An Open Letter from Jewish Scholars to Governor Newsom about Ethnic Studies

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An Open Letter from Jewish Scholars to Governor Newsom about Ethnic Studies

September 19, 2023

Dear Governor Newsom,

In September 2023 a group purporting to represent the Jewish academic world wrote a Letter, "Sign on: Jewish scholars & educators on ethnic studies," addressed to you. We, the undersigned, are writing a corrective to that inflammatory Letter, which inaccurately frames criticism of a discriminatory version of Ethnic Studies as an attempt to "derail the entire field of ethnic studies."

To be clear, we welcome curricula that allow the diverse student body to see themselves and classmates reflected in their education. That "Sign On" Letter, however, is dangerously misleading: A significant majority of American Jews support a Jewish state. As Jewish scholars ourselves, central to our ethno-religious identity is Zionism, the right to self-determination in our ancient, indigenous homeland. Language reveals history: Jews are from Judea. However, the Letter presents “Israeli colonialism” as a settled fact, thereby declaring that Jewish people colonized their own homeland. Erasing our indigeneity is anti-Zionism, a contemporary expression of the world’s oldest hatred.

Further, the Letter suggests that covering Jewish literature and state-mandated Holocaust education is sufficient, but including those topics does not ensure that the program abides by state requirements for Ethnic Studies. Brooks Allen, Executive Director, California Board of Education (August 23, 2023) reveals, “some vendors are offering materials that may not meet the requirements,” particularly the guardrail ensuring that curricula “not reflect or promote, directly or indirectly, any bias, bigotry, or discrimination against any person or group of persons on the basis of any category protected by Education Code Section 220.”

Finally, this Letter unsurprisingly exemplifies the bias and bigotry in the radicalized Ethnic Studies curriculum. For instance, the accusation that “groups such StandWithUs, Amcha Initiative, the Simon Wiesenthal Center, and the Anti-Defamation League have sought to derail the entire scholarly field of ethnic studies" upholds a false binary that one either supports the radical version of Ethnic Studies or opposes Ethnic Studies altogether. And the attempt to disparage unaligned viewpoints as “right-wing” (as the letter does on three occasions) does not reveal a good faith effort to include diverse perspectives. Those signatories of the “Sign On” Letter ironically do not seek, and are even antagonistic to, inclusion.

We believe that curricula should represent all communities in California’s wonderfully diverse student body, and we support a highly inclusive Ethnic Studies program that respects the humanity of every student.

(Affiliations for identification purposes only.)

Sincerely,

Scott Aaronson, Schlumberger Chair of Computer Science, University of Texas at Austin

Rachel H. Adler, Ph.D., University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio

Robert Adler, Professor of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California

Ron Albucher, Clinical Associate Professor in Psychiatry, Stanford University

Kenneth Alexander, Professor of Mathematics, University of Southern California

Mindy Aloff, Author, Freelance Editor

Susan Aranoff, Professor, Kingsborough Community College, City University of New York (CUNY)

Tom Armbruster, Ph.D., Co-Chair Department of Mathematics, Emeritus, San Marino High School

Hadar Aviram, Thomas Miller Professor of Law, UC Law San Francisco

Itzhak Bars, Professor of Physics, University of Southern California

Fred Baumann, Professor of Political Science, Kenyon College

Jason Bedrick, Board Member, Education Freedom Institute

Michael Ben-Gad, Professor of Economics, City University of London

Eyal Ben-Isaac, M.D. University of Southern California, School of Medicine

Jack Berger, Professor Emeritus of Clinical Anesthesiology, University of Southern California

Yoav Bergner, Associate Professor, NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development

Stephen Berk, Professor of Holocaust and Jewish Studies, Union College

Amira Bernstein, retired biochemist, American Chemical Society

Russell Berman, Walter A. Haas Professor in the Humanities, Stanford University

Stephen Berman, Professor of Neurology, Emeritus, University of Central Florida College of Medicine

Israel B. Bitton, Author/Researcher

Corinne Blackmer, Professor, Southern Connecticut State University

Jane Bloomgarden, Ph.D., Westchester Center for the study of Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy

Diana Blum, MD, Neurologist

Mr. Robert Blumberg, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Allan Borowski, Professor Emeritus, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Carole Braverman, Emerita Instructor in English and Playwriting, Phillips Academy, Andover

Richard Bronen, Professor, Yale University

Jake Burack, Professor, Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, McGill University

Jonathan Burack, Curriculum Developer, Creator of the MindSparks Materials

Deirdre Butler, Associate Professor, Religion, Carleton University

Nadav Caine, Former Adjunct, Cal State University Hayward

Ellen Cannon, Professor of Political Science and Jewish Studies, Northeastern Illinois University

