[Editor’s note: Open letters published in the Bi-College News do not reflect the views of the publication, its staff, or its editorial board. This letter represent only the views of the author. The Bi-Co News continues to strive to reflect the perspectives and experiences of all students across the Consortium.]
Dear students and fellow community members,
We learned last Sunday morning that a Palestinian Haverford student, Kinnan Abdalhamid, and two of his friends had been shot in Burlington, Vermont. We join the Haverford administration and people of good conscience everywhere in condemning this appalling hate-crime. Nobody should ever be targeted for violence based on ethnicity, language, or religion. We wish Kinnan and his friends a full and speedy recovery. We also deeply understand and support the need for additional institutional support for students who are most affected by this violence.
Sunday was also the 15th anniversary of the Mumbai Terror attacks in 2008. That tragic day, terrorists murdered my dear friend and classmate, Rabbi Gabi Holzberg, along with his wife Rivky, who were serving together as directors of the Chabad House in Mumbai, India. Other victims of those attacks included four Jewish people staying in the Chabad House and 160 additional victims across the city. Horrifically, the violent hatred unleashed then has now returned to the fore and claimed new victims.
I still clearly recall that period in 2008, when I cried through many nights. I was filled with confusion and anger. How could such terrible things happen to the most honorable and loving people? Why search out the Chabad House in a city as large as Mumbai? Is the world still filled with such hatred toward Jews?
Now, I turn back to these painful experiences to inspire myself with compassion, love, and tolerance toward others suffering around me.
We are all members of a small community. If we fail to support one another, and instead allow hate and disunity to spread, we will fall apart at the seams. We must be able to carry more than one community in our hearts. There’s been a rise in antisemitism across the country. And simultaneously, there’s been a rise in Islamophobia. The Jewish and Muslim communities must be supported and protected. And the pain of one community is no excuse for a hateful attack on the other.
I therefore cannot be silent in the face of the ongoing attempt to use the tragedy of this past Saturday as an opportunity to punish members of our community who were brave enough to speak out against antisemitism and one-sided discussions about Israel on campus. Jason J. Eaton’s hate-filled attack on innocent Palestinian students had nothing to do with the wholly appropriate denunciation of Hamas and support of Israel on our campus, which has in fact been all too rare. Efforts to baselessly blame this tragedy on those of us who are pro-Israel, or at least acknowledge Israel’s duty to defend its innocent civilians against horrific terror attacks, are shameful, counterproductive, and a disservice to our community. Yet that is exactly what the recent student demand letter does in claiming that Eaton’s attack was a “direct result” of student advocacy against antisemitism on campus.
Furthermore, the letter singles out a Jewish student by name who had the courage to respectfully stand up for Israel and try to foster productive dialogue during the past six weeks of ongoing intimidation and silencing of Jews who support Israel’s right to exist. Lumping in legitimate requests to support Palestinian students with a targeted campaign against a singular Jewish student is unacceptable, and we should not stand for it.
Scapegoating Jews for violence by third parties is a known antisemitic ploy with a long and bloody history. Whether or not the authors of the demand letter intended to promote a blood libel, they have committed that cardinal sin common to so many antisemitic movements, from the Crusaders to the Nazis to present-day Hamas. I’m not asking you to vilify or scapegoat the authors or signatories, nor am I assuming all of them intended this implication. But I am asking you to recognize the letter for what it is and think twice before signing on. Please take a moment and ask yourself what you stand for and what crosses the line.
Let me be clear: the letter from “Haverford Students for Peace” exploits the recent tragedy. Rather than furthering the universal goals of safety, trust, and peace for all, it further isolates and singles out Jewish students who have spoken up for Israel’s right to exist and against Hamas, a terrorist organization that seeks the destruction of the Jewish people wherever they live.
We must stand together, and stand up for what we believe in, during hard times such as these. Do not let anyone convince you that you must forfeit who you are or what you believe in in order to belong at Haverford and Bryn Mawr. You have a right to be here, a duty to think for yourself, and an ability to make a difference when you lend your voice to strengthen the values that bind us together rather than the forces that seek to tear us apart.
We hope you stop by for a Shabbat dinner (on Friday nights at 7:15) where you will find peace and love and a true non-judgmental environment where you are welcome to just be. I’m always happy to speak with you in person.
Rabbi Eli Gurevitz
Bi-Co Chabad
P.S. This is a personal note for the Bi-Co community, with whom I’ve been affiliated for over 17 years. Let’s discuss this in person, not on social media, as it’s not conducive to healthy dialogue. Your thoughts matter, and I’m open to meeting. Email: egurevit@haverford.edu.
