJC) Herbert Block American Zionist Movement (AZM) Charles Jacobs Americans for Peace and Tolerance Andrew Goldsmith AMIT Jonathan Greenblatt Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Dr. Colin Rubenstein / Jeremy Jones Australia/Israel and Jewish Affairs Council Howard Libit Baltimore Jewish Council W. James Schiller Baltimore Zionist District Matthew Grossman BBYO, Inc. Daniel Citone B’nai B’rith Europe Daniel S. Mariaschin B’nai B’rith International Stephen Savitsky / George W Schaeffer / Cheryl Bier Bnai Zion Foundation Jonathan Arkush The Board of Deputies of British Jews Fred Taub Boycott Watch Hazzan Alisa Pomerantz-Boro The Cantors Assembly Shimon Koffler Fogel The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) Malcolm Hoenlein Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations Phillip Brodsky The David Project Gunnar Bjork Denmark Lodge, B’nai B’rith Naomi Mestrum Dutch Centre for Information and Documentation Israel (CIDI) Mindy Stein Emunah of America Anton Block Executive Council of Australia Akiva Tendler The Fellowship for Campus Safety and Integrity John.D.A Levy Friends of Israel Educational Foundation Academic Study Group Ellen Hershkin Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, Inc. Elliot Mathias Hasbara Fellowships Arlene & Sheldon Bearman The Herbert Bearman Foundation Mark Hetfield HIAS Eric Fingerhut Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life Adv. Irit Kohn The International Association of Jewish Lawyers and Jurists Ethan Felson / Geri Palast Israel Action Network Jacob Baime Israel on Campus Coalition Josh Block The Israel Project (TIP) Adam Milstein / Shoham Nicolet Israeli-American Council Shawn Evenhaim Israeli-American Coalition for Action Doron Krakow JCC Association Jenn Ross JCRC of the Jewish Federation of Greater Harrisburg Caroline L. Good JCRC/Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans Alan Hoffmann Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI) David Hatchwell Jewish Community of Madrid (CJM) Elana Kahn Jewish Community Relations Council of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation Michael S. Miller Jewish Community Relations Council of New York Ben Friedman Jewish Community Relations Council of Orlando David Bernstein Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA) Jerry Silverman The Jewish Federations of North America Michael Makovsky Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA) Simon Johnson Jewish Leadership Council Russell F. Robinson Jewish National Fund (JNF) Henia Vrazda and Board Coordination Committee (Denmark) Dov H. Maimon Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI) Lori Weinstein Jewish Women International (JWI) Yael Mosesson / Nina Tojzner Jewish Youth Organization in Sweden Ron Klein Jews for Progress/National Jewish Democratic Council (NJDC) Kenneth L. Marcus The Louis D. Brandeis Center For Human Rights Under Law Ron Carner Maccabi USA/Sports For Israel Meara Razon Ashtivker Masa Israel Journey Marilyn L Wind / Sarrae G Crane MERCAZ USA Chellie Goldwater Wilensky NA’AMAT USA Ram Shefa National Union of Israeli Students Farley Weiss National Council of Young Israel Rabbi Micah Greenland NCSY Susan Z. Kasper / Harry Hauser North American Association of Synagogue Executives (NAASE) Gerald M. Steinberg NGO Monitor Allen I. Fagin Orthodox Union (OU) Tzvi Avisar Over the rainbow–the Zionist movement (OTR) Rabbi Julie Schonfeld Rabbinical Assembly Jacob Sternberg Realize Israel Rabbi Jonah Dov Pesner Religious Action Center Rabbi Gideon Shloush Religious Zionists of America/Mizrachi Matt Brooks Republican Jewish Committee (RJC) Eran Shayshon Reut: The Reut Group: From Vision to Reality Rabbi Prof. David Golinkin The Schechter Institutes, INC., Jerusalem Asaf Romirowsky Scholars for Peace in the Middle East (SPME) Andy Huston Sigma Alpha Mu Fraternity Rabbi Marvin Hier/ Rabbi Abraham Cooper Simon Wiesenthal Center Barbara Pontecorvo Solomon-Osservatorio sulle Discriminazioni (Italy) Ben Swartz / Mark Hyman South African Friends of Israel Wendy Kahn South African Jewish Board of Deputies Ben Swartz South African Zionist Federation Roz Rothstein StandWithUs Ilan Sinelnikov Students Supporting Israel (SSI) Jonathan Turner UK Lawyers for Israel Josh Holt Union of Jewish Students (UJS – UK) Rabbi Rick Jacobs Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) Luke Akehurst We Believe in Israel Dorrit Raiter WIZO Denmark Carol S. Simon Women’s League for Conservative Judaism Rabbi Marla J. Feldman Women of Reform Judaism Betty Ehrenberg World Jewish Congress, North America Yosef Tarshish World Union of Jewish Students (WUJS) Rabbi Shmuley Boteach The World Values Network Laurence A. Bolotin Zeta Beta Tau Fraternity Paul Charney Zionist Federation of the United Kingdom and Ireland Morton A. Klein Zionist Organization of America (ZOA)
The Great Hall of the ISBA school. In late January, as reported by Jpost, Israeli student Stav Daron was told by the administrators at the British Columbia Island School of Building Arts (ISBA), a Canadian trade school, that he could not attend their school due “to the conflict and illegal settlement activity in the region.” The school’s response to Daron’s interest in enrolling was ended with the following proclamation: “[W]e are not accepting applications from Israel.” Daron, a civil engineering student and amateur carpenter, had gone as far as already purchasing a book from the school in preparation for his classes. The news of Daron’s plight soon reached Jewish organizations throughout Canada. Canada’s Center for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), as well as B’nai Birth Canada, demanded clarification and a retraction of the policy. After the media began reporting the story of Daron’s rejection, ISBA quickly reversed their initial decision. An email sent to the CIJA clarified ISBA’s new position, stating that “[a]fter significant thought and listening to all interested parties, ISBA has decided to rescind any restriction placed on accepting students from Israel…ISBA remains acceptant to all and will continue to do so without restrictions.” Michael Mostyn, chief executive officer of B’nai Brith Canada, said he was “pleased with the speedy resolution,” though questioned why the incident had occurred in the first place. Regardless of the quick action taken by the Canadian Jewish community, as well as the final reversal of the decision, the damage was dealt. Daron, posting publicly on his Facebook profile page, has said that he will not reapply to the school following this incident. This attempted boycott of a student highlights a disturbing reality of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement within academic circles: the human cost. While BDS stipulates a repudiation of perceived crimes committed by Israel, it goes much further than just refusing to buy Israeli products or refusing to attend Israeli academic conferences. The actions promoted by BDS lead to these situations, where simply having been born as an Israeli Jew is enough for a person to be ostracized and rebuffed from a community that is supposedly “acceptant to all.” ISBA, as reported by Haaretz, stated in its final email to Daron that the policy had been in an effort to “[stay] in line with our moral compass.” ISBA finished by stating that “[we] are still inclusive and cannot support that which is not inclusive.” The fallacy of this logic was pointed out by Daron in his final contact with the school; he stated that “not taking applications from Israeli students just because they are from Israel is racism, which is basically what you are protesting against.”
There is still time to pre-register for an important and engaging event in Chicago: “Anti-Semitism Here and Around the World.” Join DePaul University School of Law’s Center for Jewish Law and Jewish Studies (JLJS) on April 15th, free of charge, as they impart discourse concerning global anti-Semitism. JLJS is co-sponsoring this event with B’nai B’rith International, the Louis D. Brandeis Center, the Decalogue Society of Lawyers, and the Simon Wiesenthal Center. Guest speakers include Eric Fusfield, Director of Legislative Affairs at B’nai B’rith International, and Kenneth L. Marcus, President of the Louis D. Brandeis Center. The program will take place at the offices of Seyfarth Shaw, at 131 S. Dearborn, Chicago. The reception is at 5:30 pm, and the program is from 6 to 7:30 pm.