Main Jewish school are voicing help for UC Berkeley‘s chancellor forward of his Tuesday look earlier than an influential congressional committee probing allegations of campus antisemitism.
Chancellor Wealthy Lyons will be part of leaders of the Metropolis College of New York and Georgetown College in Washington, the place the Home Schooling & Workforce Committee will interrogate them within the newest high-profile listening to analyzing how universities have responded to pro-Palestinian protests and allegations of anti-Jewish hatred since late 2023.
Berkeley is beneath a number of federal investigations over allegations that it has violated the civil rights of Jewish college students and school. Lyons, who turned chancellor a yr in the past, is the primary UC chief to face the Home committee throughout the Trump presidency.
On Monday, 82 Jewish UC Berkeley school members despatched a letter to the Home committee saying that regardless of “moments of unease and, at instances, bodily threats” in opposition to Jewish group members in recent times, the Bay Space campus was general secure for Jews.
“As Jewish school who regularly have interaction with campus management and stay vigilant in regards to the well-being of the Jewish campus group, we reject the declare that UC Berkeley is an antisemitic atmosphere,” the letter stated. “We write to affirm that we really feel safe on campus and help the administration’s efforts to steadiness security with respect free of charge speech.”
The letter was organized by Ken Goldberg, professor of commercial engineering and operations analysis, and Ethan Katz, affiliate professor within the historical past division and the Middle for Jewish Research. The signatories included among the campus’ best-known students, amongst them Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of Berkeley Legislation and a 1st Modification professional.
Individually, a UC union and school affiliation launched a joint assertion Monday condemning the listening to as an try by Trump administration allies to “restrict free speech.”
“The listening to is the latest in a sequence of assaults which might be a part of the MAGA agenda to defund larger schooling and restrict free speech on campuses throughout the nation,” stated the assertion from College Council-American Federation of Lecturers (UC-AFT) and the Council of College of California School Assns. UC-AFT represents 6,800 lecturers, part-time school and librarians throughout the college system.
“The Trump administration is cynically focusing on larger schooling at each degree. The liberty of each school and college students to show, write, and analysis is a cornerstone of the U.S. college system and should be defended,” the assertion stated.
Professional-Palestinian school from the schools which might be topic to the listening to additionally launched a press release Tuesday.
“These congressional hearings usually are not about truly addressing antisemitism in larger schooling. Slightly, their agenda is to deliver the upper schooling sector to heel,” stated the assertion signed by school and employees for justice in Palestine teams at CUNY, Georgetown and UC Berkeley in addition to the Georgetown American Assn. of College Professors and the Jewish Voice for Peace Educational Council.
They referred to as on college leaders to “oppose the weaponization of antisemitism by means of the equation of Jewish security with the silencing and exclusion of those that communicate up for Palestinian freedom and an finish to genocide.”
In a press release, committee Chair Rep. Tim Walberg (R-Mich.) stated the listening to will concentrate on the “underlying components instigating antisemitic upheaval and hatred on campus.”
“Till these components — comparable to overseas funding and antisemitic pupil and school teams — are addressed, antisemitism will persist on faculty campuses,” Walberg stated.
Walberg didn’t specify the teams or overseas funds. Republicans have beforehand criticized faculties for permitting school and pupil organizations that organized pro-Palestinian encampments, comparable to College students for Justice in Palestine.
Trump and Republican allies have additionally broadly accused campuses of being too open to affect from overseas funding, and accused Harvard and Berkeley of not following U.S. regulation that requires academic establishments to yearly disclose presents valued at $250,000 or extra. These accusations have centered on connections between the Chinese language authorities and Chinese language organizations to the schools.
Harvard and Berkeley stated they comply with the regulation.
Forward of the listening to, a UC Berkeley spokesperson defended the college’s actions on antisemitism.
Berkeley is “dedicated to combating antisemitism and all types of hate and has taken significant motion to realize this,” stated Dan Mogulof, assistant vice chancellor for government communications. “Chancellor Lyons appears to be like ahead to testifying earlier than the committee to share how the campus has been investing, and continues to speculate, in sources and packages designed to forestall and deal with antisemitism on the Berkeley campus.”
