MIT’s Lack of Action Ahead of Known Commencement disruptions
For Immediate Release: May 30, 2024
Contact: mitia-exec@mit.edu
Cambridge, MA – May 30th – We had hoped that the celebration of commencement would bring joy and unity as the MIT community gathers to celebrate the accomplishments of its graduates. However, with threats of disruption and the ongoing vile antisemitic rhetoric on campus, this ceremony is instead marked for many by feelings of alienation, anxiety, and abandonment – a tense final gauntlet to a year wracked by unprecedented public antagonism toward Jews and Israelis on campus.
Since October 7th, our community has endured horrifying acts of hostility and a wave of unchecked antisemitic rhetoric, libel, and calls for annihilation. For months, this hostile campus environment has been permitted to fester as many in leadership fail to even condemn the bigotry or acknowledge the pain and trauma this violent rhetoric has evoked in the community— many of whom are still coping with the loss of loved ones from Hamas’s brutal attack.
For nearly eight months now, agitators have repeatedly and knowingly broken campus rules to spread hatred and harassment, leading others to do the same. Despite the severity and the volume of rule violations in the past eight months, exceptionally few students have faced consequences, and many remain active on campus. Now, the same repeat offenders are publicly soliciting agitators to disrupt commencement for all and ‘make people pay’ for their association with Israel or Jewish cultural institutions [1]. While many Jewish students are bracing themselves in anticipation of hostile disruptions, some have elected to avoid commencement entirely. One who opted not to attend told us that given MIT administration’s equivocations on whether to even enforce “its own rules about harassing the entire institute, I was absolutely certain the intifada mob… will be completely free to ruin the commencement ceremonies of other students.”
For many, participation and celebration are also coupled with a heaviness of heart; in the wake of Hamas’s October 7th massacre, in addition to innocent lives in Gaza cynically imperiled by Hamas who uses them as human shields, 125 Israeli hostages are still held captive in Gaza by terrorist organizations. We hold those who have been killed in our hearts, and eagerly await the return of those still living.
Just as we the Jewish people have faced down bigotry and hate over millennia, today again we refuse to be pushed aside by hatred or violence. We will not be cowed by terror and threats. We will continue to pray and work together toward dialogue, kindness, and peace.
After enduring nearly eight devastating months of antisemitism, rule-breaking, and hate-filled demonstrations and disruptions, we are still planning to participate respectfully through commencement and not ruin it for our classmates. We hope others will choose to do so as well.
[1] https://drive.google.com/file/d/1h7XKHbbtByZGT6stmzOtKDS2A-ApyNP9/view?usp=sharing
MIT Israel Alliance Hosts “We Will Dance Again” Concert: A Night of Unity and Resilience
For Immediate Release: May 15th, 2024
Media contact: mitia-exec@mit.edu
Cambridge, MA – May 15th – On Thursday (05/16), from 5 to 9 PM at Hockfield Court, the MIT Israel Alliance (MITIA) will host the “We Will Dance Again” concert. This event is a gathering of unity and a celebration of life, a response not just to challenging times but as a declaration of our enduring spirit.
Our gathering takes place against a somber backdrop, with the events of October 7th and the ongoing conflict weighing heavily on us. 132 Israeli hostages remain captive, and innocent lives are at risk every day. Yet, as our semester concludes and we celebrate the graduation of many, our community stands resolute in its refusal to let darkness overshadow our light.
Recent months have seen our campus enveloped in unprecedented tension. From overt acts of hostility to the unchecked spread of antisemitic rhetoric, the resilience of our community has been tested. Yet, it is in our response that our spirit shines brightest. The ‘We Will Dance Again’ event is not just a celebration but a solemn remembrance and a collective stand against hatred.
The event will feature international artists including Matisyahu and Idan Raichel, symbolizing a global message of peace and resilience. A “siyum” – a Jewish learning celebration – will be hosted as well. This night of joyous unity is open to all students, free of charge, thanks to the generosity of many contributors. It is an invitation to stand together, to celebrate our shared humanity, and to assert that even in the darkest times, hope and joy can thrive.
In Jewish tradition, we mix sorrow with joy, remembering the past even as we celebrate the present, affirming our commitment to dialogue, coexistence, and peace.
We welcome everyone to join us in this powerful expression of unity and remembrance, to dance in defiance of darkness, and to embrace the light of hope and peace.
Tomorrow, we will dance again.
MIT Israel Day annual celebration today at Kresge
For Immediate Release: May 14th, 2024
Media contact: mitia-exec@mit.edu
Cambridge, MA – May 14th – Today we celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israeli Independence Day. This annual event on Kresge Oval is held to celebrate Israel’s declaration of independence, 76 years ago today. The State of Israel– the world’s only majority-Jewish country– represents not only home for many, but also the resurrection of Jewish self-determination in our ancestral homeland. The renewal of Jewish self-determination also marks our hope for an end to centuries of persecution.
It is an important aspect of Jewish tradition to have joy and celebration even in dark times, so for us this year’s celebration is especially important. Israel is a small, tight-knit nation, and many in our community at MIT have personally lost family and loved ones to Hamas’s October 7th massacre and ongoing war. In the wake of October 7th, in addition to innocent lives in Gaza cynically imperiled by Hamas who uses them as human shields, 132 Israeli hostages are still held captive in Gaza by the terrorist organization. A vacant table on Kresge today will be set for 132 to acknowledge those who are unable to join us in celebrating this year as we yearn for their speedy return.
The Jewish people have a long history of facing down bigotry and hate, and here again we refuse to be pushed aside by hateful and violent rhetoric. We are grateful to MIT’s administration for making possible our full celebration today, since last week we were unable to hold the full event complete with its tents, vendors, and festivities, given developments on campus then.
We will have our joy amidst dark times. We will not be cowed by terror and threats. We will continue to pray and work together toward dialog, kindness, and peace.