The Tuesday open forum sparked by recent vandalism outside the Tannenbaum Chabad House will address the topics of anti-Semitism, racism and diversity, Chabad director Rabbi Dov Hillel Klein said Monday afternoon.
The forum will take place at 8:30 p.m. in the Technological Institute, room L211. It was scheduled after the 6-foot menorah outside the Chabad House was mangled Saturday night.
“I hope a lot of people come, share their thoughts and feelings, and that people can walk away feeling like they’ve accomplished something,” Klein said.
The rabbi said the forum would be a “conversation” among the Northwestern community. He said he expects Dean of Students Burgwell Howard to attend, and several campus ministers and members of the chaplain’s office have been invited.
“You are invited to an open forum to show solidarity with the Jewish community,” read an e-mail sent over the Chabad e-mail list Monday afternoon. “The forum will provide an opportunity for members of the Northwestern community to share your thoughts and comments regarding this incident.”
Although police, who could not be reached for comment Monday, classified the incident as a hate crime, Klein said the incident may not have been targeted at Chabad. Several blocks up Orrington Avenue at Roycemore School, 640 Lincoln St., someone broke several flower pots, Headmaster Joseph Becker said.
Aliza Weinberger, who participates in Chabad, said even if the incident was not a hate crime, it is disturbing.
“It was probably some dumb Halloween prank and not a hate crime, but it was still unsettling to have it happen at a place where I feel like home,” the Communication sophomore said.
McCormick sophomore John Hodges said he thought the vandalism was probably a prank.
“If it were a hate crime, it would probably be more severe than what happened,” he said. “They’d leave some sort of a message because they’d want people to know why they did it.”
The unknown vandals pulled the light bulbs on the menorah from their sockets and broke one arm of the menorah, but they did not leave behind any explicitly anti-Semitic markings.
Associated Student Government President Claire Lew said the incident was an issue of respect. She called the damage “extremely sad.”
“One would like to think this kind of act of vandalism is something most people view as disrespectful and unacceptable,” the SESP senior said.
Although Lew has several other meetings scheduled for Tuesday night, she said she hopes to attend at least part of the forum.
“I think the forum is an opportunity to have constant dialogue about mutual respect in the community and the impact this kind of act can have of the community,” Lew said. “I hope we support each other and make everyone in the Northwestern community feel welcome.”
Kris Anne Bonifacio contributed reporting.
