Who we are
First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
—Martin Niemöller
We are a group of USC faculty who are concerned about the rise of antisemitism and anti-Zionism at USC. Our group includes faculty of diverse opinions, religious backgrounds, campus affiliations, political views, etc., but we are all united in the belief that we must not remain silent about the rise of antisemitism in any of its manifestations. Antisemitism is not a Jewish issue—it is a symptom of a much deeper and broader problem in our society. Throughout history the emergence of antisemitism has been an indicator of social decline. Once Jews are targeted, no minority is safe.
The purpose of this Substack is to share relevant information and opinions on the subject of antisemitism and anti-Zionism, with the goal of bringing about positive change on our campus. We welcome debate, evidence-based information, and suggestions for action.
Our group came into existence in 2020, when we felt that grave injustice was done to Rose Ritch, who was forced to resign as vice president of USG, just because she was a supporter of Israel. We kept following up on this and other cases via an email distribution list to a group we called the Circle Against Antisemitism and Anti-Zionism.
Previously, members of our circle have signed the following Open Letters:
An Open Letter to the USC Community on Supporting Zionist Students at USC (August 30, 2020)
An Open Letter to the USC Community In support of the people of Israel (October 10, 2023)
Most of the letters were addressed to the President and the Provost calling for specific actions in response to antisemitic and/or anti-Zionist events on campus. Our last letter was written on October 10, 2023, and was addressed to the USC community. We expressed our outrage about the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7 and offered out support to USC faculty, staff, and students who were impacted. We continue to keep in touch and communicate via email with each other and USC leadership. Currently, we are extremely concerned about the situation regarding the choice of valedictorian and the university’s response to it.
The posts on this substack do not represent a collective voice but rather the opinions of individual faculty and students. We allow anonymous posts, under the condition that the identity of the author is verified by our editorial team.
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