Arrogance of these artists
Artists’ work should represent a point of view that the viewer can interpret. For any artist to insist on political demands and exclude other artists who disagree with their viewpoints denigrates the field from providing a way to see the world to becoming just polemics (“Anti-Zionist Jewish artists pull out of CJM exhibit when demands are not met,” April 5).
The arrogance of these artists to trash the Contemporary Jewish Museum after submitting work for review and then publicly removing it with ridiculous demands conveys a greater problem of disrespect for civil discourse. Perhaps posters of hostages still in Gaza should be rotated in place of the missing art to show that the Jewish world cares for those of our own who are in tragic, desperate circumstances.
Jeff Saperstein
Mill Valley
Appreciation for Rabbi Ladon
Thank you, Rabbi Joshua Ladon (“In Berkeley and beyond, we can’t let antisemitism define our Jewishness,” April 2). If our perception of what it means to be Jewish is cloaked in antisemitism, the Holocaust and negativity, why be Jewish? What returned me to Judaism at midlife were the values, music, community, tradition and holidays, not an “us versus them” mentality, which can lead to separatism and paranoia. That’s what brought me home, not anti-Jewish phobia.
Janet Silver Ghent
Palo Alto
Vanderbilt has the right idea
Daniel Diermeier, the chancellor of Vanderbilt University, penned an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal on April 3, explaining university policies that promote dialogue and debate and are based on institutional neutrality, the adoption of reasonable time, place and manner rules and a commitment to civil discourse.
Vanderbilt requires all incoming students to sign a community creed that embodies these principles. The chancellor correctly points out that the purpose of higher education is to teach students how to think, not what to think, and to learn how to debate one another respectfully. The University of California should take note of Vanderbilt’s policies and rules.
The UC Board of Regents is currently debating a rule that would prohibit professors and instructors at UC campuses from using official university websites to promote personal political viewpoints. I do not see this as a violation of First Amendment rights or of academic freedom as these individuals have many other avenues — op-eds, letters to the editor and personal social media accounts — in which to exercise their First Amendment rights. As the chancellor of Vanderbilt eloquently points out, the lack of institutional neutrality chills free speech on campus.
Eric Horodas
Oakland
Anti-Zionism is antisemitism
Jay Michaelson’s recent column is an excellent example of trying to fit the data to the erroneous conclusion that anti-Zionism is not antisemitism (“Antisemitism is increasing — but the growing panic about it isn’t a reflection of reality,” April 8).
He claims, “Even the caricature of anti-Zionism is incorrect, as many on the left support a democratic state where Jews would still be a majority, but all would have equal rights.” This is not anti-Zionism. It’s the vision of Israel inscribed in its Declaration of Independence. He goes on to note that an “entire generation of American progressives has grown up during a period in which Israel’s right-wing governments have successfully undermined any efforts toward peace and coexistence. It is not antisemitic to oppose this. For many people, Jewish and non-Jewish alike, it is just.” This statement is also not anti-Zionist.
Defining anti-Zionism downward to include these statements allows one to then falsely conclude that it is not antisemitic.
And yes, Elon Musk (who can’t seem to decide on any given day if he’s going to be antisemitic or denounce antisemitism) and Kanye West are absolutely well-platformed and dangerous. But they’re also not the ones on campuses rioting against an Israeli speaker and screaming “You Jew! You Jew!” while assaulting a Jewish student.
They’re not the future leaders in our elite universities demanding that the overwhelming majority of Jews be excluded from campus life. They’re not the ones having second-graders in Berkeley write out propaganda on Post-its and placing them on the door of a Jewish teacher. They’re not the ones placing anti-Zionism into K-12 public education. They’re not the ones who too many university administrators have bent over backward to accommodate while similar speech against Black, Asian, LGBTQ and especially Muslim Americans would have never been tolerated. That’s all the work of the illiberal anti-Zionist Left (as distinct from mainstream liberals).
While Michaelson is correct that we must deal with the immediate threat of right-wing autocracy, the rotten fruits being planted in the educational system will be served to our children and grandchildren.
Michael Harris
Bodega Bay
Interfaith ‘pilgrimage’ ignored facts
In response to “Jewish groups join 22-mile interfaith ‘pilgrimage’ in East Bay to call for cease-fire” in the April 5 issue, it’s hard to know where to begin to address the nonsensical actions of my fellow Jews. But let’s start with the facts:
- The walk was in response to the suffering of the Palestinian people. Yes, we agree the Palestinian people are suffering. Because of Hamas, not Israel.
- They call for a cease-fire. Hamas has rejected multiple cease-fire deals proposed by Israel, including one on April 13.
- In addition to calling for the release of Israeli hostages (who include Americans), they want the release of Palestinian “hostages,” also known as murderers and criminals who have been convicted in a court of law.
- The marchers are calling for an “end to the genocide.” The Palestinian population in Gaza and in Judea and Samaria has steadily risen since 1940. And if they mean that Israel is committing “genocide” with this war, I assume they are basing their numbers on the “Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry” that has “listed more than 32,000 killed in Gaza.” I wonder if my fellow Jewish marchers would have trusted the casualty claims of al-Qaeda after 9/11.
One last thing: Ninety-three percent of Palestinians believe that Hamas did not commit atrocities during its Oct. 7 massacre, and 71% support the attack, according to recent polling conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research.
Who are you marching for, exactly? With Passover just around the corner, instead of calling for Israel to cease its fire, you should be demanding that Hamas let our people go!
Masha Merkulova
Chief Zionist Officer, Club Z
Miami, Florida