Unease in Santa Cruz
As U.C. Santa Cruz faculty members and co-chairs of a local chapter of Scholars for Peace in the Middle East, we appreciate the concern of Hillel of Santa Cruz’s board vice president Aryeh Nanas about the Zionist Organization of America’s report on anti-Semitism at UCSC (Letters, Sept. 12). However, unlike Mr. Nanas, who denies there is an ongoing pattern of anti-Semitism on our campus, we believe the ZOA’s assessment is completely accurate.
Over the last several years, we have documented a pattern of egregious anti-Israel bias and political advocacy in UCSC classrooms and at departmentally sponsored events, including an academic conference sponsored by eight university departments in which the speakers, all of them self-proclaimed anti-Zionists, concluded that Zionism was an illegitimate ideology and advocated the dismantling of the Jewish state.
Although much of this anti-Zionist and anti-Israel rhetoric has been classified as anti-Semitic by the U.S. State Department, and clearly violates the norms of academic integrity and the university’s own rules prohibiting faculty from politically indoctrinating their students, neither the UCSC faculty or administration is willing to acknowledge the problem.
If local Jewish organizations would commit themselves to addressing this serious problem, instead of denying it, we could ensure that our Jewish students receive the university education they deserve.
Ilan Benjamin | Santa Cruz
Tammi Rossman-Benjamin | Santa Cruz
‘Not the case!’
Aryeh Nanas of UCSC Hillel wants us to believe that all is well at UCSC. Not the case! Hillel endorsed a lecture by noted anti-Semite Hatem Bazian. Several UCSC departments sponsored a symposium that was a bash-Israel fest.
The Hillel rabbi and its incoming president have attempted to silence those who are critical of their weak support for Israel and those who speak out regarding the hostile environment for Jewish students.
I am a UCSC graduate and was on the board of Hillel for four years. I have seen a pattern regarding Israel, including the anti-Zionist symposium and courses which were vehicles to attack Israel. The campus has no problem bringing in speakers critical of Israel, but will rarely sponsor or support pro-Israel speakers. A professor was even found destroying fliers for a pro-Israel event. No wonder anti-Semite graffiti was found on campus this year.
Jewish students face a difficult time at UCSC. They are not helped by people hiding their heads in the sand.
Gil Stein | Aptos
Meat of the matter
If Agriprocessors can’t clean up its act, it should close its doors. When it’s not in the news for immigration raids or exploiting children, it’s making headlines for cruelty to animals. An investigator from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) caught slaughterhouse employees improperly slaughtering animals — again.
An undercover video taken by PETA’s investigator shows that Agriprocessors’ employees are still illegally cutting into cow’s throats after shechita (ritual slaughter). They’re making gouging, circular cuts that cause pain and suffering, according to animal welfare expert Dr. Temple Grandin.
We must stop this. I urge all members of the Jewish community to go to www.peta.org to send a message to the USDA, asking authorities to require that Agriprocessors install video cameras on the kill floor so that a third party can monitor its slaughter procedures.
Ronnie Porter | Portland, Ore.
Install cameras
Child labor charges and immigration raids aren’t the only scandals at Agriprocessors — the world’s largest kosher slaughterhouse. An undercover investigator from PETA recently found that workers were illegally hacking holes in cows’ throats. This investigation illustrates the need for video cameras in slaughterhouses.
Agriprocessors was inspected by Dr. Temple Grandin, the foremost expert on slaughter methods, and toured by rabbis, but company officials led them to believe that the plant was operating in a lawful manner. After reviewing PETA’s footage, Dr. Grandin said, “The undercover video clearly showed that when they think nobody is looking, they do bad things in this plant.” U.S. Department of Agriculture officials just cited Agriprocessors for improper slaughtering methods.
This isn’t the first time that Agriproces-sors has violated animal welfare laws. After a previous PETA investigation,the USDA determined that Agriprocessors employees “had engaged in acts of inhumane slaughter.”
Installing video cameras in slaughterhouses will help cut down on these cruel, duplicitous behaviors. Of course, people can ensure that they’re not supporting animal abuse simply by going vegetarian. See www.peta.org for more information and a free vegetarian starter kit.
Philip Schein | Norfolk, Va.
Senior Researcher
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
Flog Obama, too
Ron Kampeas’ JTA article (“Jews dig for details in vetting McCain’s VP,” Sept. 5) noted that Palin once sported a Pat Buchanan pin. If true, hers is a despicable act, knowing full well what Buchanan’s anti-Semitic views are. We are indebted to him for this information.
However, I wish Mr. Kampeas had contrasted her unacceptable behavior to the blatant anti-Semitic act of Obama. He was a member of an anti-Semitic organization (Trinity Church of Chicago) for 20 years. The church gave a lifetime achievment award to Farrakhan. Obama did not leave the church until political pressure forced him to do so.
If Mr. Kampeas believes that we should overlook Obama’s Trinity affair for the sake of “change,” I will understand (but do not agree). Whatever Kampeas’ rationale, I hope that in his retort (assuming the readers get one) he will not try to deny the act itself or deny that it is a heinous act of anti-Semitism. So doing would be an insult to the 6 million victims of the Holocaust.
Ronald P. Gruber | Oakland
Deconstructing Palin
Regarding the opinion piece, “Rational debate is harder to find than a minyan in Wasilla” by Jonathan Tobin (Sept. 12): Here’s something that every Jew and all other concerned citizens must know about Sarah Palin. Palin was at Wasilla Bible Church when her pastor glowingly introduced the head of Jews for Jesus, David Brickman, who told the congregation that Israelis curse Jesus whenever they say his name and that terrorist attacks against Israelis are the result of God’s judgment against unbelievers.
Sarah Palin so far has failed to repudiate this. I received this information from Jews for Obama, a reputable organization. In addition to this, Palin opposes a woman’s right to choose. She supports teaching our young people abstinence only and opposes teaching birth control. She supports the teaching of creationism in our schools, and says that mankind doesn’t play any role in climate change.
As John McCain saw fit to pick Palin as his vice presidential running mate, neither of them are fit to hold the two top offices of our country.
Walter Ballin | Chico