In the 20th century, the City University of New York was a great engine of social advancement for multiple generations of Jews, and the intellectual incubator of some of the outstanding Jewish minds of the era. But in recent years Jews there have experienced increasing hostility, including over 150 documented anti-Semitic incidents since 2015. The situation has grown so bad that six professors have filed a lawsuit against the faculty union. Jeffrey Lax, who is one of them, explains why:

As an observant Jew and chair of the Business Department at Brooklyn’s Kingsborough Community College, I’ve personally experienced this wave of anti-Semitism and am beyond disappointed in the university’s tepid response. I’m also represented by a union whose ostensible role is to stand up for marginalized public employees like me.

And recently, union delegates—who are charged with representing all CUNY faculty, including Zionists—backed [the faculty union’s president] James Davis by creating a group called “Not in Our Name.” In a public letter, they declared Israel to be a “settler colonial state” that commits “ethnic cleansing” and “genocide” and “funds Nazi militia groups.” The delegates further pledged to “create networks and programs within the CUNY Jewish population to . . . unlearn Zionism.”

Unfortunately, these betrayals came as no surprise. I witnessed this spirit of viciousness up close in April of 2019 when five professors surrounded me in the faculty dining room and began screaming at me. Twice I tried to leave, but they physically stopped me. One professor put his hand above my head and said, “We’re not done. We’re just starting.” I didn’t even know these professors, but they knew I was Jewish, observant, and Zionist, and that was enough.

After several weeks of passionate political conflict in Israel over judical reform, the tensions seem to be defused, or at least dialed down, for the time being. In light of this, and in anticipation of the Passover holiday soon upon us, Eric Cohen considers the way forward for both the Jewish state and the Jewish people. (Video, 8 minutes. A text is available at the link below.)