Not about religious freedom

The decision made by the University to deny official independent chaplaincy status to Chabad Rabbi Eitan Webb was not as simple as recent critiques imply. It was based on legitimate concerns, including the desire to prevent fragmenting the second-smallest Jewish community in the Ivy League. The arguments now being advanced against the decision, as laid out in today's majority editorial, are unconvincing.

The most abstract issue brought into focus by this decision is that of religious freedom: Many, like today's majority, have argued that the decision amounts to a restriction of the religious rights of Jewish students. This argument is misleading. If, out of personal preference, a student would rather attend a Shabbat dinner at the house of Rabbi Webb rather than at the Center for Jewish Life (CJL), the University should never intervene to prevent or regulate such a choice. But this does not mean that the Office of Religious Life (ORL) is obligated to recognize Rabbi Webb as a chaplain without reference to other factors, such as his past behavior and the University's legal and practical commitments to the CJL, including its massive financial investment in the CJL's kosher dining hall. The ORL's criteria for chaplaincy are merely guidelines and should not have to determine all University decisions on matters of chaplaincy.

The more persuasive argument here is the alleged "monopoly" that this decision grants the CJL regarding Jewish life. Yet the CJL is supposed to be, as stated in its mission statement, "a community where all [...] can come together to take part in the rich tapestry of Jewish Life at Princeton. The CJL is committed to creating a community that is welcoming of all people; Jews and non-Jews, religious and secular, men and women." In other words, the CJL holds no specific ideology other than pluralism. It serves as a place where any and all Jews, both individuals and groups, can and do take part in Judaism as they see fit, under a single unified umbrella. Since the University is committed to both religious pluralism and the CJL, all efforts should be made to bring Chabad, including Rabbi Webb, under the CJL umbrella and the authority of the single Jewish chaplain on campus.

Ben Herzberg '09, John Nelson '10, Anna Offit '08, Daniel Rauch '10, Michael Reilly '07 and Sarah Zaslow '08