It’s so sad! Columbia used to be one of the most prestigious universities in the world! They boast alumni such as Alexander Hamilton, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Barack Obama, James Cagney, Oscar Hammerstein II, Warren Buffett, Amelia Earhart, Zora Neale Huston, Lou Gehrig, Sandy Koufax, Paul Robeson, Robert Kraft, Wild Bill Donovan, Madeline Albright, Alexander Haig, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Ira Gershwin, and Art Garfunkel among many others and now they’ve become a complete joke and a factory for Jihadists, antisemites and radical leftists. It’s very telling that Dr. Berman-Gladstone made his syllabus available immediately and was very transparent and Dr. Joseph Massad never responded and won’t share. Why? What’s he got to hide? It’s because he’s teaching hate in his class and he knows it and he doesn’t want the public backlash or negative media attention. Dr. Benjamin Berman-Gladstone shows is the right way to teach a course on Zionism, show the perspectives of Jews from all over the globe not just the Ashkenazi community. These cowardly students hiding their faces, handing out flyers the students will simply throw in the trash before they leave, interrupting class, and repeating the same slogans over and over again like robots programmed to do so shouldn’t have been allowed. Where is campus security? Why aren’t they patrolling the hallways? Columbia is gradually dying as is all the Ivy League schools. The antisemitism so prevalent on campus is one of the many reasons why. It’s no wonder that when they held fundraisers recently they didn’t get as many donations as they thought they would. Professor Shilon was much too calm. He should’ve told them to get out or he was calling the police. They should all be charged with disturbing the peace, criminal harassment and assault and battery for approaching the Professor and his students with cameras and sticking them in their face. Also, what’s with the photography session? If I had to guess I’d say they were taking pictures of the students so they could remember their faces, so they could harass, doxx and threaten them later on. He should’ve taken the camera away and tore out the film. This incident needs to be investigated at once by the local police, the FBI and the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department. Every student in this video should be identified, this video sent to their employer and expelled from school. I hope the ADL, Simon Wiesenthal Center, StandWithUs, and Stop Antisemitism will get in on the act and take a stand on the Professor and these students’ behalf. As to Dr. Massad, he should be fired immediately by the university and banned from ever setting foot on campus ever again!
Yup. All of that. Isn’t it interesting how these students, convinced of the righteousness of their “cause,” do so with their faces covered?! Could that be bc they know what they are doing is illegal, hm?
Great essay. Couple of thoughts. I’ve read that not only did Massad praise the October 7 massacre but he also holds a bizarre idea that Jews of today are not related to Jews of ancient times.
Also on the ‘invasion’ of Dr Shiloh’s class. Tne students in kaffiyeh looks like idiots. The students in the class were ripping the handouts from the wall, telling them to show their faces, videoing them, balling up their disgusting handouts. The students in kaffiyehs were reading from a script and looked too stupid to even be Columbia students. Maybe Shiloh didn’t take a strong enough stance but honestly I don’t think tnr pro Hamas students had a success.
The problem with all this stuff is even if they fail in the particulars of that day, they continue to normalize the idea that it’s OK to intimidate Jews. That’s the bedrock of what they’re doing.
When he was interviewed, Dr. Shilon said that he attempted to speak to them in Arabic and they couldn't understand, and at that moment he knew the student invaders had no idea what they were talking about!
Modern jews are not related to their ancestors, but Jesus was Palestinian. You can’t make this s*** up. BTW, Mizrahi and Ashkenazi Jews are closely related, even though they were mostly separated for thousands of years. Not that facts matter to the mouth-breathers.
Tell the folks who think that Ashkenazi Jews = white/evil and Mizrachi Jews and Palestinians "basically have the same DNA." Oh and have you heard of the term "Ashkanormativity" that these genius activists made up?
The best part? As Dr Shilon recounted in that Times of Israel article, he tried speaking to them in Arabic but of course they didn’t understand him, they are completely ignorant about the region.
The two first courses on Zionism are under the aegis of Columbia’s Institute for Israel and Jewish Studies, established 75 years ago by Prof. Salo W. Baron (look him up). The IIJS represents the best of academia: careful, thoughtful scholarship, respectful discussions of disagreeable topics and courses open to all. It’s financially independent from the University and is in the midst of fundraising to mark its 75th.
In contrast, Prof. Massad’s class is closed to everyone not registered for it. While unusual, that option is available to every teaching faculty member. Why he chose to exclude, especially given the sensitivity of the topic, his self-proclaimed ideological biases and his apparent lack of expertise in the area, can only heighten suspicion.
