Security
The Indigenous Lives of Jesus and Mohammed
FrontPage Magazine
By Steve Frantzman
October 16, 2008
A new study of American elementary school text books by the Institute for Jewish and Community Research has found that the history of ancient and modern Israel has been politicized by modern interpretations of the 'conflict' in the Middle East.
...more
'Jesus Was a Palestinian,' Claims U.S. History Text, Study: American Public School Books have 'Same Inaccuracies' as Arab Texts,"
The World Net Daily
By Bob Unruh
October 3, 2008
A new study reveals that if Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad wanted to criticize the nation of Israel before the United Nations, he could use American public school textbooks to do so.
...more
"New Research: Jews, Israel Suffer Unfair Hits in U.S. Textbooks,"
J. The Jewish News Weekly of Northern California
By Amanda Pazornik
October 3, 2008
If your child brought home a history book that said Jesus was a Palestinian, or that Jews contributed little to the arts and sciences aside form Old Testament poetry, how would you react? Would you rush to the principal’s office, tear out the pages or do nothing?
...more
Synagogue, and 'Spiritual Starbucks'
The New York Times
By Paul Vittello
September 28, 2008
Gary A. Tobin, director of the Institute for Jewish and Community Research in San Francisco, said such partnerships marked "the convergence of the two major trends in Jewish life: the expansion of the most successful movement in world Jewry, which is Chabad, and the undeniable fact that Jews are becoming birds of passage like everyone else, less likely to belong to a synagogue but still searching for the authentic religious fundamentals."
...more
"Study Says US Textbooks Misrepresent Jews and Israel,"
The Jerusalem Post
By Haviv Rettig
September 26, 2008
American elementary and high school textbooks contain many "gross misrepresentations" of Judaism, Christianity and Israel, according to a book-length study released this week by the San Francisco-based Institute for Jewish and Community Research.
"It is shocking to discover that history and geography textbooks widely used in America's elementary and secondary classrooms contain some of the very same inaccuracies about Christianity, Judaism and the Middle East as those [used] in Iran," the IJCR said in a summary of the findings of the five-year study.
...more
Quiet war on campus: Israel remains under attack despite fewer public protests
The Jewish Journal
By Brad Greenberg
August 20, 2008
"Whether there are more or less anti-Israel demonstrations on campus really misses the point," said Gary Tobin, president of the Institute for Jewish & Community Research. "The real insidious nature of this ideology is what takes place in the classrooms and in the writings of faculty in their research -- all of those are far more significant, dangerous and insidious. The legitimacy that Walt and Mearsheimer and Jimmy Carter have given to anti-Israelists has been huge. Just take a look inside the office of the academic affairs director at the Israel Consulate in Los Angeles."
...more
Coercing the Conscience: New Examples of the Reign of Intolerance in Schools of Social Work
National Association of Scholars
By Glen Ricketts
June 6, 2008
A recent empirical survey of religious attitudes among college and university faculty suggests strongly a widespread pattern of hostility towards evangelicals by professors. In Religious Beliefs & Behavior of College Faculty (San Francisco: Institute for Jewish & Community Research, 2007), authors Gary Tobin and Aryeh Weinberg affirm unsurprisingly that academics, although certainly not monolithic, are generally less religiously inclined than the larger public.
