An open letter from Jewish students to the CJL community and Hillel International
Guest ContributorWe, the undersigned, are Jewish students on this campus whowere troubled, most recently, by Executive Director of the Center for Jewish Life Rabbi Julie Roth’s letter, emailed to all students affiliated with the CJL, that laid out the CJL’s institutional response to a faculty petition calling for the University to “divest from all companies that contribute to or profit from the Israeli occupation of the West Bank until the State of Israel complies with UN Resolution 242, ends its military occupation of the West Bank and lifts its siege of Gaza.” The letter states that the CJL is “taking the best, positive strategic approach to defeat this action,” including a direct link to a counter-petition open to all members of the University community—as though taking such action is a foregone conclusion for our community. Last week’s letter is emblematic of the larger bind into which Hillel International forces the CJL and our community.