Letter to the Editor: In response to recent Beacon opinion pieces

By Emersonians Against Campus Antisemitism, Guest Author / September 5, 2024

A Emerson College logo on the Ansin Building on Tremont street. (Arthur Mansavage/ Beacon Staff, File)

We write as a group of faculty and staff concerned about the tenor of Beacon opinion pieces in recent weeks. The regulations of specific time, place, and manner of demonstrations, for any cause, do not violate but actually support freedom of speech. All members of the Emerson community are free to give voice to their perspectives and share their narratives on critical issues. But it is antithetical to the goals and spirit of the college for any group to unilaterally impose their perspective, attempt to silence other perspectives, and willfully disrupt or interfere with the primary educational activities of Emerson. Far from being an assault on freedom of expression, these measures are enacted in the spirit of sustaining a robust culture of dialogue, diversity, and inquiry.

Freedom of expression is essential and must apply equally to all members of the Emerson community. In the face of loud and disruptive protests, it is difficult and intimidating to raise one’s voice and express a differing viewpoint. Community members with such differing viewpoints and social identities have been subjected to social rejection, ostracization, and virtual expulsion from the Emerson community, to the detriment of us all. And sadly, some have even felt compelled to leave the College as a result. We, therefore, support the new policies that will help ensure that all Emersonians feel safe to express their views and identities and where genuine dialogue, diversity of thought, mutual respect, and tolerance may again become our guiding norms.

Emersonians Against Campus Antisemitism (EMACA), is a member of the Academic Engagement Network (AEN) and part of a national movement that consists of faculty and staff who seek to counter antisemitism affecting educational communities. EMACA was created in Spring 2024 at Emerson College and it supports the rights of all members of the Emerson community to learn, live, and cultivate inquiry with respect and sensitivity. It maintains Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish State and does not confound the acts of governments with this right.

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Rachel Silva

3 months ago

Thank you to the group who wrote this article. It is much appreciated.
As for some of the comments below. It is such a mob mentality to call
Israel an occupier and to call this war a genocide. All non factual.

Julie

Are there actual individuals behind this letter? Are they afraid to state their names? Let’s be forthright with one another as members of this community and not hide behind the cowardice of anonymity when speaking up at this important time.

Laura

Reply to Julie

Assuming you are also talking to the anti-Israel protestors with their face coverings, unattributed SJP account, blurred faces and claims about doxxing? Who, by the way, funds SJP? Do you call their anonymity “cowardice”? Seems like another case of an anti-Israel activist thinking their group gets special rules and should be the only voice listened to, which is exactly why this policy update is needed.

If people want to make a statement and don’t want to sign their name, that’s up to them. I think the reasons those who feel harangued for their beliefs, are called genociders, are gaslit with claims that “anti-Zionism is not anti-semitism” (which–of course it is) might not want to sign their names are pretty obvious.

Reply to Laura

AMEN!!!

anti-zionist Jewish community member

I think this anonymous group needs to be clear about their definition of antisemitism because there are two competing definitions. The IHRA definition (which the organization they are part of- AEN- ascribes to) which labels critique of the Israeli state as anti-Semitic. And the Jerusalem declaration which student group, EmJaz (Jews against zionism), Students for Justice in Palestine and Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine (both have many Jewish members) align with. As a Jew for whom opposing genocide is baked in to the DNA of my Jewishness- getting a bit disruptive and perhaps making a few uncomfortable and challenging their beliefs in order to address the horrors of occupation, apartheid and ethnic cleansing- is justified.
From AEN’s mission: “AEN’s mission is to mobilize networks of university faculty and administrators to counter antisemitism, oppose the denigration of Jewish and Zionist identities, promote academic freedom, and advance education about Israel.” What about anti-zionist Jewish identities? That Jewish identity pre-dates the State of Israel and is largely erased from the discourse anywhere on our campus. Let’s just be clear about the “antisemitism” that Emersonians Against Campus Antisemitism cares about- critique of Israel. That’s why the just formed this spring- to counter the students, faculty and staff making their voices heard for an end to the genocide and for a free Palestine.

Mitchell

Reply to anti-zionist Jewish community member

This is what liberal education has brought us to. Jews advocating for the destruction of their own people. The groups you stand with advocate not only for the destruction of the one and only Jewish state, but the murder of Jews. Have you no shame?

And for the record, there is no genocide in Gaza. It’s called a war, people die, and it sucks. But when terrorists build tunnels underneath civilian infrastructure and use civilian safe zones, schools and hospitals to hide and launch attacks, innocent civilians will die.

As for occupation, Israel unilaterally withdrew from Gaza in 2005. The response was the election of Hamas into power and the launching of missiles into Israel and, finally, October 7. So yes, terrorism has consequences.

And if you really want to see apartheid, go to Ramallah, Nablus, Gaza, or most of the Muslim world, where Jews are not welcome or allowed.

By the way, since you’re so concerned about this group’s anonymity, what’s your name “anti-zionist Jewish community member”?

Jewish Student at Emerson

Restricting free speech helps free speech…idk what points you guys were trying to make here but it’s not very effective. Not sure exactly what you are trying to accomplish but now you’re just making untrue claims.

c f

Two jewish faculty members were just fired! I’d like to see this org stand up for them!

The Berkeley Beacon

Letter to the Editor: In response to recent Beacon opinion pieces

The Berkeley Beacon

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