Hello,
As Jewish Students at UT, we are appalled by the message and timing of the Anti-International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance Joint Resolution being considered by the UT legislative bodies.
The Jewish community at UT is reeling and still dealing with the impacts of recent instances of antisemitism. Our community has faced the fear spurred by the arson of Congregation Beth Israel in Austin, TX in August, and we’ve watched as white nationalists held multiple protests in Austin. Less than a month ago, Jewish worshippers were held hostage at gunpoint as they prayed on our Sabbath in Colleyville, Texas.
Both of these synagogues mentioned are the home synagogues for many of our Jewish peers at UT. These were traumatic, violent experiences for members of the Jewish community.
The authors of the Anti-International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance Joint Resolution belittle our lived experiences with antisemitism by claiming these instances were not about Jewish people, but rather that our advocacy to educate our peers on ways to prevent antisemitism was actually a nefarious plot to harm others.
Just weeks ago, we marked International Holocaust Remembrance Day, and rather than using this as an opportunity to express solidarity with our community, this bill further isolates members of the UT Jewish community and blames victims of antisemitism by accusing us of weaponizing our pain.
Moreover, it is completely insensitive and inappropriate that no Jewish student groups were informed of this bill, and it was written without the consultation or consideration of our community.
If the purpose of this resolution is to affirm the right to free speech and protest, we are happy to support that. However, this resolution alleges that the Jewish community at UT is responsible for global censorship, and that is inherently antisemitic. The conflation of Jewish students advocating to prevent antisemitism with censorship or stifling free speech is simply disgusting and evokes historic antisemitic stereotypes of which we are all too familiar with.
We are taking this issue very seriously and the fact that this anti-International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance resolution has been advanced under the table is disheartening, to say the least. As Jewish Longhorns and Allies, we call on you and members of your organization to refuse the consideration and/or the passing of this Joint Resolution.
Signed,
UT Jewish Students and Allies
Fuente: https://www.change.org/p/ut-legislative-bodies-support-ut-jewish-community?utm_content=cl_sharecopy_32310958_en-US%3A7&recruiter=735764414&recruited_by_id=3ce629f0-5485-11e7-ac1e-6f77d3fde5b5&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_initial