Rabbi at Columbia advises Jewish students that they go home until it's safe again for them on campus.

[Ace Rothstein]

Link to tweet

[JohnSJ]

1. It was disappointing to hear Ali Velshi present the situation at

Columbia as though having police remove the protesters from the campus encampments being so unfair, without telling the complete story about the harassment of Jewish students.

It was to prevent incidents like what happened to Salman Rushdie, or what happened at Kent State years ago

[wnylib]

12. Speaking of Kent State, a friend of mine waa a Kent student

at the time of the protests leading up to the shootings, which occurred on a Monday. On the weekend before that, she went home because of the escalating tensions. She planned on returning that Monday morning, but her parents insisted that she stay home until they could be sure that the campus was safe. So, she was at home in another city when the shootings occurred. She knew some of the students who were shot.

The protests were about escalation in Vietnam, so her religious/ethnic identity was not relevant to the protests, but she is Jewish.

[JohnSJ]

15. Your friend was very fortunate to go home. Yes, different theme, but

because preventive action wasn’t taken, and calling in the National Guard, the tragedy occurred

[wnylib]

19. Besides war protests at the time, there were also racial tensions

over treatment of Black students in public schools. When she was in high school, she escaped a school riot by jumping out of a first floor window. So she was alert to avoiding escalating tensions.

[JohnSJ]

22. Wow

[wnylib]

24. Signs of the times. There was unrest in many parts of American life back then.

[JohnSJ]

25. I know. I was referring to the close calls your friend had.

[wnylib]

27. Actually, it was her brother who got her out of the school riot.

When the violence broke out, he ran to her classroom and pushed her and a few other students out of the window. They ran home.

Today's students face gun violence.

[DaBronx]

21. Ali Velshi

Very talented, compassionate journalist/anchor. That being said, he has certain views about the Middle East, and the compassion does not extend to Israel. There are a few more anchors on msnbc who align similarly.

[JohnSJ]

23. Usually Velshi is fair, but in this case important details were left out which neglected threats and harassment against

that were occurring on the campus. That being said, he was not alone in neglecting important details.

[shrike3]

30. Yes, but American Jews trying to live their lives are not Israel.

I think it'd be appropriate to condemn Israel while also pointing out that American Jews do not control what Netanyahu does. Intelligent people should be able to make that distinction.

[DaBronx]

31. That seems to get lost these days

Unfortunate

[shrike3]

32. Yes. Intelligent people should be able to differentiate.

No one with a heart likes what's going on in Gaza. But how are American Jews responsible for it?

[DaBronx]

33. Ignorance and downright hatred breeds anti semitism

Even at “the best schools.”

Perhaps the SATs need revision.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

2. Go home until the antisemitism ends?

Sounds like a plan, unless you're trying to actually get an education, degree, all that sort of stuff.

[wnylib]

14. They should not have to interrupt their education

because of hostility toward them.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

3. It's true, the Jewish protestors are definitely in danger of being kicked out of their dorms at best and arrested

at worst. FWIW, Hillel CU/BC put out a statement saying it doesn't believe anyone needs to leave campus at this point. Two Jews, three opinions, etc.

[JohnSJ]

8. Are you saying Jewish students aren't being harassed on college campuses?

[Patton French]

29. It appears that's what they're saying.

Quite informative.

[sarisataka]

6. I fail to see how the saying applies

Could you please elaborate?

[JohnSJ]

7. Are you saying Jewish students deserved to be harassed?

[Hekate]

16. Care to elaborate on that? I don't think that means what you think it means. Please be explicit.

[elias7]

20. You're obviously referring to the long history of the Jews harassing Muslims on US campuses

I actually defy you to provide me one example of Jewish terrorism, hate speech, harassment or violence against any group in the US.

[TexasDem69]

26. Wondering if you had a response?

[Sympthsical]

5. Wonder if there will be a faculty letter about this

Nah, right?

It's always nah.

And we're never supposed to read a thing into that.

It's like interviewing someone when there's a klan rally on their front lawn. "Sir, what do you think about the klan rally happening just outside your window?"

"Well, Jim, it's unfortunate that people are being called racist. I mean, they're not all racist. It's so unfair. We don't want to generalize."

"Sure, but what do you have to say about an actual klan rally ten feet away from you?"

"That's none of my business. Just don't be too mean to them, ok?"

Always remember. These are the people teaching young people. Then we wonder why some quadrants of TikTok end up looking like Nuremburg rallies.

[Lunabell]

9. Oh my god, this is so awful.

So, this is what has happened to our wonderful, "free" country. Freedom for white, heterosexual, x-tian men only.

[Biophilic]

10. Wait! So the best they can do is tell these students to go home and maybe come back later?

I must be missing something. My understanding was that pro-Palestinian protestor are harassing and endangering Jewish students. Are the higher ups of Columbia afraid to take a stand for the safety of their students? Then the bullies win. I hope I’ve missed something here.

[JohnSJ]

11. Actually Columbia is they are taking action against those harassing.

[Mossfern]

18. Do you have an article

link or source for this?
What kind of action are they taking?

[wnylib]

17. It's a rabbi, not the administration, that is urging studrnts to go home for safety.

His concern for their safety is legitimate, but it should not be necessary.

I'd rather see a student boycott of classes, beyond Jewish students, as a protest against anti-Semetic threats and hostilities.

[mcar]

13. There is no excuse, no rationale for this

[Takket]

28. What a sad day for America