VOLUME 108, ISSUE NO. 6 | STUDENT-RUN SINCE 1916 | RICETHRESHER.ORG | WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2023
Rice Pride ends partnership with Houston Hillel SPRING CHENJP
ASST. NEWS EDITOR Editor’s Note: The identity of a student mentioned in this story has been removed to protect them from harm due to their sexual orientation. The anonymous student was given a false name, marked with an asterisk when first mentioned. Any questions about our anonymity policy and sourcing should be directed to thresher@rice.edu. Rice Pride ended its partnership with Houston Hillel, a Jewish campus ministry at Rice, on Sept. 18. Pride’s latest statement on the decision says that the organization will no longer “receive funding or co-create spaces with Houston Hillel” and cited concerns by Palestinian and Arab students who did not feel comfortable engaging in Pride due to the partnership. “The standards of partnership that Hillel has are incompatible with the operating mission of Pride, which is to include as many queer individuals from all different backgrounds,” Cole Holladay, copresident of Pride, said. “These standards of partnership have been utilized in the past by several Hillel chapters across the nation to cut ties or spark conflict with other organizations that support Palestine.” Hillel International is the world’s largest Jewish campus organization, according to its website, with a presence in 16 countries and 850 chapters in the United States. Houston Hillel’s website states it is “the only inclusive, egalitarian and pluralistic Jewish campus organization [and welcomes] LGBTQ+ students [and] those from interfaith backgrounds.” According to Kenny Weiss, the executive director of Houston Hillel, Pride and Houston Hillel have co-hosted 12 events since 2016, including “The
Invisible Identities of Being Queer and Jewish,” “Queering the High Holy Days” and “Reconciling Queerness with Religious Spaces.” Jorge Arnez, a co-president of Pride, said though Pride was satisfied with its events co-hosted with Houston Hillel, the decision was based on the actions of other Hillel International chapters and Hillel International’s standards of partnership. “No one has specifically cited that Houston Hillel itself has made them uncomfortable in any way,” Arnez, a McMurtry College junior, said. “But they’re under the direction of Hillel International and that’s enough for a lot of students, especially considering current events at Rice regarding the Israeli-Palestine [conflict], that I think that a lot of students wouldn’t feel comfortable engaging [with Pride].” Hillel International’s standards of partnership state they will not partner with or host organizations that “deny the right of Israel to exist … delegitimize, demonize, or apply a double standard to Israel; support boycott of, divestment from, or sanctions against the state of Israel; exhibit a pattern of disruptive behavior toward campus events or guest speakers, or foster an atmosphere of incivility.” The guidelines also encourage individual Hillel chapters to “create their own Israel guidelines that are consistent with this document” and acknowledge diverse student perspectives on Israel, though they “object to labeling, excluding or harassing any students for their beliefs.” Houston Hillel’s Israel guidelines include “the healthy exchange of differing opinions” regarding Israel and states Houston Hillel “will not support or sponsor any student or organization … which advocates violence
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as a solution to the current Middle Eastern partnership have been applied at other conflict, whether against Israel or its chapters in other universities is that they opponents.” Houston Hillel’s guidelines have been used to exclude Palestinian or do not mention “disruptive behavior” Arab students and it continues to happen as a standard for not partnering with an today,” Arnez said. “Because [the standards] are vague, they can be utilized in ways that organization. In its updated statement regarding the unfortunately we don’t agree with.” Weiss said the operations of Houston decision to cut ties with Houston Hillel, Pride pointed to instances that “show Hillel no longer reflect the standards of Hillel’s problematic biases against people partnership posted on the Hillel International website. He added from Palestinian that Houston Hillel background and is an affiliate of their allies.” Hillel International The most recent but a separate 501(c) example was No one has specifically (3) organization controversy over the cited that Houston and legally Palestine Writers Hillel itself has made independent. Literature Festival them uncomfortable at the University of in any way. But they’re Pride’s decisionPennsylvania. making process According to a under the direction of Holladay, a statement released Hillel International and Martel College by Judaism On that’s enough for a lot of junior, said the Our Own Terms’ Pride executive University of students. board consulted Pennsylvania Jorge Arnez queer Jewish chapter, Penn Hillel CO-PRESIDENT OF RICE PRIDE students and had made “attempts r e p r e s e n t a t ive s to dismiss the entire festival and play up racist tropes about from organizations such as Rice Students Palestinian advocates due to the inclusion for Justice in Palestine and JOOOT in making the decision. Pride declined to share the of anti-Zionist speakers.” In contrast, The Daily Pennsylvanian identities of specific queer Jewish students wrote, “Members of Penn’s Board of Trustees with the Thresher, citing concerns of outing signed an open letter to President Liz Magill closeted students. In Houston Hillel’s response published calling on her to … distance the University [of Pennsylvania] from the Palestine Writes on Instagram, Weiss wrote that they Literature Festival.” The trustees cited wished “Pride’s leadership had pursued a concerns regarding event speakers’ previous conversation with Houston Hillel students or allegedly antisemitic comments. SEE RICE PRIDE PAGE 2 “The way that [Hillel’s] standards of
Cup, plate and pot: what’s hot in Bellaire MARGO GEE
FOR THE THRESHER Not too far west on US-59 lies Bellaire, a gustatory world full of bold flavors and unique dining experiences. Home of Houston’s Asiatown, Bellaire is packed with delicious eats, from tonkotsu to takoyaki. Give these restaurants a crack at keeping you warm this fake fall season. Xiao Long Kan (M–Thu noon–9:30 p.m., F–Sun 11 a.m.–10:30 p.m.)
Past the impressive doors of this Chinese Sichuan hotpot chain lies a wonderful restaurant styled after Chinese Night Markets. The menu is expansive, containing cuts of meat from cow to frog, and vegetables and fungi alike. While it’s rather easy to miss in the massive expanse of Bellaire restaurants, it’s worth the visit and hard to forget. Recommended fare: frog legs, vegetable medley plate (includes winter melon, lotus root, potato)
SEE BELLAIRE FOODS PAGE 8
VIVIAN LANG / THRESHER