...more
Student groups ready for debate after anti-Semitism lecture
The South End
Brandy Trapp
March 28, 2007
Sparks didn't fly during an event hosted by Students for Israel (SFI) and attended by members of Anti-Racist Action (ARA). Students from both groups said the meeting on campus anti-Semitism and civil rights was productive, and though they will not give up their personal beliefs, they are ready for debate without name-calling. ...more
Meet Civil Rights Director in Michigan - TOPIC: Campus Anti-Semitism
Stand With Us Michigan
March 21, 2007
To cap off what has been a banner inaugural year, StandWithUs/Michigan, which has proudly supported local students on the ground and out front in challenging anti-Israel bias and hostility in the classroom and on campus, is honored to bring the director of the US Commission on Civil Rights to educate our community about the troubling rise in campus anti-Semitism. ...more
On Campus, A Culture of Conformity
by Gary A. Tobin
The Forward
November 10, 2006
Almost two-thirds of American faculty members say their colleagues are sometimes reluctant to express their true opinions when those opinions contradict dominant views on campus. That number should be zero. ...more
The second most dangerous country: the United States
Haaretz
Shmuel Rosner
October 26, 2006
41% of faculty members in U.S. universities see the United States and Israel combined as the greatest threats to the world. For humanities faculty, 56% list the U.S. and Israel, compared to just 41% who list China, Russia, and Iran combined. ...more
Liberal 'Groupthink' Puts Professors at Odds With Most Americans, Report Says
The Chronicle of Higher Education
Robin Wilson
October 19, 2006
A report released on Wednesday on the political views of faculty members accuses professors of liberal "groupthink," a stance that the report says puts them at odds with the beliefs of most Americans on national and international issues. ...more
Congress, Civil Rights Commission Back Campus Accountability
j., The Jewish News Weekly of Northern California
Gary Tobin
April 28, 2006
The effort by an alliance of Jewish groups to hold government-funded Middle East studies departments accountable took two strides forward in recent weeks: one legislative and one moral. ...more
Civil-Rights Panel Urges Federal Monitoring of Campus Anti-Semitism
The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights voted last week to recommend that Education Department officials protect college students from anti-Semitism by "vigorously enforcing" Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It also called on university leaders to denounce hate speech on their campuses and to ensure that all academic units, including departments of Middle East studies, "respect intellectual diversity." ...more
Change in Law Proposed To Stamp Out Anti-Semitism in Schools
The United States Commission on Civil Rights is calling on
Congress to amend the 1964 Civil Rights Act to explicitly protect Jews
against anti-Semitic harassment on America's campuses. ...more
U.S. Commission Finds "Serious Problem" With Anti-Semitism on Campuses
The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights reports that many college campuses have a "serious problem" with anti-Semitism and urges universities and government agencies to take corrective steps. ...more
Anti-Israel Bias
at Colleges Scrutinized
The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, responding to allegations that an anti-Israel bias is rampant on
college campuses, approved recommendations Monday aimed at ensuring that Jewish college students
are protected from anti-Semitic harassment. ...more
Rights Body Condemns Anti-Semitism on Campus
Anti-Semitism on campuses is a “serious problem” that merits a campaign to inform Jewish students of their rights, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights said. ...more
A Disavowal of Absolutely No Value
Northwestern University President Henry Bienen has upbraided tenured engineering professor Arthur Butz for his repugnant embrace of Holocaust denial. For that, the academic community and the American public should be grateful. Leadership in America's universities on basic moral issues is sometimes slow and sometimes absent, especially when it comes to calling anti-Semitic speech by its real name. ...more
Between the Lines
THE UNCIVIL UNIVERSITY: Politics and Propaganda in American Education
Consider this: The NCAA last year required several schools to stop using Native American mascots. George Will, the conservative columnist, called the demand to rid the University of Illinois of Chief Illiniwek "chief among silliness."
The Campus Truth Foundation, a nonprofit group, will soon rate campuses on tolerance, providing a new index for IHE comparison. ...more
Islamic Studies a Hot New Course at U.S. Colleges
Shortly after noon recently at the University of Miami, students shuffle into a classroom. They're lucky to be here -- the class is full, and there's a waiting list to get in. The course, Introduction to Islam, is one of a growing number of Islamic studies courses being offered by universities across the country.
In the wake of the September 11 attacks, interest in Islamic and Middle Eastern studies has surged and universities are scrambling to meet that demand. But they face a shortage of qualified professors, as well as accusations of bias in the classroom. ...more
Koret Foundation Funds Awards $100,000 Matching Grant to Caravan for Democracy High School Edition
On the heels of a successful pilot year, Koret Foundation Funds of San Francisco has renewed its support of Caravan for Democracy High School Edition by awarding the program with a $100,000 matching grant.
