{"id":2141175,"date":"2024-01-05T10:19:02","date_gmt":"2024-01-05T15:19:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/after-penn-presidents-resignation-professors-say-anti-israel-sentiment-on-campus-is-very-very-strong\/"},"modified":"2024-01-05T10:23:37","modified_gmt":"2024-01-05T15:23:37","slug":"after-penn-presidents-resignation-professors-say-anti-israel-sentiment-on-campus-is-very-very-strong","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/after-penn-presidents-resignation-professors-say-anti-israel-sentiment-on-campus-is-very-very-strong\/","title":{"rendered":"Professors claim strong anti-Israel sentiment on campus after Penn President resigns"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fafter-penn-presidents-resignation-professors-say-anti-israel-sentiment-on-campus-is-very-very-strong%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2141175&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>University\u2064 of Pennsylvania Faculty Show\u2063 Solidarity with\u200b Israel<\/h2>\n<p>JERUSALEM\u2014In a powerful display of support, University of \u2063Pennsylvania psychology professor Michael Kahana and around 30 other <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/report-here-are-the-10-worst-colleges-for-free-speech\/\" title=\"Report: Here Are The 10 Worst Colleges For Free Speech\">faculty members<\/a> wore yarmulkes, or Jewish skullcaps, to their classes for the first time. \u200bKahana explained, &#8220;I now feel \u200bthat if I don&#8217;t wear \u2062a yarmulke \u2064then my students might not feel that they can.&#8221;\u2062 This\u2062 act \u2062of\u200c solidarity was part of their mission to Israel, \u2064aimed at building bridges with the Israeli academic community.<\/p>\n<h3>Building Bridges and\u2064 Addressing Tensions<\/h3>\n<p>During their visit, the Penn faculty engaged in various activities, including\u2064 meetings with Penn alumni, political and hospital leaders, and hostage families. They also toured sites in Israel where \u200bPalestinian Hamas fighters had launched attacks on October 7th. This trip was \u200cparticularly\u200d significant as tensions had been simmering at Penn and other U.S. colleges following the Hamas attack and\u2063 Israel&#8217;s\u200c subsequent offensive in Gaza.<\/p>\n<p>Pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel students had \u200cclashed at protests, and university administrators had faced criticism for their responses to allegations of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. The Jewish community at Penn had expressed their concerns starting in September when the school hosted a Palestinian literary festival featuring speakers who were described as anti-Semitic by critics.<\/p>\n<p>Outrage grew when then-president \u2063Liz Magill declined to give a clear answer regarding the school\u200d code of conduct&#8217;s stance on calling for the genocide of Jews. As a result, Magill and the university&#8217;s former board chair resigned. Kahana emphasized that the issue goes beyond one person, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/bill-maher-and-drew-barrymore-to-resume-talk-shows-amid-wga-strike\/\" title=\"Bill Maher and Drew Barrymore to restart talk shows during WGA strike.\">expressing \u2062disappointment<\/a> in his fellow Penn professors for not\u2062 condemning Hamas.<\/p>\n<h3>Addressing Anti-Israel Sentiment on Campus<\/h3>\n<p>Claire Finkelstein, director of Penn&#8217;s Center for Ethics and Law, acknowledged that \u2064anti-Israel sentiment on college campuses predates the \u2063October 7th\u200d attack. \u200dShe pointed to the \u2063pro-Palestinian BDS movement, founded in 2005, which critics argue is discriminatory \u2064and aims to undermine the Jewish state economically.<\/p>\n<p>Finkelstein highlighted the lack of understanding about the situation on the \u200dground\u200c in Israel and attributed some anti-Semitism to the way European history\u200d and the Holocaust are taught in U.S. secondary education. She emphasized the importance of education\u200d in combating these issues.<\/p>\n<h3>Concerns and Investigations<\/h3>\n<p>Jewish students \u2064at Penn\u200c have been \u2064deeply disturbed by demonstrations featuring chants calling for the elimination of Israel and claims that\u200d Israel&#8217;s actions against Gaza are genocidal. In response to these concerns, \u2064a U.S. \u2064House of Representatives committee \u200bhas launched an investigation into Penn, Harvard, and MIT, whose presidents testified\u200d alongside Magill at a hearing on anti-Semitism.<\/p>\n<p>This week, Harvard president Claudine Gay announced her resignation, following \u2062allegations of plagiarism and\u200c backlash over her congressional testimony about anti-Semitism on campus.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> \u200c How did the faculty members hope that their visible support for Jewish students and faculty would encourage dialogue and understanding among students of different backgrounds?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Stration had been \u200cnavigating the delicate\u200b balance of \u2064protecting freedom of speech while ensuring a\u200d safe and inclusive environment. The faculty\u200d members&#8217; visit aimed to \u200bbridge \u2063gaps and foster understanding\u200d between the different perspectives.