Butz must not be forgotten
On Feb. 4, the Chicago Tribune carried a story about the recent communications between McCormick Prof. Arthur Butz and the President of Iran, who has called for the destruction of Israel as his country is developing nuclear weapons. On Feb. 7, University President Henry Bienen issued a marvelous proclamation, which was read at the Chicago campus. He spoke, in completely unequivocal terms, of his disassociation from Butz’s views and recent activities, both at the personal and institutional levels. By all accounts, his feelings were quite close to the surface in delivering this heartfelt statement.
As much as many people would like to see Butz “fired,” this would lead to more problems than it would solve. The university protects free speech as well as academic tenure. However, the effects of Butz on student life is not to be discounted. On Feb. 7, the Hillel Cultural Life held an open forum to discuss the issues. This was attended by students and faculty, as well as citizens from the greater community who had lost close relatives in the Holocaust. One recent NU graduate complained about the difficulty in registering for the necessary electrical engineering and computer science courses, given her fear of taking a course from the infamous professor. The discussion heightened, leading to the suggestion that Butz be “deprived of his right to teach.” To the best of our knowledge, this is not against any university guidelines. The reaction to these events is partially due to the great infrequency between re-appearance of the issues. This is especially true of new students, who – needless to say – were not here in the 1970’s and 1980’s, when the issue was first raised.
Hopefully, the issue will quietly “die on the vine.” However, this does not mean that it can be forgotten; the strong stand of NU against this sort of “revisionism” and the lack of relevant professional qualifications of the professor need to be constantly emphasized in discussions with people in the world outside of NU. Only in this way will the truth survive, against this onslaught of hate and ignorance.
– Mark Pinsky,
Professor, mathematics
Israel debate sorely lacking
While I appreciate the interest The Daily has shown over the last month regarding Jewish issues, I am frustrated that the columns on the Holocaust, Israel and Jewish identity have been framed in a way that does nothing for intelligent debate.
The Holocaust and the founding of Israel were the two landmark events for Judaism of last century, and, as a Jewish student, I am still reckoning with these two pieces of history 60 years after the fact. How much does the Holocaust shape my Jewish awareness? Do I feel comfortable with fundraising appeals that draw on the Holocaust to ask for donations? Do I agree with all of Israel’s policies? Do I want to visit there – or even move there?
These questions lead to a great deal of constructive soul searching and dialogue both within the Jewish community and among our non-Jewish friends.
But the antagonistic tone of the recent Forum columns on the Holocaust and Israel cut off all avenues for reasonable debate here. Giving air time to a Holocaust denier asks for defensive rebuttals and well-founded accusations of anti-Semitism. Telling Jewish students to divest their identities from Israel threatens many of our core beliefs and values. It is simply inviting embittered responses that will ping-pong back and forth, leaving no one with a deeper understanding of the topics, besides the fact that they are sensitive.
A far better approach to these valid issues of religious identity would be for column writers addressing the questions to ask Jewish students on campus about their feelings toward the Holocaust’s place in our religious awareness, or to ask them what they like or dislike about Israel, or how they feel about the role of Hillel on campus. Spend an afternoon speaking to students in the Chabad house. Interview the leadership of some of the 16 Jewish groups on campus. Find students who don’t identify with the community at all. You could also solicit independent columns from Jewish students on the issues. The Israeli elections at the end of March are a great opportunity to discuss the political leanings of the NU Jewish community.
If The Daily is not genuinely interested in what these milestone events mean for Jewish students today, then why publish the one-sided columns in the first place?
The format of the last month’s various diatribes have unfortunately not been anywhere near a level of intelligent discourse. It’s a shame, because there are fascinating changes and ideas occurring constantly in Jewish thought and identity, and all of us – Jewish and non-Jewish – are losing an opportunity to learn something.
– Daniella Cheslow,
Medll junior
Former Daily staffer