Tell Northeastern Hillel to Drop the Standards of Partnership and Commit to Racial Justice

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Tell Northeastern Hillel to Drop the Standards of Partnership and Commit to Racial Justice

Gilad Skolnick, Executive Director of Northeastern University Hillel

On February 16th, Northeastern Hillel condemned activist and philosopher Dr. Angela Davis after she spoke on their campus for Black History Month, falsely conflating her support for the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement with antisemitism.

Northeastern Hillel’s actions are an example of how litmus tests on Israel, such as Hillel’s Standards of Partnership, disproportionately target people of color and bar racial equity work. By condemning a Black History Month event about activism because the speaker of color supports BDS, Northeastern Hillel has driven a wedge between Jewish campus communities and Black student organizations, especially hurting Jews of Color.

As long as Northeastern Hillel abides by Hillel International’s Standards of Partnership, it will continue to undermine racial justice work and chill open discourse. Tell Northeastern Hillel and Hillel International to drop the Standards and fully commit to racial justice work.

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Judaism on Our Own Terms

To: Gilad Skolnick, Executive Director of Northeastern University Hillel
From: [Your Name]

We, Jewish students at Northeastern University and other greater Boston area universities, and our community supporters, reject NU Hillel’s statement condemning Angela Davis, and call on NU Hillel to drop the Standards of Partnership.

The statement NU Hillel published in response to a Black History Month event featuring Davis is the latest in a pattern of Hillel International driving a wedge between Jewish students and communities of color by falsely conflating criticism of Israel with antisemitism.

Northeastern Hillel adheres to Hillel International’s Standards of Partnership on Israel Activities, which forbids campuses from hosting speakers or events that engage in the so-called “3 Ds” (delegitimization, demonization, and applying a double standard) to Israel. This vague language has been used to silence both Jewish and non-Jewish students, professors, and activists, and to stifle crucial conversations on Israel-Palestine on campus.

Litmus tests on Israel such as Hillel’s Standards of Partnership disproportionately target people of color and bar racial equity work. For example, in 2016, the Boston Jewish Community Relations Council categorically rejected partnerships and coalition work with organizations that endorsed the Movement for Black Lives platform due to the platform’s language on Israel-Palestine. Similarly, in 2015, Hillel International banned a Civil Rights Movement Veterans tour from speaking at Hillels because the SNCC activists spoke out in support of Palestinian human rights. This extends to other marginalized communities; for instance, in 2017, Ohio State Hillel kicked out its queer Jewish student group, B’nai Keshet, after they co-hosted a fundraiser for refugees with Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP).

Northeastern Hillel cannot claim to create a “safe and welcoming environment for all students” while following this exclusionary policy and releasing such a problematic statement. Moreover, by condemning a Black History Month event about activism because the speaker of color supports BDS, Hillel has continued to drive a wedge between Jewish campus communities and Black student organizations, especially hurting Jews of Color.

As long as Northeastern Hillel abides by Hillel International’s Standards of Partnership, it will continue to undermine racial justice work and chill open discourse. We therefore call on NU Hillel to drop the Standards and recommit to inclusion, pluralism, and social justice.