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November 3, 2023 (19 Cheshvan 5784) Parasha Vayeira - The College Journey: Mazel Tov?
Dear Friends, I hope this correspondence finds you well and managing as well as possible during these difficult days (both locally and abroad). We look forward to greeting you in our sanctuary this Saturday morning for Shabbat services at 10:00am. These services will also be available over Zoom. (Click here to enter Zoom Room.) We genuinely look forward to catching up and sharing Kiddush with you after the conclusion of the Davening. We would also like to say Mazel Tov to our newest members, Roman and Tatiana Isaac, on their recent wedding, which was celebrated at CBIOTP. We wish them a lifetime of joy and good health and look forward to celebrating more Simchas with them! Over the last few months, many of the nation’s high school seniors have been under what I refer to as intense “CPP” (College Preparation Pressure). As you can imagine, such pressure is duly exacerbated in a Jewish private school, where our families, rightfully so, historically value the importance of excellence in both Jewish and secular studies. So important is this process that private Jewish high schools spend inordinate resources to hire the best staff available to coordinate their college-counselling centers. These dedicated, well-connected professionals, then commit almost a full year, bending over backwards, to make sure that “Chayim Yankel” or “Esther Feige” get accepted to the best possible school in the country. Backing up months, our students have been writing SAT or ACT tests (often numerous times), meandering meaningfully around college campuses, pre-registering for advanced classes related to personal preference, participating in diverse extracurricular activities, and requesting stellar recommendation letters from their favorite pedagogues (me). These intricate machinations have been enacted for the express purpose of the aspiring student-scholar becoming enrolled in absolutely the most prestigious college possible. Anxiety heightened tremendously this week as the deadline for early-decision college applications passed this Wednesday, November 1st. Over the years, students have been told by their parents, educators, friends, and family that being admitted to the best college will affect every aspect of their lives. The benefits of these outstanding colleges will include finding new career opportunities, increasing earning potential, building connections with esteemed alumni, forming life-long relationships, navigating in-depth learning via critical thinking, fostering networking channels, gaining awareness of latest trends in professional industries, stimulating identity development, and meeting others in a diverse, respectful, and open community. Celebrations erupt, public announcements abound, and “Mazal Tovs!” are graciously exchanged when “Chayim Yankel” and “Esther Feige” finally announce their acceptance to such standouts as GW, NYU, Harvard, Cornell, Michigan, and the University of Pennsylvania, to name but a few. I would suggest that Jewish families may want to rethink their planned festivities. This past Wednesday, I participated in a forum entitled “Israel at War: The View from Campus,” which was sponsored by Jewish Federation. Friends, the picture is not pretty. Over the last three weeks, I have heard time and again of the rise in antisemitism on college campuses. I am in touch with numerous young people on all of these, and other, campuses. Incidents of intimidation and hate continue to take place around the country. Since the crisis started, the ADL has documented incidents including: professors praising Hamas during on-campus rallies; university presidents refusing to condemn terrorism; students being offered extra credit to participate in anti-Israel activism; and even Jewish students being physically threatened on online campus discussion boards. Due to incidents at many of these major universities, including the University of Pennsylvania, major Jewish donors have announced their intent to withdraw philanthropic gifts to their beloved alma mater. At Harvard, Rabbi David Wolpe, who is a visiting professor, has posted numerous times about the hatemongering on campus and reported that at a recent meeting with Jewish students, the president, somewhat matter-of-factly acknowledged Harvard’s legacy of both implicit and explicit antisemitism. At Cornell, pro-Palestinian gatherings have included chants of “Kill the Jews, slit their throats, and rape the girls.” A professor at Cornell is quoted as saying that he was exhilarated by the events of October 7, 2023. A representative of the Jewish Community Relations Council cites an avalanche of lies, misplaced accusations, incorrect coopting of political language, and overall ignorance amongst “academic” staff. She laments, “If this is what they are saying outside the classroom in a monitored setting, can you imagine what mistruths are being spread in the isolated crucible of the school’s lecture halls?” Over the last twenty years, professors have been delivering history lessons that are deplorably wrong and their misrepresentations have become a constant, damaging and steady drip against Israel, her image on the global stage, and her reputation. While one can attribute such pathetic pedagogy to intellectual laziness, it should more appropriately be characterized, for what it is: Anti-Zionism and Anti-Semitism. What makes matters worse is that these professors are helping to shape the academic, business, and political leaders of tomorrow and have influenced some who are already at the top of their chosen fields. This Shabbat, when we gather in unity, I will share what steps we should take to combat what is undoubtedly the worst outbreak of global antisemitism since the Holocaust. To conclude on a positive note, please know that we continue to stand with Israel and her right to defend herself. We stand with our brothers and sisters. We will remain steadfast in unity as an Am Echad B’Lev Echad (one people with one heart) and I hope you will be able to attend the Rally for Israel, which will take place outside of Young Israel of Fort Lee on Sunday at 5:30pm. May this Shabbat bring Israel and the entire world the ultimate peace for which we, as the Jewish people, have always dreamed. Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Eric L. Wasser, EdD, Hon.DM
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