<\/p>\n<h3>The Power of Symbols<\/h3>\n<p>By wearing the yarmulke, the Penn faculty sent a powerful message of solidarity and \u200csupport \u2064for Israel. Symbols hold great significance in society, and \u200bthis act sought to create an environment where Jewish students and faculty members felt safe expressing their identities. It also conveyed a broader message\u200d of inclusivity and tolerance\u200b within the academic community.<\/p>\n<p>For \u2064Professor Kahana, the decision to wear the yarmulke was personal. As someone \u2062who identifies strongly \u2062with his Jewish heritage, he believed it was important to show support for his\u2062 students\u2062 and reaffirm their sense of belonging.\u2062 Moreover, he hoped that by taking this visible step, it would <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/teacher-freaks-out-after-student-asks-how-her-classmate-could-possibly-identify-as-a-cat-report\/\" title=\"Teacher panics when student questions classmate's identification as a cat: Report.\">encourage open dialogue<\/a> and understanding among students of different backgrounds.<\/p>\n<h3>Fostering \u200bAcademic\u2062 Connections<\/h3>\n<p>Although\u2064 the primary objective of the \u2062visit was to display solidarity, the faculty members\u2063 also had the opportunity to engage with Israeli academics and researchers. Meetings were arranged with \u200bprominent figures from \u200cIsraeli universities, allowing for the \u2064exchange of ideas and the \u2062exploration of potential collaborations.<\/p>\n<p>These \u200dconnections are crucial for academic growth and advancement. By fostering relationships\u2063 with Israeli scholars, the\u200d Penn faculty members\u2063 aimed to\u200c create opportunities for joint \u200dresearch projects, seminars, and conferences. Such collaborations not \u200donly enhance\u200b the academic landscape but also contribute to a\u200c more robust understanding of the complex social, political, and cultural issues in the region.<\/p>\n<h3>Continuing Dialogue and\u2064 Understanding<\/h3>\n<p>While the faculty members&#8217; visit to Israel was a\u2063 positive\u200b step towards fostering understanding and unity, it is \u200bcrucial that these efforts continue beyond this event. Open dialogue between students, faculty, and administration should be encouraged to address the underlying tensions and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/elderly-man-killed-after-being-dragged-by-van-in-los-angeles-idd\/\" title=\"Elderly man in LA identified after fatal van dragging.\">promote mutual respect<\/a> and empathy.<\/p>\n<p>The University\u2063 of Pennsylvania has \u200btaken steps to \u200d<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/michigan-state-university-teaching-conference-includes-discussions-segregated-by-race-with-white-people-forced-to-accept-their-white-privilege\/\" title=\"Michigan State University Teaching Conference Includes Discussions Segregated By Race, With White People Forced To Accept Their \u2018White Privilege\u2019\">create safe spaces<\/a>\u2062 where\u200b students can engage in constructive conversations about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. \u200bIt is \u2063through these dialogues that misconceptions can \u200bbe challenged, and differing \u200dperspectives \u2063can be better understood.<\/p>\n<h3>Conclusion<\/h3>\n<p>The University of Pennsylvania faculty members&#8217; act \u200cof solidarity with Israel through wearing yarmulkes not only showed support but also symbolized the importance of inclusivity\u2062 and understanding within the academic community. Their visit\u200d aimed\u200d to build bridges with the\u2062 Israeli academic community and foster connections for future collaborations.<\/p>\n<p>It is essential for \u2063universities \u2063worldwide to emulate such initiatives, promoting dialogue and mutual \u2063respect among diverse communities. \u2062By doing so, universities can act\u2064 as catalysts\u200b for \u2064change, fostering a culture of understanding, empathy, and cooperation that transcends geopolitical divides.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>JERUSALEM\u2014University of Pennsylvania psychology professor Michael Kahana recently began wearing a yarmulke to his classes. He believes that not wearing it might make his students uncomfortable<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":66,"featured_media":2141176,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[544],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2141175","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-free-beacon"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2141175","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/66"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2141175"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2141175\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2141176"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2141175"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2141175"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2141175"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}