Indiana Governor Mike Braun has signed an executive order directing the Indiana Commission for Higher Education to review policies on antisemitism.
“It’s a shame that it took an executive order from the governor, but bravo to him,” said Rabbi Benjamin of Shaarey Tefilla in Carmel. “In 2018, my own synagogue was defaced with Nazi symbols.”
The order requires state universities to assess their responses to antisemitism, reaffirming Indiana’s commitment to supporting the Jewish community and condemning antisemitic acts.
“I’m glad the Indiana higher education system will take this issue seriously,” Rabbi Benjamin added.
This move follows a U.S. Department of Education investigation into antisemitic discrimination at several schools, including Indiana University, which may face potential enforcement actions.
Braun’s order comes in response to a rise in antisemitism after the October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel. Protests across U.S. campuses, including a five-month pro-Palestinian protest at Indiana University’s Dunn Meadow, have brought attention to the issue. The order asks schools to report their actions addressing antisemitism since the attack.
“I have every confidence that here in America and in the United States, good will prevail over evil. This is not the first time Jewish people have faced such a crisis,” Rabbi Benjamin said.
2 comments
No group is above criticism, nor should they be. I think the ADL has claimed that nearly everything is antisemitic for a long time, even things that are the benign criticism that every group gets. Frankly, it’s become a bit ridiculous.
As a side note, does anyone know the name for racism against a specific group other than antisemitism? Why does nobody else get their own specific word instead of just “racism”?
Now, if that criticism turns into actual ACTIONS, then by all means we have something to address!
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