Paul Cantz, Professor of Clinical Psychology, Adler University

Jeffrey Carmel, M.D., Professor Emeritus, Stanford University School of Medicine

Julius Chapiro, Associate Professor, Yale University School of Medicine

Edith Chernoff, M.D. University of Chicago

Phyllis Chesler, Emerita Professor of Psychology, City University of New York (CUNY)

Barry Chiswick, Professor of Economics and International Affairs, George Washington University

Jack Citrin, Professor of Political Science, University of California, Berkeley

Marc Cogen, Professor of Law, Free University of Brussels

Zvi Cohen, Ph.D., Educator, Independent Scholar

Jerry Coyne, Professor Emeritus, University of Chicago

Seth Cropsey, former Defense Department senior official

Dr. Mark Davidson, Law and Society Program, Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada

Dr. Avram Davis, University of California, Santa Cruz

Earon Davis, Retired Adjunct Professor, Purdue University Global

Jahan Dawlaty, Professor, University of Southern California

Miriam L Diamond, Professor, University of Toronto

Shawna Dolansky, Associate Professor, Carleton University

Joanne Donsky, Associate Clinical Professor, Retired, Dept. of Family and Community Medicine, University of Californa, San Francisco School of Medicine

Alex Drukarev, PhD, Independent Scholar

Stanley Dubinsky, Professor of Linguistics, University of South Carolina

Arthur Edelman, Associate Professor, State University of New York at Buffalo

Carol Edelman, Emerita Professor and former Associate Dean of Behavioral and Social Sciences, California State University, Chico

Samuel Edelman, Emeritus Professor, California State University, Chico; former Dean, American Jewish University in Los Angeles; Academic Fellow, Sue and Leonard Miller Center for Contemporary Judaic Studies University of Miami; and Florida Democratic Party Jewish Caucus Vice President for Issues

Susan Edelman, Head of Strategy, Edelman Family Foundation

Mark Eisenberg, Professor of Medicine, McGill University

Gabriel Elkaim, Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California, Santa Cruz

Dr. Miriam Elman, courtesy appointment, former tenured Associate Professor, Syracuse University

Jessica Emami, Ph.D., American University

Brian Englander, Robert E. Campbell Professor of Clinical Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania

Tamara Cohn Eskenazi, Professor Emerita of Biblical Literature and History, Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion

Dr. David Erschler, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

Joel Farber, Steinman Professor of Classics Emeritus, Franklin and Marshall College

Malcolm Feeley, Professor Emeritus, University of California at Berkeley

Jack Feldman, Professor Emeritus, Georgia Institute of Technology

Daniel Fendel, Professor of Mathematics, Emeritus, San Francisco State University

Harvey Finkelstein, QUAD A

Alan Fisher, Physicist, SLAC National Accelerator Lab, Stanford University

Karen Fiss, Ph.D., Professor of Visual and Cultural Studies, California College of the Arts, San Francisco

Paulina Flasch, Associate Professor, Texas State University

Luis Fleischman, Ph.D., Palm Beach State College

Louis Florence, Associate Professor, Teaching, University of Toronto, Mississauga

Joshua Fogel, Professor, York University

Seth Forman, Professor of Political Science, Suffolk County Community College

Rosa Freedman, Professor, Law School, University of Reading (UK)

Lilli Friedland, Ph.D., A.B.P.P., Executive Advisors Inc.

Naomi Friedman, Humanities Instructor, University of North Carolina, Asheville

Tracy Friedman, Ed.D.

Gershon Frisch, Assistant Professor of Medicine, McGill University

Cheryl Fulton, Associate Professor, Texas State University

Stephen Gilson, Professor, University of Maine

Michael Glogauer, Professor, University of Toronto

Rafael Goldchain, Professor, Sheridan College

Avraham Goldstein, Ph.D., City University of New York

Marcy Braverman Goldstein, Ph.D. Director of Academic Affairs, Jewish Institute for Liberal Values

Michael Goldstein, Professor, City University of New York

Elaine Goodfriend, Lecturer, Religious and Jewish Studies, Cal State University Northridge

Irving Yitz Greenberg, Retired. City University of New York (CUNY) and Yeshiva University

Dr. Sergio Grinstein, University of Toronto

Robin Gurien, Adjunct Professor, California State University, Fullerton

Ellen Gutiontov, Executive Director, Center for Intellectual Property Law & Information Technology (CIPLIT), Adjunct Professor of Law, DePaul University

