Anti-Semitism

The ��Ƶ released a video to mark the entrustment of the Antisemitism Working Group’s final report and affirm the university’s commitment to tackling anti-Semitism in all its forms.

The report outlines eight recommendations to tackle antisemitism and religious discrimination on campus while also addressing the extent and limits of academic freedom in a university setting.

All of the recommendations – which range from developing measures to respond to harassment to addressing definitions of antisemitism and providing kosher food on campus – were accepted by university leadership when the report was released in December, 2021.

“The principles of equity, diversity and inclusion are fundamental to the institutional identity and academic mission of the ��Ƶ,” said U of T President Meric Gertler during the virtual entrustment ceremony.

“As an integral part of that commitment, we are profoundly opposed to antisemitism, which remains an unwelcome source of discrimination, harassment and violence in our society, and a threat to free societies everywhere.”

President Gertler thanked the members of the Antisemitism Working Group, as well as individuals and organizations at U of T and beyond who took part in the working group’s consultations and surveys, for making “a vital contribution to the university.”

He noted U of T’s institutional response to the report outlines a concrete plan of action to implement all eight recommendations. “We’re hopeful it will ensure that all members of the Jewish community feel safe and welcome on our campuses. This, in turn, will strengthen the ability of the ��Ƶ to fulfil its academic mission,” President Gertler said.

The Antisemitism Working Group was established in December 2020 to examine antisemitism on campus, craft a framework to inform U of T’s response to the issue and recommend ways to improve education about – and responses – to the various manifestations of antisemitism.

This entrustment marking the official handover of the working group’s final report to university administration, was emceed by Jodie Glean, interim executive director, equity, diversity and inclusion.

“Over the course of the pandemic the world has been called to grapple with and address the many forms of systemic inequities, racism and discrimination that continue to impact the lives and livelihoods of many communities,” Glean said in her introductory remarks. “We must activate our collective responsibility to foster inclusive and respectful environments so that we may all share in and experience the sentiment of belonging across the tri-campus.”

Glean welcomed the eight recommendations outlined in the working group’s report, saying they provide the university with a “critical tool and guide” to address antisemitism.

The group – chaired by Arthur Ripstein, a University Professor in the Faculty of Law and the department of philosophy in the Faculty of Arts & Science – consulted with students, faculty, staff and librarians on how to foster an environment that’s welcoming to members of the Jewish community.

Ripstein said the recommendations are designed to help the university make progress in coming to terms with antisemitism – not a direct response to specific incidents.

“Our aim was to make recommendations for the ways in which the university can deal with problems of antisemitism in light of its distinctive place in society – a place that is, on the one hand, dedicated to equity and inclusion for everyone, and on the other hand, committed to fundamental principles of free speech and academic freedom,” Ripstein said.

Kelly Hannah-Moffat, U of T’s vice-president, people strategy, equity and culture, said that antisemitism at U of T takes many forms, from blatant to subtle.

“As the report shows, antisemitism can mean perpetuating stereotypes of what it means to be Jewish, it can be demanding that all members of the Jewish community adhere to a single set of beliefs or values, it encompasses faith-based discrimination as well as racism,” she said.

Hannah-Moffat outlined some of the steps that the division of people strategy, equity and culture will take to promote equity, expand education and protect the safety and well-being of members of the Jewish community. They include: providing workshops and training led by the Anti-Racism and Cultural Diversity Office (ARCDO) to address antisemitism and promote inclusive practices; working with partners inside and beyond U of T to provide programming to promote the well-being of Jewish community members; engaging in a critical review of U of T’s Statement on Prohibited Discrimination and Discriminatory Harassment s and sharing resources pertinent to the responsibilities of employers to accommodate religious observances.

“We will be accountable and communicate our progress in implementing the recommendations of the Antisemitism Working Group report,” Hannah-Moffat said.

In addressing the topic of academic freedom, the working group’s report says U of T must emphasize that members of its community are entitled to take the positions they wish on difficult and controversial questions, and that their positions must not impede their ability to participate in activities or access resources at the university.

“In our community, the principle of academic freedom, which involves the right to investigate, speculate and comment without reference to prescribed doctrine, is core to scholarship,” said Trevor Young, dean of the Temerty Faculty of Medicine who was acting vice-president and provost when the final report was delivered. “Academic freedom lies at the heart of the open debate that advances knowledge across the disciplines, and we uphold its protection.

“We are grateful to the working group for recognizing that academic freedom can indeed exist alongside our efforts to build a more inclusive space for Jewish members of our community.”

U of T accepts all recommendations of Anti-Semitism Working Group

Christopher.Sorensen — Wed, 08 Dec 2021 16:11:17 +0000

U of T accepts all recommendations of Anti-Semitism Working Group

Christopher.Sorensen Wed, 12/08/2021 - 11:11

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(Photo by David Lee)

Topic

Faculty of Arts & Science

The ��Ƶ’s Anti-Semitism Working Group has delivered its final report and made a series of recommendations to tackle anti-Semitic racism and religious discrimination on campus – all of which have been accepted by the university.

