Letter: Silence Is Not an Option

by Aaron Berman, Rabbi Devorah Jacobson, Jeffrey W. Gold and co-signed by 106 others.

On March 7th, the current U.S. government canceled $400 million in federal grants to Columbia University. Its statement asserts that Columbia failed to address the antisemitism on campus, and thus no longer qualifies for federal grants. The threat of investigations and defunding has been made to universities and colleges across the country, including the University of Massachusetts, with the current U.S. administration threatening to cut federal funding to any school allowing for “illegal protests.”

As a diverse group of local Jews, we too are very concerned about the rise of antisemitism in our country. Incidents must be investigated and addressed, and if necessary, appropriate actions should be taken against the perpetrators. However, we are equally concerned about the Trump administration’s efforts to exploit fears about antisemitism as an excuse to undermine democracy. We are alarmed by the multiple, unsubstantiated claims and the use of collective punishment against entire institutions. The actions taken against Columbia set a very dangerous precedent and are an attack upon all higher education, where an academic institution’s failure to comply, even when it means violating a student’s first amendment rights, could lead to financial catastrophe.

Simultaneously, we have seen illegal ICE detentions and deportations of students and academics whose politics do not align with the current U.S. government.  However, due process and free speech are cornerstones of our democracy. Protesting, demonstrating, or voicing opposition to U.S. governmental policies should not be the grounds for deportation. Combating antisemitism must not be used as a pretext to undermine the civil rights of others.

Regardless of our individual perspectives on the widespread campus protests on behalf of Palestinian freedoms last year, these attacks against civil liberties and academic freedom without due process and freedom of speech, do far more to endanger us as Americans than to protect us as Jews. Dean Alan Solomont at Tufts University recently wrote so powerfully,  “Throughout Jewish history we have learned the terrible lessons of what happens when democratic societies begin to cast off due process and civil liberties and allow fear to override their commitment to justice.”

As Jews, we strongly reject efforts to silence academic institutions and fundamental rights in our name.

1) Libby Arny
2) Adi Bemak, M.Ed. C.A.G.S.
3) Jenny Bender
4) Alan Berkenwald
5) Aaron Berman, Professor Emeritus, Hampshire College
6) Eric Bittman
7) Barbara Black, co-President Congregation B’nai Israel
8) Jay Breines
9) Dr. Betsy Brooks
10) Lenore Bryck
11) Barbara Burkart, MA, LMHC
12) Wendy Chabot, MD
13) Becca Chase, former assistant director of Women’s and Gender Studies, Illinois State U.
14) Stephen Clingman, University Distinguished Professor Emeritus, U-MASS
15) Nina Dabek
16) Robin Diamond
17) Michael Docter
18) Linda Eichengreen
19) Aviva Emmons
20) Joan Epstein
21) Rabbi Nancy Flam
22 Judi Fonsh
23) Kip Fonsh
24) Nicole Fonsh
25) Burt Franzman
26) Dina Friedman, Senior Lecturer, U-MASS
27) Lucy Gertz
28) David Glassberg, Professor Emeritus, U-MASS
29) Jeffrey W. Gold, Ph.D.
30) Joanne Gold
31) Benjamin Goldman, Ph.D.
32) David Gottsegen
33) Janet Lavin Grant
34) Amy Horowitz, LICSW
35)Shel Horowitz
36) Joseph Horowitz, Ph.D.
37) Louise Hurwitz, MS.
38) Berte Issler
39) Rabbi Devorah Jacobson
40) Susan Kaplan Jacobs
41) Ronnie Janoff-Bulman, Ph.D.
42) Hollie Kalkstein
43) Mordechai Kamel
44) Janet Kaplan-Buccianelli, Ph.D.
45) Jacqueline Katz
46) Arthur Keene, Professor Emeritus, UMass Amherst
47) Rabbi Debra Kolodny
48) Lisa Freiman Kosanovic
49) Dinah Kudatsky
50) Joe Kurland
51) Sallie Deans Lake, MSW, Ph.D.
52) Bonnie Lamourn
53) Leslie Schwartz Leff, LICSW, SAC
54) Deb Levheim
55) Joanne Levin
56) Alice Levine
57) Karen Levine
58) Sanford Lewis
59) Deanne Loonin
60) Jon Machta, Professor Emeritus
61) Rachel Magin, Ph.D.
62) Stephen Marcus
63) Margaret Mastrangelo
64) Ellen Meerpol
65) Jennifer Meerpol
66) Robert Meerpol
67) Jean Meister
68) Alyssa Melnick
69) Amy Mittelman
70) Sarena Neyman
71) Deborah Neubaer
72) Rob Okun
73) Carolyn Oppenheim, Emerson College, retired journalism member
74) Ellen Pader,Ph.D. Professor emerita, U-MASS
75) Theo Peierls
76) Stephen Posner
77) Judith Raiffa
78) Paula Ressler, emerita faculty of English, Illinois State University
79) David Seth Ross
80) Myra Ross
81) Dr. Amy Rothenberg
82) Deborah Roth-Howe
83) Carolyn Sadeh
84)Joan Schaffer
85) Stan Schapiro
86) Pamela Schwartz, co-President, Congregation B’nai Israel
87) Marcie Sclove
88) Jodie Shapiro
89) Linda Sinapi
90) Tor Smith
91) Rivka Solomon
92) Judith Souweine, Ed.D.
93) Barbara Stechenberg, MD Professor Emerita, Tufts University School of Medicine
94) Randi Stein, MA, DTR
95) Lanette Sweeney
96) Dr. Ken Talan
97) Kitty Talan
98) Amy Waldman, LICSW7
99) Tom Weiner
100) Elanit Weisbaum
101) Laura Wenk, Professor of Cognition and Education, Hampshire College
102) Kayla Werlin, Music Dept. Chair and Vocal Music Teacher, Longmeadow H.S.
103) Dyan Wiley
104) Janet W. Winston
105) Robert M. Winston, Ed.D., LICSW
106) Robert Zucker