Robert Guttentag, Professor Emeritus, University of North Carolina, Greensboro

Dr. Yael Halevi-Wise, McGill University

Ron Hassner, Chancellor's Professor of Political Science, University of California, Berkeley

Arnold Herskovic, M.D., Professor Emeritus at Rush Medical Center and University

Dr. Bette Hirsch, Emerita Dean of Instruction and French Instructor, Cabrillo College

Robert Hirsch, Executive Director, Light Research

Stuart Hoffman, Adjunct Volunteer Professor, Division of Orthodontics, Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry, University of Southern California

Rabbi Dr. Daniel Horwitz, Congregation Beth Yeshurun

Aimee Israel-Pelletier, Professor of French and Global Studies, University of Texas at Arlington

Naomi Jackson, Professor, Arizona State University

Timothy Jackson, Distinguished Research Professor and Full Professor of Music Theory, University of North Texas

Svetlana Jitomirskaya, Richard & Rhoda Goldman Distinguished Chair, University of California, Berkeley

Lee Jussim, Professor, Rutgers University

Alon Kahana, Professor, Oakland University

Gabriel Kahn, Professor of Professional Practice, University of Southern California Annenberg School of Journalism

Dr. Ted Kahn, DesignWorlds for College & Careers

Stuart Kamenetsky, Professor, University of Toronto Mississauga

Sergei Kan, Professor of Anthropology, Dartmouth College

Jaime Kardontchik, Ph.D., Physics, author of the book, Ethnic Studies in K12 schools: The Jewish module; IEEE, The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

Jonathan Katz, Professor of Physics, Washington University, St. Louis

Nathan Katz, Emeritus Professor of Religious Studies, Florida International University

Steven Katz, Slater Professor of Jewish & Holocaust Studies, Boston University

Charles Kaufman, Senior Lecturer, Texas State University

Eric Kaufmann, Professor, University of Buckingham

Sergiu Klainerman, Professor, Princeton University

David Kleinfeld, Distinguished Professor, University of California, San Diego

Amira Klip, Senior Scientist Emerita and Professor, University of Toronto

Cary Kogan, Ph.D., C.Psych. Professor of Clinical Psychology, University of Ottawa

Aryeh Kontorovich, Professor, Ben-Gurion University

Dr. Eugene Korn, Independent Scholar

Gregory Kosinovsky, Ph.D., Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Marvin Koss, Associate Professor, Norton School of Medicine, SUNY Upstate Medical University

Frederick Krantz, Director, Emeritus, Canadian Institute for Jewish Research,

Vitaly Kresin, Professor of Physics, University of Southern California

Anna Krylov, Professor of Chemistry, University of Southern California

Linda Landesman, DrPH, MSW, Independent scholar

Yedidyah Langsam, Professor and Chair Computer and Information Science Department, Brooklyn College of City Univerity of New York (CUNY)

Jonathan Leader, Research Associate Professor, University of South Carolina

David Lehman, Editor, The Best American Poetry

Dr. Naya Lekht, Research Fellow, Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP)

Laurie Leventhal-Belfer, Adjunct Lecturer, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University

Dr. Holli Levitsky, Loyola Marymount University

Morris Levy, Associate Professor of Political Science and International Relations, University of Southern California

Victor Lieberman, Distinguished University Professor of History, University of Michigan

Robert Lindzen, Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Mark Lipman, Associate Professor, McGill University

Adam Lovinger, Georgetown University

Richard Lubman, M.D., Associate Professor of Medicine, University of Southern California

Vladimir Mandelshtam, Professor of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine

Joseph Manson, Professor Emeritus, University of California, Los Angeles

Peter Margolis, Educator, Independent Scholar

Jonathan Marks, Professor, Ursinus College

Dr. Dyanne Martin, Wheaton College

Ken Michaels, LCSW, University of Michigan

Ethan Miller, Professor Emeritus, Computer Science & Engineering, University of California, Santa Cruz

Evan Morris, Professor, Yale University

Rabbi Dr. Meir Muller, University of South Carolina

David Narrett, Professor, University of Texas at Arlington

Gdalit Neuman, PhD candidate, York University

Manuela Neuman, Professor, University of Toronto

Alan Nussbaum, Professor, Cornell University

Dr. Leslie O’Connell

Janet Oldak, Professor of Biomedical Sciences, University of Southern California

Rabbi Daniel Olgin, Community Educator, Maimonides Society of Ohio

Josef Olmert, Adjunct Professor, University of South Carolina,

Monica Osborne, PhD, Independent Scholar

Daphna Oyserman, Dean's Professor of Psychology, University of Southern California

