In the wake of recent incidents on campus (including one in a Sociology class and another in the Women’s Studies Cottage), which are disruptive to our campus mission and violate the University of Colorado’s policies on classroom behavior and civil conduct, the faculty and staff of the Program in Jewish Studies make the following statement:
We condemn all hate speech, acts of hatred, and hate mongering, including racism, sexism, ableism, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, and homophobia. The Program in Jewish Studies, an interdisciplinary academic unit open to students of all races, faiths, and orientations, was created to teach students about Jewish culture, history, and society by imparting a deep appreciation for human diversity and interconnectedness. As such, we are especially attuned to the dangers that can be perpetrated by the baseless hatred of some people for others, and we take a strong stand against them here.
With this statement we recognize the fear that exists among our students and faculty because of recent events, and we commit to doing all we can to stop hatred in its tracks and provide a safe learning environment for everyone on campus. We express our solidarity with those who have been targeted by recent incidents nationwide and on campus as well as those who have not yet been targeted but feel they can no longer look securely to the future. We are especially concerned for our nation’s immigrants.
Finally, we ask the administration of the University of Colorado to join us in speaking out against these kinds of incidents and to act more decisively and with greater transparency in informing us about acts that concern us as members of the campus community. We will work against bigotry in all forms, and we open our doors to students of all backgrounds, who are looking for a safe harbor.
We cannot remain silent.
Sam Boyd, Assistant Professor
Brian Catlos, Professor
Nan Goodman, Professor and Director of PJS
Zilla Goodman, Senior Instructor
Liora Halperin, Assistant Professor
Yonatan Malin, Associate Professor
Eyal Rivlin, Instructor
Elias Sacks, Assistant Professor
Sasha Senderovich, Assistant Professor
David Shneer, Professor
Davide Stimilli, Associate Professor
Beverly Weber, Associate Professor
Meghan Zibby, Executive Manager