As a Jewish professor at a Catholic university, I feel heartbroken by the tepid response to antisemitism and genocide from some leaders in higher education.
Recently, presidents from several universities claimed to defend free speech, describing antisemitism and calls for genocide as “context dependent.” What it sounded like to me was a horrifying silence in the face of attacks on Jewish students living on their campuses.
Acclaimed author and heroic Holocaust survivor Eli Wiesel, for whom a residence hall at my university is named, said, “I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation.” He went on to state firmly that “we must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.” At my Catholic institution, one of our core texts is Dante’s Inferno in which the Medieval poets place the bystanders in an antechamber; neither God nor Satan wants them.
Although I acknowledge the complex political history surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, why is taking a moral side against hate so difficult?
The hypocrisy is glaring, not only on college campuses but also in corporate America. Other atrocities receive widespread condemnation, as they should; however, verbal and violent assaults on Jewish people are met with silence? Is this 1939 Germany?
Having visited Auschwitz and Birkenau this summer, as well as having family members who perished in the Shoah, I felt the pain particularly on Oct. 7 and have continued to experience it since. And my pain pales in comparison to those who have lost loved ones in the terrorist attack.
My sorrow for the innocent Palestinian victims of Hamas is equally strong, and the Islamophobia gripping our nation and world is truly troubling. The condemnation of genocide for one group does not cancel out one’s despair or outrage for the pain of another.
Last Friday, I watched in terror as a young man coldly and methodologically tore down hostage posters in New York City. He crumpled them into small pieces and discarded each one. Not knowing how to respond, I turned in his direction only to have him look coldly into my eyes and sneer. Where does this hatred come from?
[RELATED: At CT colleges, Israel-Hamas war tensions lead to safety concerns]
In his “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” Martin Luther King, Jr., expressed his disappointment with the white moderates for their reluctance to act in defense of civil rights, even if they supported racial equality in theory. Many Jews today feel this bystander effect, and it is truly terrifying. I, for one, take Dr. King’s words to heart when he says, “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
Sacred Heart University’s mission offers an antidote: Catholic institutions of higher learning provide a secure space for interfaith communication and respect. Recently, the community came together in the chapel to commemorate Kristallnacht, and we heard an inspiring story of hope from a local rabbi.
The political situation is complex and nuanced; however, decrying violence and genocide is not up for debate. As a Jew who has always assimilated into my American culture of birth, I nevertheless feel empowered more than ever to voice my sorrow. At the same time, I am fortunate to feel safe and respected as a Jewish member of my university community, which has a mission steeped in human dignity and a belief that we are but one human family.
Cara Kilgallen is an Associate Professor of English at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield.