Dr. Pamela Paresky, Network Contagion Research Institute

David Paslin, Assistant Clinical Professor, Dermatology, Retired, University of California School of Medicine, San Francisco (UCSF)

Judea Pearl, Chancellor Professor, University of California, Los Angeles

Andrew Pessin, Professor of Philosophy and Jewish Studies, Connecticut College

Juliana Geran Pilon, Senior Fellow, Alexander Hamilton Institute for the Study of Western Civilization

Steven Pinker, Johnstone Family Professor of Psychology, Harvard University

Daniel Pipes, President, Middle East Forum

Jeffrey Poelvoorde, Associate Professor Emeritus, Converse University

Annette Poizner, MSW, Ed.D., RSW

Beth Ruby Pollock, Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley

Robert Prince, Ph.D. New York University

Daniel Prober, Yale University

Richard Prystowsky, Former Professor and Provost (retired)

Michael Pustilnik, Associate Professor of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology

Benjamin Raby, Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School

Steven Resnicoff, Professor, DePaul University College of Law

Alan Rifkin, Lecturer, California State University, Long Beach

Pierre Ritchie, Professor Emeritus, University of Ottawa

Ira Robinson, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Concordia University

Rebecca Roiphe, Professor of Law, New York Law School

Thane Rosenbaum, Distinguished University Professor, Touro University

Alvin Rosenfeld, Professor of Jewish Studies, Indiana University

Mark Rosentraub, Professor, University of Michigan

Dr. Richard Ruderman, University of North Texas

Alan Saltiel, Dinstinguished Professor of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of California, San Diego

Philip Carl Salzman, Emeritus Professor of Anthropology, McGill University

Jonathan Sarna, University Professor and Joseph H. & Belle R. Braun Professor of American Jewish History, Brandeis University

Dr. Hyman Schipper, McGill University

Ivan Schuller, Distinguished Professor, University of California, San Diego

Joshua Schwartz, Professor Emeritus, Bar-Ilan University

Michael Sesnowitz, Professor of Economics Emeritus, Kent State University, Virginia Commonwealth University

Arthur Seltzer, M.D. Yale University

Ira Sheskin, Professor, University of Miami

Hugh Shewell, Professor Emeritus, Carleton University

Dr. Alexander Shilkrut, M.D., Touro College

William Shore, M.D., Professor Emeritus, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of California, San Francisco

Rosalind Shorenstein, M.D., Ph.D.

Barry Shrage, Professor, Brandeis University

Dr. Brandy Shufutinsky, Director of Education and Community Engagement, Jewish Institute for Liberal Values

Matthew Shugart, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Political Science, University of California, Davis

Brian Silverman, Professor, University of Toronto (and UC Berkeley alumnus)

Jules Silverman, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, North Carolina State University

Barry Simon, IBM Professor of Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, Emeritus, California Institute of Technology

Melanie Soderstrom, Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Manitoba

Lawrence Somer, Professor Emeritus of Mathematics, Catholic University of America

Andria Spindel, Executive Director, Canadian Antisemitism Education Foundation

David Steigmann, Professor, University of California, Berkeley

William Stohl, Professor of Medicine, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine

Joshua Susskind, Adjunct Professor, Chapman University

Izabella Tabarovsky, Independent Scholar

Dr. Jarrod Tanny, UC Berkeley PhD in Russian Jewish History, 2008

Howard Tenenbaum, Professor, University of Toronto

Jeremiah Unterman, Resident Scholar, Hertzl Institute

Elina Veytsman, Postdoctoral Fellow, University of California, Los Angeles

Andrew Viterbi, Presidential Professor of Engineering, University of Southern California

Cheryl Wakslak, Associate Professor, University of Southern California

Dr. Edward Waldrep

Mila Wichter, Founder, Contra Costa Jewish Day School

Dr. Barry Wiener, Independent Scholar

David Weinberg, Ph.D., Independent Scholar

Leonard Weinberg, Foundation Professor Emeritus, University of Nevada, Reno

Mark Weinstein, Associate Professor Emeritus, Finance and Business Economics, Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California

Alice Werner, M.D. Eastern Virginia Medical School

Arthur Werschulz, Professor Emeritus, Fordham University

Sam Wineburg, Margaret Jacks Professor of Education, Stanford University

Daniel Wise, James McGill Professor, Department of Math & Statistics, McGill University

Lee Wolk, Ph.D.

Michael B. Zemel, Ph.D., University of Tennessee

Menachem Zur, Professor Emeritus of Music, Academy of Music & Dance, Jerusalem

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