Over winter break, University President Ron Liebowitz condemned anti-Semitism and affirmed the safety of the Brandeis campus in a statement issued via email on Jan. 3. Liebowitz began by acknowledging “the recent rash of violence directed at members of the Jewish community in New York and New Jersey,” which he called a reminder of “the ugly scourge of antisemitism.” He went on to praise “the breadth and diversity of support coming from across the country, rejecting in the strongest terms such prejudice and hatred.”
As mentioned in the statement, the incidents which Liebowitz referred to are part of a larger and growing trend of anti-Semitic incidents, according to statistics recorded by the Anti Defamation League (ADL). In its yearly audits of anti-Semitism, the ADL, an organization which works to combat anti-Semitism, recorded 57 percent more anti-Semitic incidents in 2017 than in 2016, which itself had a 34 percent increase from 2015. According to the ADL, the number remained similarly high in 2018. The ADL has not yet published its audit of 2019. In a response to the same attacks as Liebowitz, Karen Baynes-Dunning, interim president of the Southern Poverty Law Center, another group dedicated to fighting hate, also noted the recent rise of anti-Semitism.
Liebowitz’s statement also referenced Brandeis’ history and its foundation by the American Jewish community as a haven from discrimination against Jews and other minorities. He called these attacks and the growing trend of anti-Semitism “an affront to the values at the core of our institution,” and declared that Brandeis would “continue our part in countering the hatred that comes from ignorance by pursuing the truth through learning, being an open and inclusive community, and preparing our students to fight prejudice in all of its forms.”
Liebowitz then shifted to talking about the various ways in which Brandeis would ensure both the physical and mental safety of its students and employees. In addition to referencing the installation of new security locks in classrooms and the expansion of university transportation services, Liebowitz talked about the university’s ongoing installation of new security cameras and efforts to improve cellular coverage on campus. He also said that the university is hiring more university police officers, and mentioned the ongoing search for a night lieutenant and another daytime public safety officer, which the university set out to hire after an off-campus stabbing hospitalized two Brandeis graduate students in the fall.
Acknowledging the mental toll that anti-Semitism and violence can take, Liebowitz directed students and employees to on-campus organizations and resources that could provide support. He mentioned the Brandeis Counseling Center, Brandeis Hillel and the Center for Spiritual Life for students and the Employee Assistance Program for employees.
Liebowitz concluded his statement by expressing his desire that students and staff would return to campus “as an inclusive and welcoming community that learns together and is committed to upholding the principles upon which the university was founded.”
The Brandeis Hoot reached out to President Liebowitz’s office for further comment, but has not heard back at the time of publication.
