Dear Friends,
It has been an eventful few days on campus, and I write today to summarize what transpired, share some thoughts on how to understand these events, and offer some suggestions for next steps in its aftermath.
To begin, I want to acknowledge that today is Yom Hashoah – the date in the Jewish calendar on which we remember the six million Jews, and millions of others who were brutally murdered in the Shoah – the Holocaust. The words “brutally murdered,” of course, also conjure the images of October 7, 2023, which was the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust itself. The memories of those lost in the Shoah, and the heroic actions of those who did stand up to protect us, live on in so many of our minds and hearts. Many people have shared with me ways in which the current moment evokes images of the 1930s and worse, and it feels like the Holocaust hovers over us in a much more direct way than in past years. Names of those killed in the Shoah are being read on Cross Campus as I send this message to you, and this evening we will host a vigil at the Women’s Table remembering those who were lost and hearing personal reflections from students.
While our full attention should ideally be on Holocaust remembrance today, current events demand communication, clarification, and understanding. Bearing all of this in mind, the events of the past few days on campus feel to me even more relevant to today’s commemorations.
This past Tuesday evening, an unauthorized anti-Israel gathering took place on Beinecke Plaza, claiming to be protesting the upcoming visit of Israeli Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir to an off-campus, non-Yale affiliated, Jewish organization (more on that below). In contrast to an authorized and peaceful event that had taken place earlier in the day, we understand that plans for the evening gathering had not been coordinated with or approved by Yale officials. University policies were not followed. The rhetoric and staging of the protest (which included tents) were highly reminiscent of last Spring’s “encampment,” and the messaging used to promote it spoke of reinstating the encampments both in form and content, especially online where words such as calls for “intifada” appeared.
But this year is not like last year. As 11:00pm approached, Yale administrators circulated cards to the protest participants reminding them of university policies on free expression and time, place, and manner restrictions, including that any participants in unauthorized gatherings past 11:00pm would be subject to disciplinary action. By 11:30pm, the group had largely dispersed. Yale staff then ensured that all protesters had left the Plaza, and that all remaining debris (including tents and other equipment) were removed.
These actions show decisive and impactful leadership by President Maurie McInnis and her team. She and the administration showed a clear commitment to enforcing Yale’s policies, and following up words with concrete action. This type of leadership is rare, and we owe significant gratitude to President McInnis and her team for standing up for the Yale campus community in this important way.
I have been in close contact with President McInnis and the administration throughout. She and I spoke twice on Tuesday night – once to discuss the situation as it was unfolding, and the second in which she informed me that the group had dispersed and Beinecke Plaza was cleared. I’ve been in touch with the administration throughout these days to respond in real time to the roller coaster of events. I am grateful for the openness with which the administration solicits and receives our community’s input, and the ongoing and strong level of collaboration and communication we share.
Yesterday, Yale announced that it had revoked Yalies4Palestine’s status as a registered student organization. Y4P has organized many actions on campus over the past few years that we have considered anti-Israel and antisemitic. While we certainly want all students to be able to express their views, even when we disagree with them, it is vitally important that Yale enforce its policies. The Woodward Report – which Yale uses as the basis for its approaches to freedom of expression – also requires that the university call out policy violations and create deterrence to repeat offenses. Without this follow through, the policies are not worth the paper (physical or virtual) that they are written on. Through its actions this week, Yale stood up for itself and for all its students by invoking discipline in response to policy violations.
We are particularly grateful for the recent actions of President McInnis, her team, Yale Security, and the Yale Police Department, who stood up for what is right, and protected our community as a part of the campus whole. I invite you to express your appreciation as well.
To that end, I encourage everyone to send notes of thanks to president@yale.edu, so that we can all share our appreciation and gratitude during these fraught times. We cannot and should not take these actions for granted.
In other news yesterday, Israeli Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited an organization located on Orange Street. The specific location is important because it is off-campus and the sponsor is not affiliated with Yale or Slifka Center. Please note:
- This event was held near Yale but was not of or by Yale, despite claims to the contrary.
- Slifka Center was not involved in this event in any way. We were neither consulted nor invited to attend. There are many events that happen all around New Haven that are not related to Yale or Slifka, and this was one of them.
- Many people shared their views on the visit in the days leading up to it, and protests took place on Orange Street outside the event itself.
- At exactly the same time, Slifka Center was full of students hanging out, studying, and eating chicken tenders. Slifka programs such as the Joseph and Marilyn Schwartz Israel Education Fellowship had their final meetings of the year. The building was filled to the brim, and the atmosphere was abuzz with optimism. It was so special to be here with our students and community more secure than ever in the knowledge that Jewish life at Yale is here to stay.
Final Reflection
I want to recognize Slifka’s professional staff and the very many student leaders who make Jewish life at Yale vibrant every day. They hold our community together in the hard moments as well as the wonderful and rewarding ones. They build bridges wherever they can, have a strong sense of self, and engage in respectful dialogue in the legacy of our elders Hillel and Shammai. They grapple with the challenges of Jewish leadership in this moment in ways that make the Yale Jewish community stand out amongst its peers as strong, safe, and resilient, while simultaneously giving them the experience and inner fortitude to be better and stronger leaders in and beyond the Jewish community long after they graduate.
I hope that the memories of the Shoah will live on as inspiration to all of us about both what humans are capable of and the vigilance required to channel our potential for the good. I hope that current events will continue to inspire us and our friends to increase our work together for the greater good. And I hope that you will join me in celebrating the good in people and building friendships and partnerships that can fulfill the Jewish people’s destiny: strengthening our people so that together we can make the world an ever-better place for us all.
Yehi zikhram barukh – may the memories of all those lost in the Holocaust be a blessing and an inspiration for all of us.
Uri