The DEI sessions are indoctrination of pseudo-scientific nonsense. Students should refuse to attend and, if forced, they should sue Barnard. Sorry you had to sit through it. Present day DEI is based on theoretical assumptions that, if followed to their logical conclusion, lead inevitably to antisemitism. (E.g., if one group has disproportionate success relative to another, the more successful group must be achieving that success by exploitation/oppression of the less accomplished group.) There is no way to include antisemitism as part of the DEI curriculum in any kind of intellectually coherent way because, by the terms of DEI theory, Jews must be punished as oppressors. You fight this theory by showing that its basic assumptions are unfounded, not by loading the existing pseudo-theory with even more do's and don'ts.
Thank you for this brave piece. I’ve experienced so much antisemitism in DEI spaces, from trainings to books to campus policies. Some of it comes from Robin D’Angelo’s gross misunderstanding of the Jewish experience in her White Fragility book which is a core textbook for so many DEI professionals. Inclusion definitely doesn’t include Jews.
Sending you so much love and support from Philadelphia. I am not Jewish and I support you and all Jewish students. And I support Israel 100%! Keep writing. I will keep writing in support!
I am an alum and it's heartbreaking reading things like this. It really takes a lot of chutzpah for a non-Jew (as I assume the DEI facilitator was) to tell Jews what antisemitism is and how they should feel about it. Honestly it's one of the main problems with this conversation today.
I understand it’s easy to be fearful beneath the gaze of your classmates. Still, I encourage you to speak up anytime you are exposed to this sort of nonsense. Be sure to go to the school leadership and make your voice heard. If you need to gather a group of like-minded students, do so, as there is always strength in numbers. Stay strong, and thank you for speaking up.
Anyone who knows me knows I’m seldom at a loss for words. This session was so surreal; it rendered me speechless. Thank you so much for your support, and I can assure you that I’ve already met with Barnard’s admin and I’m working with multiple Jewish advocacy organizations.
Please check where Jewish “advocacy” groups were with regards to BLM, DEI, and opposing Trump’s immigration restriction policies only 5 minutes ago. Sadly, there’s something of the legend of the golem to these radical leftist movements - supported by Jews and now rising against them. Sad!
Easier said than done when you're seventeen or eighteen years old. You are right to advise the help of a group of like-minded individuals. The masked pro-Hamas students tend to gather in aggressive mobs to exercise their freedom of speech. To say anything to them without backup is to risk a broken face.
Jewish groups have sold out long ago to become propaganda vehicles for leftism. The ADL being the most obvious case but far from the only one. They got their wish, no? Universities where only one voice rules - that of BLM, DEI, multiculturalism, anti-colonialism and resentment.
I’m so sorry for your experience, Shoshana. These people show who they are again and again, and while I hate to disappoint them, we Jews are going nowhere. They can mistake our kindness and decency as weakness, they can feel free to make enemies of us, but they do so at their own peril.
Unfortunately, liberal, leftist Jews helped build this movement, which has now turned on them. Amazing that some still support this shit, and are complicit in their own destruction.
How any Jews are willing to pay to go to these despicable institutions and continue to vote for these leftist politicians is beyond my comprehension! And that our governments allow these hateful demonstrations is mind blowing!
Nice work and courage to post this. Her DEI nonsense is easy to refute. There are many resources to prepare you if you so desire. Antisemitism is a kind word and not really strong enough to convey what is happening again. There are non Jews who are disliked and are semites. This is pure Jew hatred. They only want to murder Jews, like they have for centuries. A good thing to think about, especially with the current events upon us now is: “There will not be a second Holocaust!”
I am so sorry you are going through this, esp during your freshman year. If you need to file a law suit please look up an org called Stand With Us. They offer lawyers, pro bono, for Jewish students enduring horrific Jew hatred on campus.
As other posters have noted, DEI programs serve a tool for establishing and enforcing an orthodoxy. Even the parts that sound nice on their own are pernicious. A natural human response is to try to accommodate the aspects that seem to make sense and draw a line at the parts that clearly don't. But the whole conceptual scheme of DEI is rotten.
Granted, some people who are engaged in DEI-related activities have good intentions, and some are doubtless even be doing reasonable things under the banner of DEI. But the core conceptual scheme is rotten, and it's best to view all of it with suspicion. At least, that's the conclusion I've reached after reading much of the literature on DEI and seeing how these programs are frequently implemented. Trying to accommodate the parts that seem to make sense—which many of us are inclined to do because we want to be nice—is still a recipe for distorted thinking, in my experience.
In case it's of interest, I recommend this article by Tabia Lee, who was fired from her DEI position at a California college for objecting to the antisemitic content of her program:
Thank you for sharing your story. I find it wild that any University has to hire an outside consultant to introduce students to what should be University policy and conduct issues. I suppose this gives the administration deniability for the feigned ignorance of the “instructor” during this brainwashing. I am pleased to see someone associated with JTS speak up about what is happening. The silence last year from JTS was deafening. If there was an official response, I did not find one (and I looked and looked). I hope your JTS faculty and fellow students are supportive of your outspokenness.
So sorry this happened to you - unfortunately, it seems like the norm today. I went to Penn in Philadelphia, and it sucks to see this type of behavior and way of thinking across our country. Thanks for sharing your experience.
