APRIL 11 • 2024 | 27
it so they know what to expect. Some
students will take classes with these
professors but are hesitant to express
that they are Jewish or pro-Israel in
class discussions. Some students
notice that some professors lace ele-
ments to demonize Israel into classes
that have nothing to do with Middle
Eastern history or culture.
B* is a sociology student. She knows
she is within an extremely progressive
department, where 29 faculty members
signed the Oct. 11 letter.
Last semester, B took a small elec-
tive seminar on the sociological impact
of statues and monuments in public
spaces in our society. The professor
assigned a piece about Yitzchak Rabin,
his grave and a monument dedicated
to him in Tel Aviv that put the late prime
minister in an unfavorable light. It was
the only reference to a monument in
another country outside the United
States, said B.
“When I spoke out and said I dis-
agreed with the writing, my professor
was appreciative that I did so,” B said.
“I have been to Rabin’s grave. This is
a small seminar class, and I spoke up
explaining the times I lived in Israel and
my experience of visiting Rabin’s grave.
I was shaking because I knew I was
one of only two Jewish students in the
class. I feel like there is such a lack of
knowledge about Israel and professors
single out Israel in unrelated course-
work.”
This March, faculty member Hannah
Douglas, who signed the Oct. 11 letter,
encouraged students in her women’s,
gender and psychology class to attend
pro-Palestinian rallies instead of attend-
ing class.
Douglas asked her students to fill
out a skewed survey to see if students
would rather discuss the genocide in
Gaza and the university’s response to
Pro-Palestinian demonstrations and
“Disruptive Activity Policy” instead of
sticking to the syllabus coursework.
The JN was informed that after a stu-
dent filed complaints with the Michigan
ADL, the Dean of Students addressed
the situation directly with the professor,
and the professor issued a retraction,
removed the survey and stuck to the
syllabus.
continued from page 24
Palestinians called “Division to Dialogue:
Bridging Perspectives on the Middle East.
”
This event aims to foster understanding
and dialogue surrounding the complex
issues of the Middle East.
But Brown said there has been minimal
talk between pro-Palestinian and pro-Isra-
el students.
“Maybe the only minimal success at
dialogue was when the Times sat Hamamy
and me down for a discussion,
” Brown
said. “I spoke not for Wolverines for Israel
but myself. That’s the extent of dialogue.
And there’s also been dialogue invited by
J-Street (an Israel lobbying group) in the
form of a podcast. Both SAFE and JVP
were invited to be on the podcast, but
they refused. And there has largely been
a refusal from the other side to have dia-
logue and this extends even before Oct. 7.
”
PROTEST AT ROSS
SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
Down the street from where the Israel
week activities were happening on the
Diag on March 28, the University Board of
Regents stated they would not divest from
Israeli company holdings as they met in
the Alexander G. Ruthven Building.
According to reports, Regent Chair
Sarah Hubbard said the administration
will “continue to shield the university’s
endowment from political pressures.
”
Regent Mike Behm stated that less than
one-tenth of 1% of U-M’s $18 billion
endowment is invested in Israeli compa-
nies involved with the country’s defensive
military efforts.
Outside, over 500 pro-Palestinian
protesters waved Palestinian flags, chanted
“No rest until divest” and “We are all
Palestinian.
” The protest lingered and
eventually the protesters made their way
into the Ross School of Business. There
were reports on parent groups on social
media that students had to elbow their
way through the doors to attend class.
Rosen added that he discourages Jewish
students from countering
these protests for their mental
well-being.
Senior Jonah Gilan, a
sports management major,
has class on Thursday
afternoons at Ross. Gilan
said there have been pro-
Palestinian protests several times in the
business school, which makes it difficult
to concentrate and conduct lectures and
student presentations because of the
shouting and chanting.
“I take the class with my roommate,
who is also Jewish,
” Gilan said. “The pro-
testers were even louder and more hostile
(than they were at a previous demonstra-
tion at Ross) in January. The professor
didn’t do anything, and he called off class.
”
Gilan said leading up to and after Oct. 7,
he has always been proud to be Jewish and
supportive of Israel. Now, fearing for his
safety, he said he is always worried about
“what is going to happen next on campus.
”
“You can’t avoid (the protests),
” Gilan
said. “One morning, I was woken up to the
chants of the protesters because where I
live is near a campus administration build-
ing. And then later in the day, it is our
classes being disrupted or the bus routes
are being blocked. It is really upsetting
to see the university that you love being
infiltrated.
”
A fixture for years in the Davidson
Winter Garden in Ross is
Rabbi Fully Eisenberger,
director of the Jewish
Resource Center. Jewish
students can find him there,
offering group or one-on-
one Jewish text lessons,
or just offering words of
support and inspiration to Jewish students
throughout the week. Since Oct. 7, he has
witnessed “loud, disruptive and vulgar”
protests storming through the building.
A few times, the protesters have cursed at
him and given him the middle finger.
But still, Eisenberger remains. He said
he has tremendous support from the
Ross School of Business dean, and his
schedule is “packed” with meeting with
Jewish students there on a small group or
individual basis.
“I know the majority of the Jewish
students who take classes in the business
school, and they say hello or sit down and
talk with me every time they are in the
building,
” Eisenberger said. “The events
and aftermath of Oct. 7 have brought
us together. And while 1,000 protesters
angrily walked past us, the Jewish students
and I just danced and sang ‘
Am Yisrael
Chai.
’”
Rabbi Fully
Eisenberger
Jonah
Gilan