The report’s eight recommendations also address definitions of anti-Semitism, the extent and limits of academic freedom in a university setting and the provision of kosher food on campus.

Arthur Ripstein

“Anti-Semitism is an ancient but still present and problematic form of hatred,” said Arthur Ripstein, chair of the working group and a University Professor of law and philosophy. “Our aim in drafting this report is to make realistic and actionable recommendations of the ways that the university can move forward in addressing it and to ensure that U of T is a place where Jewish members of the community feel safe and welcome.”Comprising student, staff and faculty representatives, the working group conducted extensive consultations across the three campuses. Its findings draw on nearly 700 survey responses, more than 200 email submissions, six focus groups and several interviews with Jewish student organizations, as well as one with Jewish faith leaders.

The Anti-Semitism Working Group was established last December by U of T’s president, provost and vice-president, human resources and equity (now people strategy, equity and culture) to review programming, activities, processes and practices in place at the university, as well as to make recommendations to support the university’s response to anti-Semitism.

The review comes at a time when incidents of anti-Semitism are sharply on the rise in broader society. In July, the chief commissioner of the Ontario Human Rights Commission warned that there had been “an alarming increase in antisemitic acts” during the pandemic.

Ripstein recounts that the university has a troubling history of anti-Semitism. In the 19th century, Jews were not able to become faculty members, and through to the middle part of the 20th century some faculties had quotas on the number of Jewish students that could be admitted.

“The situation for Jewish members of the university has improved considerably since that time,” said Ripstein. “But there are still situations in which they are made to feel unwelcome or harassed. Our aim is to address those issues in ways that are sensitive to the particular position of the university as a place of learning and as a place of academic disagreement.”

Each of the working group’s recommendations focuses on ways the university can make itself a more inclusive and equitable place. That includes calling for the university to apply its equity, diversity and inclusion policies consistently, and procedures to ensure that anti-Semitism is treated in the same way as other forms of racism and religious discrimination. Other recommendations include:

The university should focus on problems and issues specific to the distinctive context of the university as a place in which difficult and controversial questions are addressed. In so doing, it should not adopt any of the definitions of anti-Semitism that have recently been proposed because of concerns about their applicability to a university setting.
Academic units, administrative units and student organizations in which enrolment is mandatory must not make participation in their activities or access to their resources conditional on taking a particular position on any controversial question.
The university should issue regular communications about its approach to controversial events, emphasizing that it will not enforce content-based restrictions on such events but that such events must be held in a respectful, safe and open manner.
The university must develop measures for responding to various forms of social exclusion, harassment, micro-aggressions and bullying (including online instances) for all equity-deserving groups and apply these consistently.
The university and its divisions and academic units should apply the Policy on Scheduling Classes and Examinations and Other Accommodations for Religious Observances consistently, avoiding scheduling mandatory events on significant Jewish holidays and permitting Jewish members of the university to participate fully in a range of accommodations.
The university should ensure kosher food is readily available on its campuses.

In response, U of T President Meric Gertler, Acting Vice-President & Provost Trevor Young and Vice-President, People Strategy, Equity and Culture Kelly Hannah-Moffat said they were pleased to accept all the working group’s recommendations.

“We are profoundly opposed to anti-Semitism,” the university leaders said in their official response to the report. “We are determined to ensure that our campuses are places where members of the Jewish community feel that they are safe, included and respected as members and friends of the U of T community.”

They also thanked the members of the working group, as well as all those who took part in the consultations. “Through their consultations and deliberations, and through their report, [the working group has] made an extremely valuable contribution to the University on behalf of its Jewish community," they said.

The working group report examined the tensions between the essential need for a culture of respect and inclusion and the university’s unique position in society, where, in the words of the Statement of Institutional Purpose, “the most crucial of all human rights are the rights of freedom of speech, academic freedom, and freedom of research.”

Within this context, the working group recommended that the university not adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Association (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism. “The reason that we are not recommending the adoption of the IHRA, or other definitions, is that all of them are designed for different purposes,” explained Ripstein. “They are not suitable to the distinctive context of the university. Adoption of them would not integrate with the requirements on us and our other existing policy commitments.”

The university’s senior leaders confirmed that a definition of anti-Semitism will not be adopted: “We appreciate that some members of the University community as well as external stakeholders may be disappointed … We also acknowledge and appreciate the working group’s principled and thoughtful reasoning on this point."

The working group report noted that free speech and academic freedom requirements mean that unpopular views must not lead to any form of sanctions or exclusion from the university experience. Also, academic units should not pressure or require individuals to endorse or oppose political causes, the report said.

The institutional response highlights several ways in which individuals will be reminded of their responsibilities, including through proactive communications and training that address anti-Semitism. There will also be a review of existing policies and guidelines to ensure that they respond to the particular challenge of addressing racism and faith-based hatred that’s found on social media.

The university will provide progress updates on the implementation of the report’s recommendations on its Anti-Racism Strategic Tables webpage.