USD faculty condemn antisemitism, Islamophobia
More than three dozen professors at the University of South Dakota signed onto an open letter Wednesday condemning Islamophobia and antisemitism in light of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
The letter, led by Isaiah Cohen, assistant professor of sociology at USD, asks USD as an institution to join in supporting “everyone who is affected by these ongoing events.”
Cohen, who is Jewish, distributed the letter to his colleagues to sign throughout the last week and said it was sparked by a rise in local threats towards the Jewish community.
He said there was a threat in Sioux City, 38 miles from Vermillion, on Oct. 31 that was targeting homes with mezuzahs, which is a piece of parchment containing handwritten Hebrew verses affixed to doorposts. He also said a student showed him an antisemitic message posted on the Vermillion area YikYak in recent days.
The letter notes there have been local statements inciting hatred against Jewish people and Muslims on Instagram and Snapchat, too, over the past month.
“Jews have been warning other Jews about what’s been going on,” Cohen said. “The silence from the institution has been deafening.”
He said he delivered the letter to USD President Sheila Gestring and Provost Kurt Hackemer this afternoon.
Michelle Cwach, assistant vice president for marketing, communications and university relations at USD, did not respond to questions from the Argus Leader at the time of publication. Questions included whether USD would sign onto the letter as an institution, if Gestring or Hackemer had a statement on the matter or if USD might take any of the actions suggested in the letter.
Cohen said his own children have asked him if they’re safe, and he’s disappointed that he hasn’t been able to tell them so.
The letter notes some individuals at USD may be impacted by the events or have suffered a loss due to the ongoing conflict, and they have “our sincerest sympathies and condolences.”
Above all, Cohen said he hopes the letter lets students know they matter.
“We are hopeful the university will proactively respond to this issue in ways that support its students,” the letter continues. “Many have suffered on their own without being provided with resources that could have helped them through this difficult time. For this, we are truly sorry.”
More than 10,800 people have been killed in Gaza since the start of the conflict in early October when Hamas and other armed groups attacked the area, according to the World Health Organization, a United Nations agency focused on connecting nations to promote health worldwide.
At an emergency meeting Friday of the UN’s Security Council, WHO officials reported almost 70% of those killed were women and childrean, and a child is killed every 10 minutes on average. More than a million people have been displaced and thousands others have been injured.
Possible forms of support include “helping to direct those in need to counseling services at USD, promoting responsible research practices for current event discourses, making charitable donations to humanitarian organizations, participating in public education campaigns on the impact of Islamophobia and Antisemitism, and engaging in active listening,” the letter states.
Michelle Rogge Gannon, an English instructor and director of the Writing Center at USD, said she signed the letter because she believes in being humane, “no matter what the difficulty of the circumstances is.”
Timothy Schorn, associate professor of political science at USD, said he signed the letter because it’s important people understand there is suffering on both sides, adding “we can acknowledge that suffering without approving of or supporting events that have occurred.”
“There is no room for people being targeted for verbal or physical attacks because of their identity, religion, or background here in South Dakota or anywhere for that matter,” Schorn said. “We know the dangers of antisemitism, and given our experience after 9/11 we should be aware of the dangers of Islamophobia as well.”