An A R C H I V E of the history of
NU Student Theater & University Theater
C L I C K H E R E
Daily NU 7-2-25 - "Northwestern Faculty Group Opposes Dealmaking With Lawless Trump Administration"
Trump vs. Higher Education: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
LIVE | NU president testifies before Congress at antisemitism hearing
LTE: An Open Letter from 218 alumni — Northwestern’s decision to censor DEI is appalling - March 4, 2025
Evanston Now 8-1-25: "Northwestern Faculty Urge No Deal With Trump"
Daily NU 10-8-25: "Northwestern Faculty Divide Over Potential Deal With The Trump Administration To Recover Federal Funding"
Daily NU 10-8-25: "Opinion - Letter To The Editor: We Support NU Students Boycotting The Anti-Bias Training"
Daily NU 10-17-25: "We Are The Power Of The University - Northwestern Community Express Concerns About University Policy At News Conference"
Daily NU 10-20-25 - "Northwestern Faculty Assembly Passes Resolution Opposing Trump Compact, Amends Bylaws"
Jewish Telegraphic Agency 11-1-25 -"Angela Buchdahl, prominent NYC rabbi, ratchets up criticism of Mamdani — and cautions against Jewish infighting - Buchdahl had faced public and private criticism for declining to sign a rabbinic letter condemning the mayoral candidate."
--- Facebook Post by Walter Ruby, commenting on the above story (and numerous comments on his Post follow it)
(quoting Walter Ruby's Post here:) I fear that Rabbi Angela Buchdahl of Central Synagogue in Manhattan has wilted under intense pressure from what might be called the leadership of the official Jewish community, and by doing so in her Shabbat sermon Friday night, has strengthened the forces in the Jewish community insisting on delivering a herem (writ of no cooperation) against likely NYC mayor Zohran Mamdani. In the process splitting the Jewish community into two mutually exclusive sections.
In her remarks, Buchdahl affirmed the wrong-headed premise that/>
Buchdahl then wrung her hands, stating, “It endangers all of us: the way we are trying to impose a litmus test on other Jews, essentially saying you’re either with us or you’re against us,” she said. “Pitting Jew against Jew. Rabbi against rabbi.” Unfortunately, however, Buchdahl, by her own words, and considerable moral authority had just powerfully contributed to that exact outcome, in which the two sides will no longer be able co-exist under the Jewish tent. It seemed evident from her remarks as to which side Buchdahl will choose in that eventuality.
Yes, Mamdani is undoubtedly an anti-Zionist, and some of what he has said makes me, a lover of Israel, uneasy. I agree that Netanyahu has committed multiple crimes against humanity in his ruthless and remorseless slaughter of some 70,000 Palestinians in Gaza, the majority of them civilians. Yet given the complex social dynamics in NYC, there was no need for Mamdani to stress repeatedly that he would have Bibi arrested if and when Bibi comes to New York. That is especially the case given that the Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, who Mamdani has vowed to keep is from New York's most powerful Jewish and pro-Israel family.
But the strong likelihood is that Mamdani is about to be elected mayor, which raises the question of whether it is sustainable for the official Jewish community to declare a policy of "no cooperation" with him. Mamdani has promised to fight hard against manifestations of anti-Semitism. Instead of raining moral imprecations on his head, the Jewish community ought to work with Mamdani in order to keep Jews safe. The progressive end of the Jewish community is ready to do just that, but is being effectively read out of the community for being ready to work with Mamdani on issues of public safety, housing, schools and everything else that touches living in NYC, while agreeing to disagree respectfully on issues related to Israel and Zionism, issues over which, of course, a mayor of New York, has close to zero influence in resolving.
The official Jewish community needs to grapple much more profoundly than it has so far with the harsh truth that Israel's merciless killing of tens of thousands of Palestinians--even deliberately starving them to death---has turned most Americans against Israel--including people of conscience who believe in democracy and human rights. To attribute all or most of that to anti-Semitism is completely bogus, morally obtuse, and an insult to the millions of Americans of all backgrounds (including many young Jews) who have been repulsed by Israel's abhorrent behavior, which was triggered by, but cannot be justified by, Hamas' murderous attack on October 7. The exploitation and weaponization of anti-Semitism has, of course, played directly into Trump's chilling attacks on freedom of speech on campuses and beyond.
That raises an existential question" Who is the greater threat to American Jews and to the values of democracy, diversity, free speech and freedom of religion that have allowed our community to thrive on these shores since George Washington's welcoming words to the Jews of Newport Rhode Island in 1791? Is our most fearful nemesis named Zohran Mamdani or Donald Trump? Rabbi Buchdahl, do you honestly believe that Mamdani is the greater danger to the Jews and to America? If not, it's high time to speak truth to real, not imaginary power, before it's too late for salvage a sustainable life for Jews, Muslims, Hindus, and other minority faith communities in a neo-fascist America marinated in the hateful theology of White Christian nationalism.
