Sometimes a country has to hit rock bottom before it wakes up. I believe that is the case with America. There is hope America can be fixed. The recent resignations of President Liz Magill of the University of Pennsylvania on December 9 and President Claudine Gay of Harvard on January 2 is a strong indication that America is in a state of transformation.
The ghastly atrocities committed by Hamas on October 7 has forced a reckoning in America. You either fight evil or you are done; there is no room to hide. President Sally Kornbluth of MIT is hanging on by the skin of her teeth. This expression is derived from Job (19:20), who took the middle position in regards to Israel’s bondage and slavery in Egypt. Jethro pushed for the Israelites’ freedom from Egypt. Job remained silent. He was stricken with Job’s disease as a result, which is represented by his quote, “My skin and flesh cling to my bones, and I am left with only my gums” (Job 19:20).
President Kornbluth’s days are numbered. Ever since she faced House GOP Conference Chairwoman Congresswoman Elise Stefanik on December 5, Kornbluth’s position has been tenuous. Congresswoman Stefanik will continue a “long overdue” cleansing of the elite universities’ “institutional rot.” As Congresswoman Stefanik says, “Billions of taxpayer dollars go to these institutions…And not only do you have Jewish students who are being physically assaulted and harassed on campus, but you have a lot in these offices of DEI that are anti-Semitic by definition.”
Now over 700 MIT alumni penned a letter to their alma mater. They accused President Kornbluth of causing a “public uproar,” fostering a “national reputation for anti-Semitism.” The letter reads: “During the congressional testimony of December 5, 2023, President Kornbluth implied calls for the genocide of Jews may not constitute bullying and harassment under MIT’s code of conduct depending on context.” The alumni go on to say: “Exactly what kind of message was the MIT corporation trying to send to the MIT community and especially its Jewish members with such a statement and at odds with the overwhelming majority of the public?”
One student was quoted: “I personally and we as a community have been reporting incidents of anti-Semitism for years, and nothing has been done.”
The problem of rampant anti-Semitism on campus is one of the problems America must fix. At least the process has begun.
The culture of “wokism” is another. This also has been perpetrated by higher educational institutions. This has led to many of the ills of the age. Family values must make a serious comeback. Without strong family bonds and loyalty, society goes into free fall. Faith in G-d must be restored. It is sorely lacking.
Can America be fixed? It will take time and strong leadership. I am cautiously optimistic.
Joseph M. Frager is a physician and lifelong activist.