"After funding the inaugural year of this program, we are happy to once again participate in the Caravan for Democracy High School program in Northern California,” said Jeff Farber, Executive Director of Koret. “Surely our support recognizes Caravan's work in high schools to better acquaint students with the positive aspects of Israel, and ways in which to advocate for Israel once they reach college."
Caravan for Democracy High School Edition (HSE), a program of Jewish National Fund, Media Watch International, and American Friends of Likud, empowers high school juniors and seniors to advocate for Israel and respond to anti-Israel sentiments when they go off to college. The program has filled a void in Jewish education that previously left many students unprepared to support Israel when faced with opposing viewpoints or hostility. ...more
An Anti-Semitic Atmosphere
On September 17, 2002, Harvard President Larry Summers delivered his traditional remarks in honor of the beginning of the academic year. However, in an admittedly unprecedented fashion, Summers decided to come out against the burgeoning anti-Semitism among academic communities. ....more
Prince of Tithes
In an era when Saudi nationals are best known for flying planes into buildings or funding radical Islamic groups that espouse terror and spread hatred, it is almost a relief to see a Saudi royal donate money to two U.S. universities for a benign-sounding cause. Harvard and Georgetown announced this week separate gifts of $20 million each from Prince Alwaleed bin Talal to fund Islamic studies.....more
In Order to Restore Accountability, Campuses Need Oversight
Each spring, well-rehearsed university graduation ceremonies fill the halls of ivy and public venues. The ancient robes, the stirring music, speakers' calls to high-minded purposes feed the public's perception of universities as special institutions deserving of respect, the sacrifices of students and parents, and above all, an ample supply of taxpayer and philanthropic dollars.....more
Jewish Groups Claim Discrimination on Campuses
Daily Colonial, George Washington University
Melissa Key
December 11, 2005
A number of pro-Israeli and civil rights advocates called on public officials last week to act against anti-Semitism and anti-Israel bias on college campuses.
At a Nov. 18 hearing before the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, representatives of four Jewish and education rights groups said that anti-Semitism at American colleges and universities is a widespread problem that needs to be realized. ...more
Civil-Rights Panel Hears Complaints of Anti-Semitism on Campuses
Representatives of Jewish groups have told the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights that anti-Semitism and
anti-Israel bias are rampant at colleges and universities across the country, and should be halted by campus
officials or, if necessary, through federal and state government intervention.
....more
Campus Oversight Passes Senate As Review Effort Scores a Victory
The effort by some Jewish groups to establish a government review procedure for claims of anti-Israel bias at universities scored a victory in the U.S. Senate, but at the expense of a mechanism some advocates say is crucial to addressing campus anti-Semitism.
The Senate passed legislation earlier this month that would require the Department of Education to consult with an array of U.S. security and diplomatic agencies before renewing grants to institutes of higher learning....more
Hatred Brews Against Jews at Colleges
A student at Columbia University recently reported being pulled aside by the professor during a classroom discussion on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and told to stay out of the discussion. “You have no voice in this debate,” he said. “See, you have green eyes. You’re not a Semite. … You have no claim to the land of Israel.” ....more
Book: College Campuses Quiet, but Anti-Israel Feeling Is Growing
When it comes to raucous anti-Israel rallies, it’s quiet on the nation’s campuses.
Too quiet, San Francisco’s Gary Tobin says.
The chaotic, often violent anti-Israel campus demonstrations of 2001 and 2002 caught the attention of the media and provided an easy example for pro-Israel activists to say, “See? This is what we’re up against.” ....more
Colleges See Anti-Semitism Rise
A panel of Jewish academics recently presented evidence to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights that anti-Semitic programs on college campuses are increasing.
The commission heard testimony from Gary A. Tobin and Susan Tuchman, director of the Zionist Organization of America, that Jewish students at the University of California at Irvine, Columbia University and other campuses have recently experienced hostility and intimidation. ....more
Religious Freedom in America, Abroad Presented on Capitol Hill
At the monthly meeting of the Congressional Working Committee on Religious Freedom on Thursday, leaders and representatives in their respective fields reported on their concerns over religious restrictions and civil rights violations at home and abroad.
