This letter was written by faculty at Stony Brook. The views expressed in this letter are theirs alone and do not reflect the opinions of The Statesman.

As Jewish faculty at SUNY Stony Brook, we decry the University’s recent actions to disperse peaceful student protests on campus and vilify students as antisemitic based on their speech to criticize Israeli policy. There is serious concern in the Jewish community about a rise in antisemitism. This is terrifying; however, some have attempted to conflate legitimate criticism of Israeli policy with antisemitism, as a pretense for excessive policing which stifles free speech. This is not the way forward. It generates an air of fear and tension which chokes the intellectual mission of the university and criminalizes non-violent political dissent. At a time when antisemitic hate is on the rise, the use of accusations of antisemitism to justify over policing of peaceful protest in fact places Jews at risk. 

The range of Jewish opinion is wide, on Israel-Palestine as with any other matter. In the current moment, there is great diversity of feeling within the Jewish community about the history of the Israel-Palestine conflict, about the moral implications of Zionism as a movement, about the context that led to the October 7 attacks, and about the Israeli state’s responses to those attacks. The signatories of this letter also reflect a diversity of opinions, but we are united in the belief that critical discussion of Israel and of Zionism as an ideological movement should not be automatically conflated with antisemitism, and should not be suppressed, including — as has happened far too often lately — in our name. 

Protesters referring to Israel may offer statements with which some of us disagree, or which we find contentious or uncomfortable. As Jewish educators, we want to make space to acknowledge those feelings, while also reflecting on our discomfort. In all but the most extreme cases we should let this foster dialogue. The dialogue that faculty are tasked with facilitating can only occur when students have room to express their ideas, in dissent just as in the classroom. Dialogue — not policing — is ultimately the way to achieve Jewish safety. Remaining open to differences is a source of security. As a campus community, we grow together inter-generationally by granting leeway, establishing trust, extending empathy and permitting disagreement. The moment dissent is viewed through the lens of “risk management,” rather than through the lens of education, and in particular when police are engaged, the trust between educators and students is broken. 

Antisemitism, Islamophobia, anti-Palestinian, anti-Black and anti-Asian racism, xenophobia, homophobia and misogyny all are at play in our society and shape our community here at Stony Brook. These are linked inexorably, and we resist them together in common cause. Antisemitism must be called out, but we refuse cynical and unjustified invocations of antisemitism to stifle progressive speech. As Jewish scholars at Stony Brook, we begin the new school year ready to communicate with students, ready to support them as well as learn from them, in moments of consonance and dissonance alike. We call on the university to hold its creeping security state in check so that this can occur. Let the students speak. 

Josh Dubnau; Professor; Anesthesiology, Neurobiology and Behavior 

Stacey Finkelstein, Professor, College of Business 

Daniela Flesler, Professor, Hispanic Languages and Literature 

Susannah Glickman, Assistant Professor, History 

Paul Gootenberg, Distinguished Professor, History and Sociology

Shoshana Hershkowitz, Lecturer, Music 

Heidi Hutner, Associate Professor, English and Sustainability Studies

Jaymie Meliker; Professor; Family, Population and Preventive Medicine

Andrew Newman, Professor, English 

Michael Rubenstein, Associate Professor, Director of the Humanities Institute, English

Jonathan Sanders, Associate Professor, School of Communication and Journalism

Maya Schindler, former Professor of Practice, Art 

Raanan Schul, Professor, Mathematics 

Benjamin Tausig, Associate Professor, Music 

Eric Wertheimer, Professor, English 

Arnold Wishnia, Associate Professor Emeritus, Chemistry 

Judith Wishnia, Retired Professor, History and Women’s Studies 

Michael Zweig, Retired Professor, Economics