Problematically, Massad not only believes in the Khazar theory that Ashkenazi Jews are descendant from this Turkish tribe and do have no connection to the land of Israel but said in an interview that the Crusaders were early Zionists.
While his Khazar conspiracy - if true, and it isn’t - should be a shield against antisemitism for the Ashkenazim but somehow they are not protect by their fake Jew status. It seems a bit incoherent yo hold both beliefs at once but, according to Orwell, that’s what intellectuals can do - but I wouldn’t call Massad an intellectual when it comes to anything concerning Jews, their history or customs.
As to the Crusaders, it is a bizarre form of Zionism that would have them slaughter Jews as they passed through the Rhineland on their way to butchering the Jews of Jerusalem and everywhere else.
One might well suspect that, should any of this be actually taught in his class, Massad’s course should be axed for failing to meet minimum academic standards. That he closes his class to outsiders does not, I would think, leave the University powerless to conduct such a review.
Is anyone aware if there is a study being done that covers the following topics across academic institutions around the world:
1. Research and collate courses that touch on or are focussed on Zionism, Israel and/or Jewish History, antisemitism
2. Research and collate courses that touch on or are focussed on Islam, Islamic history - especially yin the context of colonialism and strains of extremism (inwardly and outwardly directed)
3. Who is teaching these courses (backgrounds, areas of recognized expertise (and recognized by whom)
4. How these courses came to be ([particularly where funding from Qatar has been received)
5. Who and how are professors and their courses vetted and reviewed.
First, yep, it speaks volumes that Massad declined to make his course material available while Dr Berman-Gladstone responded so quickly and with enthusiasm. And secondly, 2000 lb bombs sound about right to me. (That's a joke, for anyone ready to jump on me over it)
More than that, disrupting the class is a massive free speech violation. It is extremely contrary to the principles of academic freedom and free speech.
An Arab intellectual teaching about Jewish history and Zionism would be welcome if it were done in good faith. If for instance Massad wanted to show sincerity -- as he will be working out of the Judaic studies department -- he could deal with the Haskalah and the impact of the Napoleonic Emancipation Edict and go no further than the year 1900. He would not have to touch upon Zionism at all if it meant him having a meltdown.
Hussein Aboubakr Mansour is an excellent Arab intellectual pertaining to Jewish history and thought, I wish I could name more off the top of my head. Universities in Israel are ironically the best places to learn about Arab history and Islam, only some research this field for defense reason, for most they come from a place of genuine intellectual curiosity.
Intellectual curiosity about Judaism and Israel in Arab societies and the Arab world is a must. For most that investigate, the goal is dismantling Israel or discrediting Zionism. Approaching Jewish history and Zionism with empathy would be a shock, and there's so much to investigate, such as the Cairo Genizah.
After a quick look, scholars such as Fouad Ajami gave Israel a fair shake, but his main focus was Arab intellectual life. His Dream Palace of the Arabs is as relevant today as when it came out, excellent book.
Muhammad Arkoun wrote extensively on the interplay of Medieval Islamic, Christian, and Jewish intellectual thought and they all interacted. He highlights the role of Jewish intellectual thought and philosophy in Muslim intellectual thought, particularly figures like Maimonides.
Abdelwahab Meddeb wrote about Jewish and Islamic philosophical interaction during the Middle Ages, he co-authored "A History of Jewish-Muslim Relations" with an Israeli scholar and it is well regarded.
Most Arab intellectuals engage with Israel and Zionism polemically, rather than give just give a clinical detached approach. One would hope that this would be less the case in the diaspora, but generally the same patterns have persisted in Arab intellectual life in the west.
Great one as always. Very important for people to know what these students are being subjected to. I can not imagine being permitted to act this way during my days at Yale (graduated 1996.) I was a student activist in a labor strike, and we did civil disobedience, but we quietly and peacefully took over the President's office. We did not disrupt students. We were arrested and took our consequences as ethical civil disobedients do. Students acting like terrorists would be unimaginable then. I'd be so scared to send kids to college now. I'm glad my daughter is a cat and never leaves the apartment!
Excellent essay. Your essays seems to get better and better. Appreciated the personal touch and your familiarity with Columbia and with the courses. As for the videos, I would have been among the students who balled up the flyers and trashed them. Easy to say since I wasn't there, but given my nature I probably would have grabbed the flyers and started ripping them apart. If this prompted any of them to physically attack me, so much the better. Self defense, and defense of others, is the best argument for using physical force against another. "Better to be feared than loved" is situation dependent. Doesn't apply to my kids, grandkids, wife, or friends. As for others, depends on the neighborhood.