The group gathered in the Capitol building gave brief reports on issues including Israeli-Palestinian tensions in the Middle East, anti-Semitism in universities, a Chicago Christian cemetery and difficulties with laws about the expansion of a nearby airport, as well as Saudi Arabia and extreme forms of Islam. In attendance through part of the meeting was also Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.)...more
Campus Turmoil
Jewish students and activists call UC Irvine a hotbed of anti-Semitic harassment
In the center quad at UC Irvine, Amir Abdel Malik Ali stands before a crowd of 150, his hands clutching a podium bearing the message, “Desperation of the Zionist Lobby.”
“Zionism is a mixture, a fusion of the concept of white supremacy and the chosen people,” the Oakland-based Muslim religious leader and teacher told the audience at the Feb. 2 Muslim Student Union (MSU)-organized event....more
Terrorism And Anti-Semitism Are Inseparably Married
Jewish Press
Sen. Sam Brownback
September 28, 2004
Editor’s Note: The following remarks were delivered last week on the floor of the U.S. Senate
Mr. President, I thank my colleague from Pennsylvania for addressing the topic of anti-Semitism and anti-Israelism expanding in the world. I have comments to add to this issue as well...more
'Passion'
Film Lessens Hostility Towards Jews, Poll Shows
(CNSNews.com) - Mel Gibson's
film "The
Passion of the Christ" is lessening hostility towards
Jews contrary to what the film's Jewish critics predicted,
a new poll shows...more
'Passion' Not Fueling Anti-Semitism
Mel Gibson's new film "The
Passion of the Christ" may
be reducing anti-Semitism, according to a new poll. Not only is "The Passion" not
producing the much-feared anti-Semitic backlash, it
has actually created an empathy for Jews, according
to a poll released by the San Francisco-based Institute
for Jewish and Community Research (IJCR)...more
One Poll Finds 'Passion' Makes Viewers Less
Likely to Blame Jews for Crucifixion
You heard it here first: Mel Gibson's "The
Passion of the Christ" is good for the Jews. So
says demographer Gary Tobin, whose San Francisco-based
Institute for Jewish & Community Research released
a new poll this week concluding that the movie changed
Christian attitudes toward Jews and the crucifixion for
the better. "In general, people are less inclined
to see Jews as responsible for killing Christ" after
seeing the movie, Tobin said...more
No Anti-Semitic Fallout from 'Passion'
Film made people re-examine their views, less willing to
cast blame, survey finds
Despite fears that
it could promote anti-Semitism, the new film by Mel
Gibson "The Passion
of the Christ'' may have made Americans less likely to
blame Jews for the death of Jesus, according to a new
survey...more
Poll Indicates 'Passion' Film Has Lessened
Anti-Semitism
(CBN News) - Despite concerns that "The
Passion of The Christ" could inflame anti-Semitism
in America, a survey out this week shows it may have
had the opposite effect...more
Gibson's 'Passion' Remains a Concern over Portrayal of Jews
Nearly a month after its release, "The Passion
of the Christ" has made hundreds of millions of
dollars for producer-director Mel Gibson but remains
a focus of concern among scholars over its portrayal
of Jews...more
Bias in the Jury Box?
Racially prejudiced people are more likely
to end up as jurors in death penalty cases and also more
likely to say they would feel worse about letting a murderer
go free than they would about convicting an innocent
defendant -- two reasons why blacks are overrepresented
on Death Row, claims sociologist Robert L. Young of the
University of Texas at Arlington...more
Second Thoughts about 'The Passion'
My current theory is that Christians
and Jews see two different films when they watch Mel
Gibson's "The
Passion of the Christ." For example, when Satan
slithered through the crowd, I saw nothing objectionable..more
Jewish Bids to Amend 'Passion' Film Were Pointless
WASHINGTON - Four weeks after it
came to the cinemas, Mel Gibson's controversial "The
Passion of the Christ" about
he last hours in the life of Jesus continues to make
headlines... more
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