Pictured above: (From left to right) Sarah Goldberg is the president and Sivan Bennaim is the social media vice president of USF Hillel: Morris and Bertha Escoll Center for Jewish Campus Life.
Courtesy of Sarah Goldberg and Sivan Bennaim
By Sarah Goldberg and Sivan Bennaim
Jewish students are angry –– we are disappointed, frustrated and shocked by the antisemitism occurring on our campus.
After recent incidents at the University of South Florida, we feel marginalized and minimized as a community. The hateful acts we’ve borne witness to are seemingly being swept under the rug. Like any other prejudice or hatred, antisemitism should be addressed directly instead of trivialized and suppressed.
On Feb. 11, a Jewish fraternity pledge was forced to have a swastika drawn on him. Four days later, an anonymous and incredibly antisemitic post appeared on social media.
Jewish women on campus are being targeted for speaking out, and other Jewish students have been seemingly expected to bear the responsibility of answering for the Jewish community as a whole.
The incidents mentioned above have fortunately sparked meaningful dialogue; however, not all the conversations have been constructive, but rather confusing, so we’re here to set the record straight.
First and foremost, the swastika represents the murder of over six million Jews –– it’s an antisemitic symbol.
Drawing a swastika on a Jewish student’s body is blatantly antisemitic; anyone who says otherwise is either ignorant or intentionally misrepresenting historical facts and does not speak for the Jewish community.
The tiptoeing around this incident, the excuses made for the actions and the lack of transparency are prohibiting proper processing and accountability from occurring.
We have heard individuals claim alcohol was to blame. Drunk actions are sober thoughts; our society holds individuals accountable for damage caused due to intoxication. Why isn’t our USF community doing the same?
We wish we could say this was the first antisemitic incident at USF –– unfortunately, it is one of many.
As USF Hillel Student Leaders, we’re accustomed to worrying about our safety. This is the Jewish experience. We rarely host events on campus and instead prefer to utilize our building to minimize the risk of disturbance, hostility or threat.
That being said, even at the Hillel building we’re used to requesting police presence as a deterrence. No other community on campus is expected to endure the effects of consistent prejudice the way we are. Why is our safe experience negotiable? Why is antisemitism seemingly excused?
Despite the ongoing attacks against our community, we are resilient.
Our community will always be stronger than those who wish us harm. Our knees do not tremble. Our heads will continue to be held high. We will be proud and empowered. We will love our Judaism, culture and people more than those who hate us for it.
Throughout history, many tried to exterminate our people, but none succeeded. Our ancestors endured antisemitism and we’re still here. We will follow in their footsteps by consistently speaking out against the antisemitism we face. We will not be gaslit. We will not be overlooked or pushed aside. We expect change.
Accountability, transparency and education are the cornerstones to addressing any form of hatred, including antisemitism. By properly addressing antisemitism at USF, we will not only be acknowledging Jewish voices, but we will also better our community as a whole.
Fear, intimidation and hate are not USF values. We came to USF for an education. We didn’t come to be marginalized or to fight for our identity, but we will if we have to. We are proud Bulls who will maintain our identities for the betterment of ourselves, our people and the overall USF community.
Sarah Goldberg is a sophomore and a health science major and Sivan Bennaim is a sophomore marketing major at the USF Tampa campus
Thank you for speaking out & up. As a Jewish USF alumni I’m sorry you are experiencing this & hope your talks with the university will be fruitful & that appropriate actions will be taken.
Personally, I think that fraternity should be barred & banned from the university for a number of years at a minimum if not permanently and a public apology that expresses understanding of their anti semitic behavior & the damage they did to their local and national organization as well as an apology to the & the student body be forthcoming.
Ms. Goldberg and Ms. Bennaim,
I applaud your impassioned letter. The USF campus should be a safe haven for all people, including those of the Jewish faith. As a USF alumnus, the tepid response to this situation is appalling. Please let me know if I can help in any way.