Bez"H

Dear ,

I hope and trust this email finds you well.  Yesterday I had a conversation with a CEO of a startup who left his job to coordinate civilian logistics in Israel he taught me a valuable lesson; he said "I recently learned I can say I'm ok and its still tough."  We are working hard to make sure things are indeed ok for students on campus even though its an especially tough time to be a Jewish student on a college campus.

As we continue to bolster Jewish pride, we are simultaneously in constant contact with the administration and Campus Police, sharing with them any instances of anti-Semitism or concerns from students. We are also in contact with several national organizations working on the front lines fighting back against bias, bullying and antisemitism on campus. We are in touch with a team of lawyers who will assist us if anything comes up.

I'm including a letter below I sent to President Patton and Campus police last night for several reasons.  The most important being an urgent need for the administration and campus police to show, through clear public statements and actions, that they are taking steps to ensure the protection of Jewish students’ physical safety on campus, as well as ensuring that students are not targeted for antisemitic harassment and discrimination by Middlebury students or faculty, as appears to be occurring.

To that end, if you hear of an antisemitic incident at Middlebury— in or out of the classroom— or see an antisemitic post on social media that can be traced to a group or administrator, faculty, or staff member at Middlebury, please:

1. Screenshot it (or screen record for a video), 
2. Keep the evidence, 
3. Let us know. - SUBMIT INCIDENT HERE 
4. File official university complaints. It’s even better if their friends that saw it file as well.
5. KNOW YOU ARE NOT ALONE - we are here for you!!!

We fight darkness with light and mitzvot!

Many students requested Mezzuot and have set aside time in their schedules to learn torah, wrap tefilin, and light Shabbos candles.  

Be in touch, we would love to do a mitzvah with you!

We look forward to sharing with you positive updates on Jewish life and pride at Middlebury and appreciate your support now more than ever! 

With warm wishes for a successful week and for only good news from Am Yisorel!

Am Yisroel Chai!!!

Binyamin Davida and the kids

This is a good a legitimate question.  In Judaism we are taught to question. Questions are welcome. As it says in the Ethics of Our Fathers a bashful person cannot learn. 

Two and a half years ago a campus administrator instructed a student to file a Title 9 claim from an anti-Semitic incident that had occurred.  Before and after the indicent were in touch with that student regularly, three or more times a week.  At times every day. 

That administrator contacted me about two months after the incident on an unrelated matter.  In the course of the conversation they wondered out loud "I wonder what is happening with that..."

I was SHOCKED. 

I quickly did some math and asked "Are you telling me that a student came to you with a bias incident that you felt mandated a Title 9 compliant and you did not follow up with them, for 75 days?!" 

We view the students as our extended family.  Just as a parent will follow up to make sure their child has the best, we strive to do the same. 

Dear President Patton, Associate Vice President of Safety Kirby, and Lieutenant Whitney,

I hope and trust this email finds you well amongst these difficult times. I am writing for several reasons, the most important being an urgent need for your administration and campus police to show, through clear public statements and actions, that you are taking steps to ensure the protection of Jewish students’ physical safety on campus, as well as ensuring that they are not targeted for antisemitic harassment and discrimination by Middlebury students or faculty, as appears to be occurring.

First, a word of thanks. The student-organized well-attended vigil on Wednesday night to remember the victims of Hamas’ massacre gave a lot of courage to the Jewish Middlebury community. Having members of the campus community there, including the letter from President Patton, meant a lot to everyone.

However, at the vigil, students said they felt nervous, unsupported, alone, and fearful on campus. Even when speaking to me they were glancing over their shoulders. They were relieved to leave campus this weekend. We shouldn’t have a situation where Jewish students feel they must flee campus to feel safe and supported. Several have contacted me that they are considering not returning because they do not trust the school and campus police to protect them. We are trying to encourage those students to return to campus and continue their studies. They clearly need some vocal support and actions to see that you understand their situation and that they feel threatened.

I have received many messages and calls from parents, students, and faculty regarding their concerns about the current climate on campus. We are providing as much support as we can to the students here. But they must hear more from you. They need to know that Middlebury will protect Jewish students from violence, harassment, and intimidation, and that if anti-Israel protests come, Middlebury will absolutely be ready to act if anyone dares to escalate beyond peaceful protest and move toward violence and intimidation of Jewish students, as occurred on several campuses last week. At those schools, campus police and administrators were swift to step in and make arrests.

Unfortunately, on Thursday 10/12/23, Middlebury’s Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) participated in an International “Day of Resistance.”  We received reports about Midd SJP students intimidating students while they were eating in the dining halls as well as blocking people from passing the doors of the dining halls. This is one of the reasons Jewish students are fearful to return to campus this week. Your administration has been silent, as has campus police. Please let me know not only what was done in the aftermath, but let the Jewish community know what will be done going forward if this should occur again. We suggest prompt and thorough investigation and repercussions to any student or student group that breaks campus policies of harassment and discrimination against a protected group, such as Jews. But the Jewish community needs to hear this from you. I would be happy to put you in touch with the students who faced physical harassment on your campus so long as you can assure them anonymity. They are understandably fearful for their safety if they speak out.

When parents ask me who they can contact on campus and what is being done on campus to preserve the physical, emotional, and mental stability of their children during this volatile time, I’m not sure how to answer. Again, we need to hear from you. 

I would like to be able to direct parents and students to the correct college resources to preserve their safety and health. Could you please inform me of the correct contact within the faculty or administration who I can direct the parents to answer their questions and concerns with? Again, we need to hear this from you.

Specifically, who is the point person for campus safety and who is the point person in the DEI or EOO office for students to submit complaints of antisemitic harassment and discrimination? We need to know this from you.

For a template of an exemplary statement from a different university, please see this excellent statement by President Ben Sasse at University of Florida. This is the model statement because it focuses on Jewish student safety and free speech as equally paramount concerns.

Thank you in advance for your guidance and for taking an immediate stand to show that you care about Jewish students on campus.
 

Sincerely,

Rabbi Binyamin Murray 

Co-Director
Midd Chabad
www.middchabad.com
C 802 578 2965

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