The behavior of the masked protesters was, of course, despicable but not surprising. I am wondering -- where you able to obtain a syllabus for Professor Shilon's course. Could you add to your article or in a comment a PDF of the syllabus for Professor Berman-Gladstone and Professor Shilon's course? Did you attempt to locate a student currently taking "Professor" Massad's class?
I didn't seek out the syllabus for Shilon's course because originally when I planned this article, it was to compare the 2 Zionism courses. Shilon's is an Israeli history course. I added the bit about Shilon's after I found out about the class disruption.
It would still be interesting to see them so we can confirm that, unlike Massad, who is clearly a propagandist and not a teacher, the other two professors are actually trying to provide a balanced view of Israel/the conflict.
When I was Columbia one could sit in on any class, though sometimes you had to request permission from the professor. I never had an issue obtaining a syllabus.
The administration’s comment is a peon to double speak. Who could argue against free speech, and open exchange of ideas or intellectual inquiry save on issues like Black culture, Transgender rights or DEI policy that are regularly shut down. One would imagine the Department would want to know if the criteria below are being met:
“ We [ the University ] remain committed to principles of free expression and the open exchange of viewpoints and perspectives through opportunities for constructive dialogue and understanding throughout our campus community, and we seek to provide a learning environment and classrooms that promote intellectual inquiry and analytical thinking along with civility, tolerance, and respect. Professor Massad’s class is one of three courses Columbia students can elect to take next semester on the subject of Zionism and the history of Israel, two of which are offered through Columbia’s Institute for Israel and Jewish Studies. Professor Massad's class is limited to 60 students and is not a required course.”
It’s so sad! Columbia used to be one of the most prestigious universities in the world! They boast alumni such as Alexander Hamilton, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Barack Obama, James Cagney, Oscar Hammerstein II, Warren Buffett, Amelia Earhart, Zora Neale Huston, Lou Gehrig, Sandy Koufax, Paul Robeson, Robert Kraft, Wild Bill Donovan, Madeline Albright, Alexander Haig, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Ira Gershwin, and Art Garfunkel among many others and now they’ve become a complete joke and a factory for Jihadists, antisemites and radical leftists. It’s very telling that Dr. Berman-Gladstone made his syllabus available immediately and was very transparent and Dr. Joseph Massad never responded and won’t share. Why? What’s he got to hide? It’s because he’s teaching hate in his class and he knows it and he doesn’t want the public backlash or negative media attention. Dr. Benjamin Berman-Gladstone shows is the right way to teach a course on Zionism, show the perspectives of Jews from all over the globe not just the Ashkenazi community. These cowardly students hiding their faces, handing out flyers the students will simply throw in the trash before they leave, interrupting class, and repeating the same slogans over and over again like robots programmed to do so shouldn’t have been allowed. Where is campus security? Why aren’t they patrolling the hallways? Columbia is gradually dying as is all the Ivy League schools. The antisemitism so prevalent on campus is one of the many reasons why. It’s no wonder that when they held fundraisers recently they didn’t get as many donations as they thought they would. Professor Shilon was much too calm. He should’ve told them to get out or he was calling the police. They should all be charged with disturbing the peace, criminal harassment and assault and battery for approaching the Professor and his students with cameras and sticking them in their face. Also, what’s with the photography session? If I had to guess I’d say they were taking pictures of the students so they could remember their faces, so they could harass, doxx and threaten them later on. He should’ve taken the camera away and tore out the film. This incident needs to be investigated at once by the local police, the FBI and the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department. Every student in this video should be identified, this video sent to their employer and expelled from school. I hope the ADL, Simon Wiesenthal Center, StandWithUs, and Stop Antisemitism will get in on the act and take a stand on the Professor and these students’ behalf. As to Dr. Massad, he should be fired immediately by the university and banned from ever setting foot on campus ever again!
Yup. All of that. Isn’t it interesting how these students, convinced of the righteousness of their “cause,” do so with their faces covered?! Could that be bc they know what they are doing is illegal, hm?
Alums? Let’s not forget my dad!
They are antisemitic hooligan robots.
Great essay. Couple of thoughts. I’ve read that not only did Massad praise the October 7 massacre but he also holds a bizarre idea that Jews of today are not related to Jews of ancient times.
Also on the ‘invasion’ of Dr Shiloh’s class. Tne students in kaffiyeh looks like idiots. The students in the class were ripping the handouts from the wall, telling them to show their faces, videoing them, balling up their disgusting handouts. The students in kaffiyehs were reading from a script and looked too stupid to even be Columbia students. Maybe Shiloh didn’t take a strong enough stance but honestly I don’t think tnr pro Hamas students had a success.
The student succeeded in interrupting the first 10 min of class with their bs - that's more than enough.
