Rabbi's Blog

Join the new OZ Israel WhatsApp: https://chat.whatsapp.com/IdGUqTpy2nQE5Tvngwh0tn

Dear OZ family,

The Jews in Germany in the 30’s were blindsided as their rights were stripped from them year by year. They thought that the German judiciary would step up for them, and the law would stand firm on their behalf. These institutions quickly crumbled by the mid 30’s along with academia, the media along with civil society. What we see happening in our own media, on college campuses, and on the streets across the country is indeed frightening, to say nothing of how Israel is reported in Europe. This is how we are treated in Western society. Imagine how Israel is covered outside of these hallowed institutions of traditional liberal thought.

Today, the Teaneck school system has authorized the use of Teaneck High School to be used for an anti-Semitic gathering during school time! Make no mistake. A rally that refers to the 'apartheid' activities of Israel, and that refers on its flyer to the 'genocide' Israel is committing, is at its core a demonstration of Jew-hatred, and as libelous as the blood libels of old. No such gatherings were called after the barbarism of Oct. 7, and no attention is paid to the murderous Chamas double-war crimes of shooting missiles at populated areas, from hospitals, schools, and mosques. Arab leaders themselves, would have long ago flattened all of Gaza to the silence of the world’s media and campuses. Any marches for the 80,000 to 100,000 Ethiopians killed this year? Any marches for the 500,000 Syrians butchered by Assad over the years, not to mention the 8 million displaced Syrians.

It is plain and simple. It is Jew-Hatred and its venom is spreading across our country. I have attached a list of college presidents of schools that intend to show a film called “Israelism” a virulently anti-Israel film. See the  description included and contact as many schools as you can. Hunter College put off the showing of this screed and so should everyone else. Regarding Rutgers, I just heard from Prof. Steve Miller, who teaches there, that the school leadership has begun to include pro- Israel content and counter- claims to pro-Chamas events. Let’s hope these don’t get shouted down, as is the custom in academia these days for anything that flies in the face of the accepted campus orthodoxies.

These times call for our vigilance. We will prevail as we always have.

Stay well and healthy.

Rabbi Allen Schwartz

Rabbi Allen Schwartz

Congregation Ohab Zedek

118 West 95^th Street

New York, NY  10025-6604

Phone 212.749-5150, ext 200

E-mail ras@ozny.org

Website:  www.ozny.org

Action item

Email the President or Dean of these Colleges and send to all of your chats. Please find a sample email below (formatted for Middlebury College, but can be modified with the text inside the brackets).

Dean/President of colleges to email against film screening, with dates of planned screening:

• 11/15, Middlebury College, President Laurie Patton, president@middlebury.edu
• 11/19, Oberlin College, Dean Kristen Surla, ksurla@oberlin.edu 
• 11/20, University of Akron, Dean Sheldon Wrice, swrice@uakron.edu and media contact Cristine Boyd cboyd@uakron.edu
• 11/28, UPenn, Vice Dean Brighid Dwyer, sas-odei@sas.upenn.edu and Associate Vice Dean Vanessa Gonzalez-Perez vgp1@sas.upenn.edu and Program Coordinator S. Shani Saunders, sssaund@sas.upenn.edu 
• 11/28, Yale University, Vice Provost Gary Desir gary.desir@yale.edu 
• 11/29, Wesleyan College, Chief Diversity Officer Tonya Parker tparker@wesleyancollege.edu 
• 11/29, University of Windsor, Canada, Office of the VP People, Equity and Inclusion, vppei@uwindsor.ca
• 12/2, Emory University, Vice provost Carol Henderson, carol.e.henderson@emory.edu 
• 12/5, University of Toronto, Vice President, People Strategy, Equity & Culture, vp.psec@utoronto.ca

Sample Email:

Dear [Ms. Patton]:

We understand that [Middlebury College] plans to show the full feature film "Israelism", an anti-Semitic film created to push the anti-Zionist agenda. The movie is full of hate, solely created with the goal of convincing its viewers that Israel is an apartheid state, and that the Palestinians have been victimized.

Hunter College did the right thing and refused to allow the film to be aired in its university. We urge you to do the same and immediately cancel the showing. The movie openly gives justification to those shouting "Kill the Jews", "Globalize the Intifada" etc. Showing this movie facilitates anti-Semitism, incites further terror and violence and opens the door for more bloodbaths.

Thank you for your consideration,