November 29, 2024 | 28 Cheshvan 5785
NOTEWORTHY LOCAL Lenda volorei ciendi non re nus Building a home through community
Helping immigrants adjust to life in Pittsburgh Et odictiumqui andae amusam quistium si de net voloritat LOCAL
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A half-century of service LOCAL
Candlelighting 4:37 p.m. | Havdalah 5:39 p.m. | Vol. 67, No. 48 | pittsburghjewishchronicle.org
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‘American Jewish students at Pitt’s support is not School of Medicine endure anti-Israel, antisemitic rhetoric a blank check’: An interview with J Street Israel’s Executive Director Nadav Tamir
Ovit, ommodi remos ero
Attorney David Pollock retires
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (left side of photo) and Scaife Hall (right side of photo) Photo by I, Piotrus, via Wikimedia Commons Page 3
LOCAL Fodictiumqui aut Reconnecting toentis rootsandae asimuss
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Pittsburgher finds meaning after Oct. 7
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FOOD Recipes for colder weather Lenda nus dolorum re pro mi, cuptati ntibus.
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Hot mulled cider and immunity tea
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By David Rullo | Senior Staff Writer
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t a recent meeting of the University of Pittsburgh’s Equity, Inclusion and AntiDiscrimination Advocacy Committee, Dr. Barton Branstetter spoke about some of the antisemitic acts that have occurred in the university’s School of Medicine since Hamas’ Oct. 7 terrorist attack against Israel. “Social media that were critically important to the pre-clinical students were bombarded with frankly antisemitic posts, including images of a bloody Star of David and the caption ‘Bad Religion,’” he recounted to meeting attendees. The remarks came during an EIDAC meeting discussing the possible creation of an ad-hoc committee to investigate antisemitism on campus. Branstetter, a professor of radiology, otolaryngology and biomedical informatics, is in favor of the committee, and said that Pitt’s antisemitism problem reaches beyond its undergraduate program. “I wanted this group to know that this problem transcends schools,” he said. Branstetter told the Chronicle that antisemitic incidents occurred student-tostudent and haven’t involved the staff, professors or administrators. The antisemitic social media posts, he
explained, occurred in a group chat the pre-clinical medical students use during the two years they’re primarily in an academic setting. The chat is supposed to be used to help students prepare for class, exchange homework notes and references. It is not a part of the curriculum and is not sponsored or facilitated by the university. As such, he explained, there is no university oversight, but it has become an essential tool medical students use to communicate important educational topics with one another. That chat was compromised shortly after Oct. 7. “Two students started posting inflammatory messages,” Branstetter said. “Then there was this dog pile effect where people who don’t know much about the situation just want to seem supportive of the people who claim to be hurt, and it escalated.” The posts became increasingly antisemitic, he said, until there were some that “indicated violent intent against all Jews.” Branstetter said that while no individual was directly targeted or threatened, Jewish students felt unsafe. “They were afraid,” he said. While he understands the mob mentality Please see Antisemitism, page 16
Nadav Tamir
Photo courtesy of Nadav Tamir
By Toby Tabachnick | Editor
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n Nov. 20, 19 Democratic senators voted in favor of three resolutions to block weapons shipments to Israel. The resolutions, which failed, were introduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders and opposed by all Senate Republicans and most Democrats. The Biden administration, which has sent billions in military aid to Israel, also came out against the measures. But, in an act of what might be called “tough love,” the resolutions to withhold weapons were supported by J Street, which bills itself as “the political home and voice for pro-Israel, pro-peace, pro-democracy Americans.” Nadav Tamir, J Street Israel’s executive director, said there’s a difference between supporting Israel’s defense and its offense in the current war. While J Street always supports the shipment of defensive weapons to Israel, it urged senators to vote for the resolutions to halt the provision of some offensive weapons to “send a message to Congress.” “We believe the Netanyahu government Please see Tamir, page 16
Volunteers of the Year Stafeeva/Adobe Stock
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