JUNE 17 • 2021 | 19
graduated and it was always on
my bucket list to paint the rock,
”
Stoloff said. “But the next day,
I would return and the F-Israel
and Free Palestine messages
returned.
”
After several layers of paint,
Stoloff began to receive hun-
dreds of supportive messages
on her Instagram page. She
also received hundreds of neg-
ative Google reviews about
her professional photography
business, many of them with
Arabic sounding names. Stoloff
countered each negative review
with a statement that she had
never worked with the reviewer.
Because of possible damage
to her business, she is in com-
munication with the Anti-
Defamation League about the
harassment.
UNIVERSITY RESPONSE
On the U-M Parent Facebook
page, the University of
Michigan released a brief state-
ment: “U-M denounces all vul-
gar and hateful messages, both
on or near campus, such as
‘The Rock’ … We offer thanks
to those … who stepped up to
add more speech by repainting
The Rock.”
Many parents expressed on
social media that this statement
did not go far enough in speci-
fying that the slurs were implic-
itly targeting Jews.
Some signed an online peti-
tion demanding the university
do more in specifically calling
out hatred toward Jews and
pro-Israel students on cam-
pus, with some parents going
as far as stating that they may
withdraw their student from
enrolling at the university if
underlying currents of anti-Is-
rael and anti-Jewish sentiments
are further normalized.
In a June 5 tweet, University
of Michigan Regent Jordan
Acker stated: “I’m disgusted by
the hateful and antisemitic graf-
fiti found on The Rock … This
vulgar messaging, displacing a
Pride Month painting, is dis-
graceful. Make no mistake, our
campus is not and cannot be a
haven for such hatred.
”
Jewish Federation of Ann
Arbor Executive Director Eileen
Freed said in response to the
“abhorrent” language found on
The Rock that the Federation
has reached out to Hillel to sup-
port the organization’s support
of Jewish students at this time
and has also contacted city offi-
cials of their concern about the
uptick of antisemitic incidents
in Ann Arbor.
Freed said she hopes the
newly formed Ann Arbor
Jewish Community Relations
Council will create inroads
with groups of other faiths for
more support to the Jewish
community.
“The City Council and
certain members on the
council have taken up the
Israel/Palestinian issue and
have passed some resolutions
against Israel from time to
time,” said Freed. “There has
been silence among some
City Council members about
this incident. Though there
are rights to free speech, the
Council needs to realize that
disturbing incidents like this,
plus the ongoing [anti-Israel]
protests that happen outside
Beth Israel, are not the kind
of speech or behavior that is
appropriate in Ann Arbor.”
Looking forward to the fall,
Stoloff said the incident and the
ensuing online harassment will
not deter her from pursuing her
master’s degree at Michigan.
“People are going to be hyper-
aware about Israel because of
what happened this summer,
”
said Stoloff. “I don’t know what
can be done on campus. I don’t
expect people to change their
opinions and the ‘Free Palestine’
stuff does not bother me. Having
a formulated opinion for or
against Israel is one thing, but
threatening me or the reputation
of my business crosses a line.
”
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