Brown Rabbi Calls University Encampment “Anti-Israel” - Warns About Safety Issues
Thursday, April 25, 2024
In an email sent early Thursday, Brown University’s Rabbi called the encampment on campus "anti-Israel."
The on-campus Brown Rabbi, Josh Bolton, is an "award-winning Jewish educator, poet, and thought leader in the Hillel movement."
Prior to coming to Brown/RISD’s Hillel, he served as Director of the Jewish Renaissance Project at Penn Hillel.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTBrown officials have repeatedly refused to respond to questions about the encampment and its legality.
Bolton said safety is of great concern for Jewish students on campus. He forewarns, “As similar encampments at Columbia and Yale devolved to include incidents of antisemitic harassment, we are approaching this situation with meaningful concern and preparedness."
He says the efforts taken by the University should "greatly lower risk factors for students."
The encampment at Brown was established on the main green, officially called College Green.
In recent months at Brown, there have been numerous protests on campus and off, starting almost immediately after the Hamas attack on Israel in October.
A number of the protests have featured chanting anti-Semitic refrains.
Letter From Rabbi Josh Bolton of the Brown RISD Hillel
Dear BRH Community,
My colleagues and I are closely monitoring events on the Main Green, where anti-Israel protesters have set up an "encampment" -- the latest in a string of anti-Israel actions that have disrupted and divided the University community since October.
As similar encampments at Columbia and Yale devolved to include incidents of antisemitic harassment, we are approaching this situation with meaningful concern and preparedness.
With the physical and emotional well-being of Jewish students as our highest priority, we have been working closely with the University administration and our security partners to protect Jewish students across campus. Amongst the actions we are taking:
• Brown's Department of Public Safety has elevated BRH staff in its internal contact tree. If there are incidents that involve Jewish students or if significant anti-Israel activities evolve, we will be notified quickly.
• DPS has continued to include BRH in stepped up patrol rotations. Officers are around or inside BRH at most times during the day.
• Both BRH and our partners at Chabad have engaged police detail for the first days of the Passover holiday.
• Brown's VP for Campus Life, Eric Estes, is in frequent contact with me, providing updates and responding to questions.
• The full BRH staff has been briefed and we have established an emergency communications chain.
Taken all together, we have put into place a very thick network of relationships and policies that should greatly lower risk factors for students. If you have any concerns or questions, I encourage you to be in direct touch with me.
Jewish students have no reason to leave College Hill. In fact, they have every reason to stay put, to gather for Shabbat, and to express themselves proudly as Jews -- members of a global family, rooted in Eretz Yisrael. There is a strong Jewish home at Brown. We will continue to build this home with joy and determination.
Rabbi Josh
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