Dear President Bernhardt and Provost Socarides:
We write as Jewish faculty members at Emerson College to express concern about the weaponization of antisemitism both on campus and nationally. Some of us also represent Emerson College in the Boston chapter of the Concerned Jewish Faculty & Staff, which emerged in part to counter the false and dangerous premise that criticizing Israel is antisemitic or that doing so creates a hostile environment for Jewish students.
We are aware that Emerson College was one of 60 universities to receive letters from the Department of Education “warning of potential enforcement actions” for alleged Title VI violations involving claims of antisemitism. While it is a given that the college should take antisemitism seriously, we should all understand that these letters—and any forthcoming investigation—have nothing to do with combating antisemitism at Emerson or anywhere else.
This is a transparent move by the Trump administration to concentrate power and erode university independence under the offensive pretext of “protect[ing] Jewish students.” We know this presents an acute challenge to you. We are here to support you, our institution, and our students and colleagues as we navigate these bad-faith attacks.
We understand that Emerson’s ’s leadership has stated it will “create new programs informed by the Anti-Defamation League.” We express concern about this, because the ADL is no longer a credible source on antisemitism. This once venerable organization has taken a terrible wrong turn. By conflating anti-Israel political speech with antisemitic hate crimes, the ADL has discredited its own once-valuable data gathering work. By smearing Jews who make common-sense appeals for peace in the Middle East, the ADL has embraced defamation and enabled attacks on our own community. By refusing to censure right-wing antisemitism, and even defending billionaire Elon Musk’s recent Nazi-style salute, the ADL has aligned itself with those who pose the greatest threat to Jewish safety.
The ADL knows that criticism of Israel is expressed frequently and passionately by Jewish students and scholars across the country. For many of us, our criticism of Israel is inextricably linked to our own Jewish identity. It is offensive and insulting when elected officials and university leaders suggest that criticism of Israel is anti-Jewish. In fact, some of us are signatories of the “Not In Our Name” letter along with nearly 3,000 people from March 11. We’re also signatories of a petition from last May, when over 1,300 Jewish academics urged Congress not to codify the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism precisely because it erroneously conflates criticism of Israel with antisemitism.
We write in the spirit of solidarity, but with growing anxiety that Emerson College will neither live its values nor defend us against escalating authoritarian attacks. We implore you to reject the lie that quashing academic freedom and pro-Palestine activism benefits Jews. This is the same lie the Trump administration marshals to legitimize an assault on higher education in hopes that the threat of “existential terror” will bend us to their will.
The Trump administration does not represent us. We hope you will. To do so, we ask that you reject dangerous narratives coming from the Trump administration and allied organizations like the ADL. We further ask that you listen to the broad range of perspectives that animate your own campus, including Jewish colleagues who criticize Israel.
We accordingly request a meeting with you at your earliest convenience. We also request the opportunity to work with you to strategize about Emerson’s response to these unprecedented and unfounded attacks. We write to make clear that there is a diversity of Jewish perspectives on our campus, and that we, the undersigned, do not agree that criticism of Israel or Zionism automatically indicates antisemitism.
Our fate is linked. As Emerson faculty, we look forward to working together in hopes of helping Emerson College live up to its highest ideals.
Sincerely,
Mneesha Gellman, Associate Professor of Political Science
David Kishik, Professor of Philosophy
Nigel Gibson, Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies
Jaime Tanner, Associate Professor of Biology
Cara Moyer-Duncan, Associate Professor of Africana Studies
Adam Franklin-Lyons, Associate Professor of History
Julia Halperin, Assistant Professor of Visual Media Arts
Dana Edell, Assistant Professor of Performing Arts
Rivka Eckert, Artist-in-Residence, Performing Arts
Maria Corrigan, Assistant Professor of Visual and Media Arts
S.Secunda, Affiliated Faculty of Visual Media Arts
Kathryn Ramey, Professor of Visual and Media Arts
Lauren Shaw, Professor, Visual and Media Arts
Linda Reisman, Senior Distinguished Producer-in-Residence, Visual and Media Arts
L. Marc Fields, Professor of Visual and Media Arts
Tim Riley, Associate Professor of Journalism
As a jewish woman this is extremely disturbing. President Trumo has been paying attention to the horrible harassment of Jewish students and faculty and is doing exactly what we have asked. This small minority of self hating Jews does not speak for our community, nor shoukd they be allowed to redefine antisemitism in a move to create a hostile atmosphere for the Jewish community.
