Statement on the Antisemitic Graffiti Found on the UMass Hillel House

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 22, 2020

Contact: Avi D. Gordon, Executive Director Alums for Campus Fairness

917-512-4585, [email protected]

 

This morning, Alums for Campus Fairness at UMass Amherst (ACF-UMass Amherst) learned that the word “Palestine” was spray painted in Arabic in large red letters on the front of the UMass Hillel House.

Seeing as this incident occured the morning of Holocaust Remembrance Day, we agree with Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy’s statement that “the timing of this cowardly act, on Holocaust Remembrance Day, is deeply repugnant” and we must remain united against antisemitism and all forms of bigotry in this crisis. ACF condemns any antisemitic incidents at UMass Amherst in the strongest possible terms. According to FBI hate crimes statistics, more than half of all hate crimes with a religious bias are directed at Jews. We echo UMass Hillel’s statement: “Our UMass Jewish community is resilient and strong, and in the face of this hate we will only deepen our commitment to empowering students to build vibrant community based on values of love, respect, justice and peace.”

ACF-UMass Amherst will continue to be actively engaged in taking action in response to this incident. We commend Chancellor Subbaswamy’s transparency and we will update our community as the Amherst Police Department’s investigation develops. We are here to support the Jewish community on campus and we call on the broader UMass community to join us in this effort.

About ACF: Alums for Campus Fairness (ACF) is America’s unified alumni voice on issues of antisemitism, demonization of Israel, and bigotry. With over thirty-five chapters, ACF positions thousands of alumni on the front lines of key issues at their alma maters and works to ensure that universities remain pillars of open dialogue and equal opportunity for all students. For more information, please visit www.campusfairness.org.