A mailing list for Jews at the UvA in case of impending demonstrations
Many Jewish students and employees feel unsafe at the UvA and want measures. But which ones? “A university-mail warning us that another demonstration is coming is the world upside down.”
It has been several months now that Jewish UvA student Michael*, a master student at the Faculty of Science (FNWI), has had to skip all kinds of lectures and study groups, “often very important ones,” because he feels threatened and unsafe by the ongoing protests at the UvA against the war in Gaza, against the policies of the Israeli government and against Jews in general.
“With some others involved, we recently had a conversation about this with outgoing Minister Dijkgraaf of OCW, who assured us that it is a very complicated and difficult issue,” Michael says. “We also discussed it with university board. They came up with the suggestion of sending us a warning email when we suspect an impending demonstration, so that we can then possibly work at home, but I really don’t think that’s acceptable. That is the opposite world as far as I am concerned. A mailing list with Jewish names, that doesn’t sound good at all either. I really think it’s too crazy for words.”
Columbia University
Professor Marc Salomon of the Amsterdam Business School also attended the meeting with Dijkgraaf. Salomon, also with Jewish roots, says that the introduction of such a mail system is “quite well-intentioned” and perhaps pragmatic, but also very reminiscent “of a very dark page from our past” even though such a mail system at Columbia University in New York has been “more or less introduced” according to him.
Focus
Michael says by phone that he was “very troubled” by the war situation for the first few months. “But I talked a lot with my grandfather, who lived through the war. From him I learned to focus mainly on myself during this difficult time, but that is made difficult for me by all these demonstrations, and then it is still relatively quiet at Science Park.”
What needs to be done to increase the sense of security among Jewish students? Michael: “It is difficult to find a solution that does not affect the open character of the UvA. But as long as the demonstrations continue, I would still say that there should be entrance gates everywhere on campus that you can only pass through with a student ID. That way at least the protesters who have nothing to do with the UvA will stay out.”
Suspend
Devising and implementing effective measures to return the situation on campus to normal is very complex, Salomon says. “But more needs to be done than is happening now. As far as he is concerned, the minister and the boards of universities and schools must speak out more clearly against anti-Semitism and take more action. Don’t allow demonstrations on campus to be turned a blind eye anyway. “Suspend students and staff and investigate harassment such as hate emails, just as is done with other forms of border-crossing behavior.” Teach-ins and debates, he says, are well-intentioned, “but Jewish people are outnumbered and don’t feel safe there. The university should be a safe place where everyone is welcome, without email lists.”
*The name Michael is fictitious. His real name is known by the editorial board.
