Columns
LEVIN | I Thought I’d Be Safe From Antisemitism at Cornell. I Was Wrong.
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In high school I was considered a “dirty jew, a penny-pincher,” and I thought I’d be safe from that hatred when I left for Cornell. I was wrong.
The Cornell Daily Sun (https://cornellsun.com/tag/jewish/page/2/)
In high school I was considered a “dirty jew, a penny-pincher,” and I thought I’d be safe from that hatred when I left for Cornell. I was wrong.
Threats against Jewish students and the Center for Jewish Living were posted to Cornell’s Greekrank forums on Sunday, Oct. 29. CUPD is actively investigating and the FBI has been notified of a potential hate crime.
The Israel-Hamas war has been raging for two weeks. For many, including myself, time has stopped.
In reality, though, time never stops.
Just over a week later, Mahmoud Abbas, the President of the Palestinian Authority condemned Hamas’ actions, stating that they do not represent the Palestinian people. The same day, on Sunday, Oct. 16, Cornell University Prof. Russel Rickford, history, called Hamas’ actions “exhilarating” and “energizing.” Instead of condemning acts of terrorism, Professor Rickford celebrated Hamas’s actions as they “changed the balance of power” in Israel. Professor Rickford’s words stand in stark contrast to the values of Cornell University’s ideal of “free and open inquiry and expression.” We cannot stand idly by as students are traumatized by hateful speech from a professor, as this creates a culture of fear of presenting alternative perspectives, lest their academic standing suffer.
Over the last fifteen years, Sal, an Arab man alongside whom I’ve grown up, has taught me to see into his world.
During a speaker event on Wednesday held by Cornell Hillel, Mary Salton shared how Nazi Europe and the Holocaust impacted her family.
This pattern of scheduling during Jewish religious events is at best a troubling oversight and at worst a deliberate attempt to silence dissenting voices. Jewish students should not have to choose between practicing their religion and defending the existence of their historic homeland.
Cornell Hillel sent over 70 students to Israel this summer through Birthright to experience the country on a free 10-day trip.
Despite making up just about two percent of the U.S. population, Jews remain keepers of an incredibly varied culture. We see this first-hand in the wide range of Jewish identities which exist in America alone — an Israeli Jew may arrive in the U.S. cooking with chickpeas and pomegranates, only to balk at the copious amounts of “white food” which many Ashkenazi Jews consume. Likewise, latkes and gefilte fish may seem so intrinsically Jewish to these Eastern European Jewish communities that shunning them is to eschew Judaism entirely. Jewish culture is, therefore, dependent upon the interpreter’s own experiences, creating a collection of identities as varied as its people. Yet despite their differences, these groups unite themselves under the larger “Jewish” title, celebrating tradition and commitment to the community in similar ways: Through food.
The week-long spring festival, which started Wednesday evening, is generally spent with loved ones sharing meals, is being celebrated online this year.