Photo by: Andrea Renault/STAR MAX/IPx
An Orthodox Rabbi at Columbia University and Barnard College advised Jewish students to go back home and leave the campus because of demonstrations supporting Palestine.
Rabbi Elie Buechler, director of OU-LJIC at Columbia, told students in a WhatsApp message sent to hundreds before Passover to leave “as soon as possible” until the protests conclude. He accused protesters of supporting Hamas, calling it “terrible and tragic” while noting the university cannot guarantee the safety of Jewish students.
“The events of the last few days, especially last night, have made it clear that Columbia University’s Public Safety and the NYPD cannot guarantee Jewish students’ safety in the face of extreme antisemitism and anarchy,” Buechler wrote in a message shared by CNN’s Jake Tapper on X.
“It deeply pains me to say that I would strongly recommend you return home as soon as possible and remain home until the reality in and around campus has dramatically improved,” the Rabbi says in the shocking message.
Buechler said the text was sent in response to “horrific” videos showing “protesters on campus calling for Jews to be killed, just off campus Jews being yelled at to ‘go back to Poland’, text messages I’m getting constantly from Jewish students about how unsafe they feel,” Tapper reported.
In response to “horrific” scenes of antisemitic harassment at and around campus, the Orthodox Rabbi at Columbia/Barnard sent a WhatsApp message to more than 290+ Jewish students this morning recommending that they go home until it’s safe again for them on campus: pic.twitter.com/uqAntEICLv
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) April 21, 2024
2/ The rabbi for the Orthodox Union's Jewish Learning Initiative on campus sent the WhatsApp message this morning at 7:29 a.m. to his WhatsApp group of 293 mostly Orthodox Jewish students. It was his own personal statement, not that of the college or Hillel.
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) April 21, 2024
3/ Sent in response, he says, to "just horrific" videos of "protesters on campus calling for Jews to be killed, just off campus Jews being yelled at to 'go back to Poland', text messages I'm getting constantly from Jewish students about how unsafe they feel.”
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) April 21, 2024
The rabbi concluded, “It is not our job as Jews to ensure our own safety on campus. No one should have to endure this level of hatred, let alone at school.”
Over the last week, hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters have set up an encampment on campus calling for an end to the war between Hamas and Israel in Gaza. Students and local activists have labeled the protest the “Gaza Solidarity Encampment.”
The university has suspended three students for their involvement in the protests while police arrested over 100 individuals on Thursday, including Isra Hirsi, the daughter Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar, who has previously been under fire on multiple occasions for antisemitic tropes and language.