The problem with all this stuff is even if they fail in the particulars of that day, they continue to normalize the idea that it’s OK to intimidate Jews. That’s the bedrock of what they’re doing.
Not Jews - Zionists!!!!!! Get it right!
Right, of course. No Jews were harmed in the making of this etc. etc.
True, still I was impressed with the idiocy of the ‘invaders’. Needed a script. Don’t know their lines. But thanks for a great essay!!!
When he was interviewed, Dr. Shilon said that he attempted to speak to them in Arabic and they couldn't understand, and at that moment he knew the student invaders had no idea what they were talking about!
Thx that’s an interesting fact. They are just reading from a script. Brainless idiots.
Modern jews are not related to their ancestors, but Jesus was Palestinian. You can’t make this s*** up. BTW, Mizrahi and Ashkenazi Jews are closely related, even though they were mostly separated for thousands of years. Not that facts matter to the mouth-breathers.
Tell the folks who think that Ashkenazi Jews = white/evil and Mizrachi Jews and Palestinians "basically have the same DNA." Oh and have you heard of the term "Ashkanormativity" that these genius activists made up?
Massad really should be disqualified from teaching.
The best part? As Dr Shilon recounted in that Times of Israel article, he tried speaking to them in Arabic but of course they didn’t understand him, they are completely ignorant about the region.
The two first courses on Zionism are under the aegis of Columbia’s Institute for Israel and Jewish Studies, established 75 years ago by Prof. Salo W. Baron (look him up). The IIJS represents the best of academia: careful, thoughtful scholarship, respectful discussions of disagreeable topics and courses open to all. It’s financially independent from the University and is in the midst of fundraising to mark its 75th.
https://www.iijs.columbia.edu
In contrast, Prof. Massad’s class is closed to everyone not registered for it. While unusual, that option is available to every teaching faculty member. Why he chose to exclude, especially given the sensitivity of the topic, his self-proclaimed ideological biases and his apparent lack of expertise in the area, can only heighten suspicion.
Problematically, Massad not only believes in the Khazar theory that Ashkenazi Jews are descendant from this Turkish tribe and do have no connection to the land of Israel but said in an interview that the Crusaders were early Zionists.
While his Khazar conspiracy - if true, and it isn’t - should be a shield against antisemitism for the Ashkenazim but somehow they are not protect by their fake Jew status. It seems a bit incoherent yo hold both beliefs at once but, according to Orwell, that’s what intellectuals can do - but I wouldn’t call Massad an intellectual when it comes to anything concerning Jews, their history or customs.
As to the Crusaders, it is a bizarre form of Zionism that would have them slaughter Jews as they passed through the Rhineland on their way to butchering the Jews of Jerusalem and everywhere else.
One might well suspect that, should any of this be actually taught in his class, Massad’s course should be axed for failing to meet minimum academic standards. That he closes his class to outsiders does not, I would think, leave the University powerless to conduct such a review.
The Khazar so called theory just shows what a fucking crack pot Jew hater massad is.
Is anyone aware if there is a study being done that covers the following topics across academic institutions around the world:
1. Research and collate courses that touch on or are focussed on Zionism, Israel and/or Jewish History, antisemitism
2. Research and collate courses that touch on or are focussed on Islam, Islamic history - especially yin the context of colonialism and strains of extremism (inwardly and outwardly directed)
3. Who is teaching these courses (backgrounds, areas of recognized expertise (and recognized by whom)
4. How these courses came to be ([particularly where funding from Qatar has been received)
5. Who and how are professors and their courses vetted and reviewed.
First, yep, it speaks volumes that Massad declined to make his course material available while Dr Berman-Gladstone responded so quickly and with enthusiasm. And secondly, 2000 lb bombs sound about right to me. (That's a joke, for anyone ready to jump on me over it)
More than that, disrupting the class is a massive free speech violation. It is extremely contrary to the principles of academic freedom and free speech.
An Arab intellectual teaching about Jewish history and Zionism would be welcome if it were done in good faith. If for instance Massad wanted to show sincerity -- as he will be working out of the Judaic studies department -- he could deal with the Haskalah and the impact of the Napoleonic Emancipation Edict and go no further than the year 1900. He would not have to touch upon Zionism at all if it meant him having a meltdown.
Hussein Aboubakr Mansour is an excellent Arab intellectual pertaining to Jewish history and thought, I wish I could name more off the top of my head. Universities in Israel are ironically the best places to learn about Arab history and Islam, only some research this field for defense reason, for most they come from a place of genuine intellectual curiosity.
