Dear Editor:
I know that I am far from alone as I feel a sense of dread as I read letters from various writers who share their experiences with anti-Semitism at Queens College. The irony of the juxtaposition of two recent Letters to the Editor is duly noted and pathetic.
In the first letter, Jennifer Jarvis, Vice President for Student Affairs at Queens College, as quoted at length by Maria Matteo, goes to great lengths to talk about all the mechanisms and programs that the college has in place to deal with racism and threats directed at students. She offers reassurances and covers her bases in a professional, pro-forma fashion worthy of someone in her position. How very nice. What she abysmally fails to do however, is to describe how the college is actually handling – in real time – the racist rhetoric, displays, and demonstrations that make its Jewish students feel threatened and intimidated on a daily basis.
This egregious oversight is then highlighted by the very next letter, in which Sara Zeitlin, concerned mother of a QC student, shares what it’s actually like for her son and other Jewish students as they encounter the personalized hate and anti-Semitism at Queens College. Even when stepping up, reporting offenses, and going through the proper channels, they and many other Jewish students and their families are left feeling abandoned by an apathetic and dismissive administration. Their milquetoast responses speak more clearly to their blasé attitude towards actual anti-Semitism than do their pro-forma declarations.
No, Ms. Jarvis, as much as you may be in love with the “sensitivity” of progressive culture, racism is not a thing of the past. And, no, racism and threats directed at Jewish Americans can’t be ignored or swept away by restating policies that seem to exist solely on paper. This is blatant racism, and it must be treated with the same gravity as when it’s directed at African Americans, Asian Americans, or LGBTQ-identified. I highly doubt that QC would take the same dismissive, lackadaisical attitude if the rallying cries of the ignorant mobs threatened or even referenced lynchings, hangings, or biblically inspired consequences for sexually deviant behavior. No, then you would take definitive action to quell the threat and ensure the safety of your students while proudly displaying your badge of the progressive-minded who are (supposedly) intolerant of racism. Your Jewish students are being harassed and threatened because they are Jewish. They deserve the same consideration, the same safety, and the same protection.
In case appeals to morality don’t impact your handling of these matters, please keep in mind that your Jewish donors, some of whom are my personal friends and colleagues, are watching intently as this unfolds.
E. Azulai
Fake Gaza News
Dear Editor:
Donald Trump may have alerted us all to the “fake news” that was pervasive in the media’s coverage of him, but the phenomenon has not subsided and is certainly not limited to Trump coverage. The mainstream media routinely uses Palestinian fatality statistics that are provided to them by the Gaza Ministry of Health, which operates under the auspices of Hamas.
The Hamas charter calls for the annihilation of Israel. Hamas tortured, raped, burned, and murdered over 1,200 Jews in one day, two months ago. Hamas hides behind civilians as human shields, launches missiles from hospitals and schools, and is currently holding scores of Jews hostages. The mainstream media, in citing death toll numbers given to them by Hamas, have legitimized them as accurate. So, in a nutshell, the mainstream media believes Hamas will kill, maim, torture, and loot, but when it comes to lying to the mainstream media and feeding them inflated death totals, well, that’s a bridge gone too far for Hamas; that’s where Hamas draws the line. There’s no reason for the mainstream media to suspect Hamas would lie about that.
Just something for consumers to consider, if you still have not yet canceled your subscriptions to The New York Times, Washington Post, or frequent websites such as the Associated Press or CNN.com.
Jason Stark
The Proper Context
Dear Editor:
She’s Black. She’s a woman. And she’s threatening to sue, so no one will dare fire her. The world has gotten so caught up in defending the underdog – the need to repay and reward the oppressed. White men are finding it increasingly difficult to compete for positions against Black women. No one would say a Black, and particularly, a Black woman, is unqualified for a position for fear of being accused of being racist and prejudiced.
[Harvard University] President Claudine Gay repeatedly refused to say that calling for the annihilation and genocide of Jews is anti-Semitic and therefore wrong, without first understanding “the context.” How does President Gay explain the context in which six million Jews were slaughtered, burned, and incinerated in the Holocaust? How does she explain the context of over 1,200 Jews being slaughtered, beheaded, raped, and burnt alive, and 240 hostages being dragged off to Gaza? Exactly what context, within the realm of human decency and conduct, would justify this behavior?
Congress rightly called for President Gay’s resignation, but the Board of Harvard determined that President Gay is the right person to correct the ills of Harvard. President Gay, who lit the Chanukah menorah, after a heart-wrenching speech on the pain and fear of anti-Semitism delivered by Rabbi Hirschy Zarchi, had not one word to say to the gathering of Jewish students who are feeling scared, threatened, and alone in their own Ivy League school. This is who the Board had the audacity to deem the appropriate person to abolish anti-Semitism. Every member of the Board should be dismissed for cause!