Student activism on college campuses has a long history of working to create change. From the civil rights movement, climate change, war and other causes, students have actively worked to create a better world. What is happening today with SJP across college campuses is not the same. Students for Justice in Palestine is an anti-Zionist group that justifies the October 7th attack on Israel. The majority of Jewish people are Zionists or at least feel strongly connected to Israel. I personally know many Jewish people/Zionists that support Israel, are horrified about what happened on October 7th but do not support the Israeli government and also mourn the lost of innocent Palestinians. I am concerned about the weaponization of a terrorist organization on Emerson’s campus and campuses across the country. I am concerned about the weaponization of pro-Hamas rhetoric during protests, students shouting for intifada, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”, “Resistance by any means necessary”. I am concerned about the weaponization of using these chants to create fear among Jewish students to be openly Jewish. Israelis and Palestinians deserve to live in peace. President Bernhardt put restrictions in place because all Emerson students should feel safe on campus. Freedom of speech does not mean freedom from consequences. I think there can be two truths…you can be horrified about the atrocities of October 7th, mourn for the loss of innocent Israeli lives and hostages and you can grieve the immense loss of innocent Palestinian lives and the destruction of Gaza…you can do both of these and still condemn Hamas and not alienate Jewish students. A student organization that is guided by a terrorist organization does not belong on college campuses.
Let’s be clear: anti-Zionism IS antisemitism. Zionism is quite simply the right of self-determination for the Jewish people in their ancestral homeland. When, amongst the world of nations, only the hopes, dreams and aspirations of the Jewish people are openly debated, questioned and criticized, that is antisemitism. “Concerned Jewish Faculty’s” attempt to blur the distinction between legitimate criticism of Israel, and the delegitimization of Israel, is as disingenuous as it is dangerous.
Seems these “Concerned Jews” have forgotten (or didn’t know) it is Pesach – night/day six, to be exact. Pesach is the holiday that marks the beginning of the final journey of the Jewish people to the land of Israel after a 210-year exile.
I do not know all the signatories to this letter, but those I do know lack the knowledge of Jewish history and Jewish religion necessary to discern Jew hatred from political criticism of Israel. That some of them are Jews by identity is irrelevant. Tomas de Torquemada could have made the same claim. In fact, he used his Jewish ancestry to justify torturing conversos.
On that first Pesach thousands of years ago, all slaves in Egypt were called to be free and form a nation with Hashem. Only 1/5 of the Jews in Egypt accepted the opportunity. They were joined by slaves from other regions, like Ethiopia, who embraced Hashem and freedom. But a majority of Jewish slaves thought it safer to remain in Egypt. Where are they now? (Hint: Obscurity.)
I’m guessing that, given the same opportunity, the “Concerned Jews” would opt to remain enslaved – though today, their master is more powerful and destructive than any empire, people, or nation.
To my five per-cent siblings: Take heart. Our fates are not linked to theirs. We and our descendants were there for the first Pesach. We are here now for this one. And:
לשנה הבאה בירושלים הבּנויה!
“For many of us, our criticism of Israel is inextricably linked to our own Jewish identity.” How sad for you. And how shallow. From the beginning thousands of years ago, to this moment, Judaism has and is synonymous with Torah, with a way of life, with Hashem. Perhaps this lack of basic knowledge is the reason you Anti-Zionists conflate criticizing Israel’s government (which we all do daily) and policies (same) with denying the Jewish people a homeland. Calling for Intifada, calling Zionists “colonial settlers” is basic Antisemitism because you deny us our history, our narrative, and beliefs and our souls. God, Torah, Israel, and Jews are all one in our world.
You who signed this letter would never dream of denying any indigenous or faith culture their narratives or beliefs. You do not call for the decolonization of Muslim or Catholic countries. That you single out the Jews has nothing to do with political criticism. It is your pathetic attempt to erase the inextricable link between our people and God and Torah. You want all Jews to be like you – to blend in and became indistinguishable from the melting pot.
However few we are – and we have always been a tiny nation – we have the right to fight you who want to deny us our way of life.
Perhaps you are correct to say the current definitions of Anti-Jewish hatred need to be amended. Let’s use your letter as a prime example of Judaeophobia instead.
Your comment about Musk and ADL is just silly. Have you seen similar pictures of Obama, Hillary and others? Awkward movements by excited people. This is what the ADL was saying.
Criticizing Israeli government is fine. This country and Israel would be the only two where you can do it safely, unlike Gaza where no Jew lives and they shoot those who don’t agree with the “government”. Have you called for the release of the hostages? Remember WW2 when the Nazis had to be eliminated or there would be no “Connected Jewish Faculty” or any Jewish people left alive? This war is the same thing. AND IT’S A WAR. It’s terrible that innocent civilians die but let’s remember who started the war. It was not Israel if you are not aware.
You think because of your stand that you are immune from antisemitism. “How can they come and get me when I criticize Israel? “. There were plenty of those in the European Jewry who thought that the Nazis would not get them because they were fully integrated into the European life. In the end, they were marched into the gas chambers JUST LIKE YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN. If you think that those SJP kids screaming “From the River” won’t turn on you along with the rest of the world, think again. Being a Zionist and Jewish have become this same thing even if you don’t agree with Israeli politics. You have a big bullseye on your back just like the rest of us.
Teared up at this. Thank you for speaking up for our Jewish community members (all of them!) when both the government and our administration seem unwilling to take us all into consideration <3