The DEI sessions are indoctrination of pseudo-scientific nonsense. Students should refuse to attend and, if forced, they should sue Barnard. Sorry you had to sit through it. Present day DEI is based on theoretical assumptions that, if followed to their logical conclusion, lead inevitably to antisemitism. (E.g., if one group has disproportionate success relative to another, the more successful group must be achieving that success by exploitation/oppression of the less accomplished group.) There is no way to include antisemitism as part of the DEI curriculum in any kind of intellectually coherent way because, by the terms of DEI theory, Jews must be punished as oppressors. You fight this theory by showing that its basic assumptions are unfounded, not by loading the existing pseudo-theory with even more do's and don'ts.
Thank you for this brave piece. I’ve experienced so much antisemitism in DEI spaces, from trainings to books to campus policies. Some of it comes from Robin D’Angelo’s gross misunderstanding of the Jewish experience in her White Fragility book which is a core textbook for so many DEI professionals. Inclusion definitely doesn’t include Jews.
I am an alum from a long time ago and all I can say is it’s hard to imagine such a hostile environment.
Sending you so much love and support from Philadelphia. I am not Jewish and I support you and all Jewish students. And I support Israel 100%! Keep writing. I will keep writing in support!
Thank you!
I am an alum and it's heartbreaking reading things like this. It really takes a lot of chutzpah for a non-Jew (as I assume the DEI facilitator was) to tell Jews what antisemitism is and how they should feel about it. Honestly it's one of the main problems with this conversation today.
I understand it’s easy to be fearful beneath the gaze of your classmates. Still, I encourage you to speak up anytime you are exposed to this sort of nonsense. Be sure to go to the school leadership and make your voice heard. If you need to gather a group of like-minded students, do so, as there is always strength in numbers. Stay strong, and thank you for speaking up.
Anyone who knows me knows I’m seldom at a loss for words. This session was so surreal; it rendered me speechless. Thank you so much for your support, and I can assure you that I’ve already met with Barnard’s admin and I’m working with multiple Jewish advocacy organizations.
Please check where Jewish “advocacy” groups were with regards to BLM, DEI, and opposing Trump’s immigration restriction policies only 5 minutes ago. Sadly, there’s something of the legend of the golem to these radical leftist movements - supported by Jews and now rising against them. Sad!
Don’t waste your time fighting the deeply rooted DEI position at Barnard
Easier said than done when you're seventeen or eighteen years old. You are right to advise the help of a group of like-minded individuals. The masked pro-Hamas students tend to gather in aggressive mobs to exercise their freedom of speech. To say anything to them without backup is to risk a broken face.
Jewish groups have sold out long ago to become propaganda vehicles for leftism. The ADL being the most obvious case but far from the only one. They got their wish, no? Universities where only one voice rules - that of BLM, DEI, multiculturalism, anti-colonialism and resentment.
I am so frickin’ glad I went to college many years ago as opposed to now.
I’m so sorry for your experience, Shoshana. These people show who they are again and again, and while I hate to disappoint them, we Jews are going nowhere. They can mistake our kindness and decency as weakness, they can feel free to make enemies of us, but they do so at their own peril.
Unfortunately, liberal, leftist Jews helped build this movement, which has now turned on them. Amazing that some still support this shit, and are complicit in their own destruction.
How any Jews are willing to pay to go to these despicable institutions and continue to vote for these leftist politicians is beyond my comprehension! And that our governments allow these hateful demonstrations is mind blowing!
Sorry you had to endure this crap!
Many faculty members are the problem.
I’m so sorry this happened and I am heartbroken that the Alma mater that I once loved has become a cesspool of antisemitism.
Nice work and courage to post this. Her DEI nonsense is easy to refute. There are many resources to prepare you if you so desire. Antisemitism is a kind word and not really strong enough to convey what is happening again. There are non Jews who are disliked and are semites. This is pure Jew hatred. They only want to murder Jews, like they have for centuries. A good thing to think about, especially with the current events upon us now is: “There will not be a second Holocaust!”
There is also a charity called www.stopantisemitism.org They have helped expose anti semites and have gotten them fired from their jobs.
I am so sorry you are going through this, esp during your freshman year. If you need to file a law suit please look up an org called Stand With Us. They offer lawyers, pro bono, for Jewish students enduring horrific Jew hatred on campus.
Thank you. StandWithUs is an excellent resource.
As other posters have noted, DEI programs serve a tool for establishing and enforcing an orthodoxy. Even the parts that sound nice on their own are pernicious. A natural human response is to try to accommodate the aspects that seem to make sense and draw a line at the parts that clearly don't. But the whole conceptual scheme of DEI is rotten.
Granted, some people who are engaged in DEI-related activities have good intentions, and some are doubtless even be doing reasonable things under the banner of DEI. But the core conceptual scheme is rotten, and it's best to view all of it with suspicion. At least, that's the conclusion I've reached after reading much of the literature on DEI and seeing how these programs are frequently implemented. Trying to accommodate the parts that seem to make sense—which many of us are inclined to do because we want to be nice—is still a recipe for distorted thinking, in my experience.
In case it's of interest, I recommend this article by Tabia Lee, who was fired from her DEI position at a California college for objecting to the antisemitic content of her program:
https://www.newsweek.com/dei-college-director-fired-not-being-right-kind-black-person-1813481
Thank you for sharing your story. I find it wild that any University has to hire an outside consultant to introduce students to what should be University policy and conduct issues. I suppose this gives the administration deniability for the feigned ignorance of the “instructor” during this brainwashing. I am pleased to see someone associated with JTS speak up about what is happening. The silence last year from JTS was deafening. If there was an official response, I did not find one (and I looked and looked). I hope your JTS faculty and fellow students are supportive of your outspokenness.
So sorry this happened to you - unfortunately, it seems like the norm today. I went to Penn in Philadelphia, and it sucks to see this type of behavior and way of thinking across our country. Thanks for sharing your experience.