Intellectual curiosity about Judaism and Israel in Arab societies and the Arab world is a must. For most that investigate, the goal is dismantling Israel or discrediting Zionism. Approaching Jewish history and Zionism with empathy would be a shock, and there's so much to investigate, such as the Cairo Genizah.
After a quick look, scholars such as Fouad Ajami gave Israel a fair shake, but his main focus was Arab intellectual life. His Dream Palace of the Arabs is as relevant today as when it came out, excellent book.
Muhammad Arkoun wrote extensively on the interplay of Medieval Islamic, Christian, and Jewish intellectual thought and they all interacted. He highlights the role of Jewish intellectual thought and philosophy in Muslim intellectual thought, particularly figures like Maimonides.
Abdelwahab Meddeb wrote about Jewish and Islamic philosophical interaction during the Middle Ages, he co-authored "A History of Jewish-Muslim Relations" with an Israeli scholar and it is well regarded.
Most Arab intellectuals engage with Israel and Zionism polemically, rather than give just give a clinical detached approach. One would hope that this would be less the case in the diaspora, but generally the same patterns have persisted in Arab intellectual life in the west.
Great one as always. Very important for people to know what these students are being subjected to. I can not imagine being permitted to act this way during my days at Yale (graduated 1996.) I was a student activist in a labor strike, and we did civil disobedience, but we quietly and peacefully took over the President's office. We did not disrupt students. We were arrested and took our consequences as ethical civil disobedients do. Students acting like terrorists would be unimaginable then. I'd be so scared to send kids to college now. I'm glad my daughter is a cat and never leaves the apartment!
Excellent essay. Your essays seems to get better and better. Appreciated the personal touch and your familiarity with Columbia and with the courses. As for the videos, I would have been among the students who balled up the flyers and trashed them. Easy to say since I wasn't there, but given my nature I probably would have grabbed the flyers and started ripping them apart. If this prompted any of them to physically attack me, so much the better. Self defense, and defense of others, is the best argument for using physical force against another. "Better to be feared than loved" is situation dependent. Doesn't apply to my kids, grandkids, wife, or friends. As for others, depends on the neighborhood.
Thanks Steve! I appreciate your contributions - though I know we don't always agree (which is a good thing, makes me sharper).
I suppose now whoopie cushions will be redefined as land mines
Wouldn't put it past 'em!
Columbia is truly a cesspool ripe with anti Semitism Maybe It needs to have its federal funds yanked
I think the new Trump admin has that in mind - let’s see how far they get with it…
The behavior of the masked protesters was, of course, despicable but not surprising. I am wondering -- where you able to obtain a syllabus for Professor Shilon's course. Could you add to your article or in a comment a PDF of the syllabus for Professor Berman-Gladstone and Professor Shilon's course? Did you attempt to locate a student currently taking "Professor" Massad's class?
I didn't seek out the syllabus for Shilon's course because originally when I planned this article, it was to compare the 2 Zionism courses. Shilon's is an Israeli history course. I added the bit about Shilon's after I found out about the class disruption.
It would still be interesting to see them so we can confirm that, unlike Massad, who is clearly a propagandist and not a teacher, the other two professors are actually trying to provide a balanced view of Israel/the conflict.
Tell you what. Why don't you try to get this information on your own, and after you do, I will update the article accordingly and credit you for it.
When I was Columbia one could sit in on any class, though sometimes you had to request permission from the professor. I never had an issue obtaining a syllabus.
The administration’s comment is a peon to double speak. Who could argue against free speech, and open exchange of ideas or intellectual inquiry save on issues like Black culture, Transgender rights or DEI policy that are regularly shut down. One would imagine the Department would want to know if the criteria below are being met:
“ We [ the University ] remain committed to principles of free expression and the open exchange of viewpoints and perspectives through opportunities for constructive dialogue and understanding throughout our campus community, and we seek to provide a learning environment and classrooms that promote intellectual inquiry and analytical thinking along with civility, tolerance, and respect. Professor Massad’s class is one of three courses Columbia students can elect to take next semester on the subject of Zionism and the history of Israel, two of which are offered through Columbia’s Institute for Israel and Jewish Studies. Professor Massad's class is limited to 60 students and is not a required course.”
So you are a Jew and a Zionist? Where do these two belief systems marry and where do they clash? Asking for a friend……
Credentialism at it's finest.
Mayhem at Columbia: Pro-Hamas Students Storm Classroom, Target Jewish Students With Anti-Semitic Flyers on First Day of Spring Semester
'THE ENEMY WILL NOT SEE TOMORROW,' read one flyer
https://freebeacon.com/campus/mayhem-at-columbia-pro-hamas-students-storm-classroom-target-jewish-students-with-anti-semitic-flyers-on-first-day-of-spring-semester/