jews in the d

continued from page 24

sonal bias against Israel that is their
choice; but if that bias will regularly
seep into their professorial duties, the
university needs to give full disclo-
sure right in the course catalog. That
way, a student wishing to study in
Israel will think twice before taking
their class or approaching them for a
letter of recommendation, she added.
“Getting a letter of recommenda-
tion from a professor in a university
as large as U-M is a kind of courtship
on the part of the student,” Kadanoff
said. “They actively seek out the
courses they want with the professors
they most admire and work hard to
gain their recognition. By the time
that student asks for that recommen-
dation, they feel they have a good
rapport with that professor.
“Rescinding that student’s request
not based on their academic perfor-
mance but on the country in which

Randee Black
JFS Resource Center Director

they desire to study — and at the last
minute — directly and negatively
impacts their $65,000-a-year educa-
tion.”
U-M alumna and parent Lisa Gold
of Long Beach, Calif., said she is
pleased with the university’s response
to Cheney-Lippold’s bias.
“The personal and one-sided
views [Cheney-Lippold] was putting
forth about Middle East policy were
completely unrelated to his course
of instruction and goes against the
Socratic method of teaching that
has long been the tradition at the
University of Michigan,” Gold said.
“Also, when he rescinded [Abigail
Ingber’s] request for a recommenda-
tion when there was not even a venue
for the student to respond, he was no
longer teaching, but talking at that
student. A professor’s first duty is to
teach, not to tell.” ■

continued from page 23

Introducing

Jewish Detroit’s New Resource for
Connecting You to the Help You Need

If you or someone you know could use some assistance,
the Jewish community is here to help. One call or
visit to jhelp.org is all it takes to connect you to the
resources that can make a difference.

JHELP is for: Children, Teens, Families,
Seniors and Others in Need

*
*
*
*
*
*

Older Adult Services
Planning and Finances
Food
Career Services
Transportation
Housing

*
*
*
*
*

Mental Health
People with Disabilities
Holocaust Survivors
Health & Wellness
Victims of Abuse

We are here for you.

1-833-44J-HELP

jhelp.org

Made possible by The Jewish Fund, the D. Dan and Betty Kahn Foundation

and the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit.

26

October 18 • 2018

jn

before he received tenure, Cheney-
Lippold did not deny her recommen-
dation until several days after getting
tenure. He did not answer emails
from the JN.
Cole also wrote that on Sept. 18,
Cheney-Lippold “used class time for
both courses you are teaching to dis-
cuss your views on the BDS movement
and your decision to withdraw your
offer to write a recommendation letter.”
The interim dean also stated: “To be
clear, there are no University depart-
ments participating in the boycott and,
in fact, the University formally and
publicly opposes a boycott of Israeli
academic institutions.”
On the heels of this disciplinary
action, the Washington Post report-
ed that another U-M student, Jake
Secker, has said he was refused a
letter of recommendation for study
abroad in Israel. In response, the
graduate student instructor, Lucy
Peterson, says in the story she is
part of an academic boycott that
objects to Israel’s treatment of
Palestinians. At press time, Secker
and Peterson were unavailable.
As this story grows and has gained
global interest and protest, U-M
President Mark Schlissel issued a let-
ter to the campus community and,
by extension, the Jewish community,
stating, “Recent events on our cam-
pus have raised important questions
around issues of personal beliefs, our

responsibilities as edu-
cators and anti-Semi-
tism. The incidents have
caused hurt and made
some members of our
community feel that
their religious identity
Mark Schlissel and academic aspira-
tions are not valued.
“We want everyone in our Jewish
community and beyond to know that
we are committed to upholding an
equitable and inclusive environment
where everyone is given a chance to
succeed and pursue the academic
opportunities they have earned. First
and foremost, this applies to our stu-
dents. These are core values of our
university and, even in moments of
turmoil and strong disagreement, they
guide our work and give us a path
forward.”
The letter goes on to reiterate that
the university “strongly opposes a
boycott of Israeli academic institu-
tions, and no school, college, depart-
ment or unit at our university endors-
es such a boycott.”
“We will work to make absolutely
clear that faculty members’ personal
political beliefs cannot interfere with
their obligations to our students with
regard to letter-writing and all other
modes of academic support.” ■

Look for updates at thejewishnews.com, where
you can also sign up for our daily newsletter.