Now the question is, what context would it take to fire someone who plagiarized 40 percent of her already weak thesis? But of course, President Obama has the gall to tell President Gay not to resign. Anti-Semites stick together!
Ruki Renov
Dear Editor:
It’s that time of year again. No, don’t worry. I’m not referring to the tax season, although you might want to consult your favorite CPA as to how you can make some last-minute adjustments to your income. Instead, I’m referring to the age-old custom of tipping, which has become ubiquitous.
Let’s begin with the most common tip recipient: the cleaning person. Lest you are under the false impression that you are not required to give him/her double the weekly pay, I turn your attention to the scenario where you fail to tip this person. Smash! “Oh, I’m sorry, Miss. Was that antique glass valuable? It was an accident.” Therefore, if you want to keep everything in your house intact, take out your wallet.
Next, another required tip recipient is the newspaper delivery person. Do you think that a holiday card is just an expression of good will? Think again. Unless you want to retrieve your paper from the depths of the well in front of your house or from Outer Mongolia, again, open up your wallet.
I must admit that I don’t tip the mail person who last week delivered my mail at 7:00 p.m. After all, he/she is a federal employee, and my taxes take care of his/her salary. I also don’t tip the sanitation men who seem to enjoy testing their pitching arms and throwing the garbage cans as far from my house as possible.
This is also the one time of year I’m happy I don’t live in a high-rise apartment building with a doorman, someone at the counter and a super. I assume if you fail to tip these individuals, you’ll get a door slammed in your face, never see your Amazon deliveries again, and never get the leak in your bathroom fixed.
I have eschewed talking about other tip recipients because I don’t want to get into trouble. Oh, by the way, please leave my tip in my mailbox.
Debbie Horowitz
Dear Editor:
We all wish Mr. Hecht a r’fuah sh’leimah. The main point of his latest column is not a chidush to anyone. Why is Mr. Hecht so naive about the Democratic Party and what is going on in this country? Any objective observer can clearly see that today’s Democratic Party is evil, pure evil. They have completely taken over our entire education system with their Marxist ideology. Look at the testimony of the university presidents in Congress. Look at the actions of Michael Mulgrew and Randi Weingarten, who lead the teachers’ unions. Our youngsters are being indoctrinated with hate – of race, creed, and religion – and it’s metastasized throughout the country.
Take a look at our southern border. Everyone clearly sees what is taking place before our eyes: the great replacement theory, a Marxist idea that allows uninhibited migration while replacing the citizens of that country. Secretary Mayorkas and the Press Secretary for the President tell us that the border’s secure all the time. It’s just not true. Ask the governors of Texas and Arizona, as well as the mayors of New York City and Chicago.
Another example is the war on capitalism. Try to get a car today. Go to the grocery store. This is the Marxist idea known as the Great Reset. The dollar is worth less than it was three years ago. Inflation is still high. People are suffering because they can’t pay their bills and are going into debt. The government doesn’t know what “stop the spending” means. They are driving our debt into a stratosphere no country can recover from. Mr. Hecht, it’s all connected, and not by New York Telephone. Democrat-leaning voters are waking up. Reality has hit them square in the face.
President Biden and Secretary Blinken are doing everything to make Israel lose the war against Hamas. Look how many IDF soldiers are losing their lives because of this ridiculous mandate to protect civilians. There is always, unfortunately, collateral damage in war. But if an army wants to win, then they need to go full scale. No hindrances. The handcuffs put on Netanyahu and Israel is damaging to the cause. If you’re so concerned about anti-Semitism in the United States and you truly love the State of Israel, I think it’s time you left the party that is antithetical to your beliefs.
Shalom Markowitz
Dear Editor:
In 2023, just as in the past 24 years, Senator Chuck Schumer has taken pride in visiting all 62 counties in New York State. He just visited Hudson, New York, in Columbia County to complete his tour. These annual visits provide him with a better understanding of the needs of residents of each county. When was the last time he visited our southern border? He could view firsthand our ongoing invasion of illegal immigrants. When will he visit the famous Manhattan Hotel Roosevelt or Brooklyn’s Floyd Bennett Field (in his home borough of Kings County) migrant shelters? For the third year in a row, illegal migration will exceed two million.
Schumer could also learn from border agents about their fight to stem the smuggling of fentanyl. This drug is killing over 100,000 Americans every year. When will Schumer travel to El Paso, Texas, and observe this crisis firsthand? Perhaps it will convince him to stop holding up fully funding completion for construction of a border wall to protect our sovereignty as a nation.
Sincerely,
Larry Penner
