City University of New York (CUNY)
City University of New York (CUNY)ISTOCK

CUNY campuses were once home to thriving student minyans for mincha, proudly worn kippahs and pro-Israel sentiment that was present and palpable, but not obtrusive and that never clashed publicly with anyone else's opinions. Students came to the university to broaden their minds, reach their academic potential and find the profession of their choice, not to bring politics into classroom lectures and teachers' unions. Arguments about political issues were held outside the study halls and if not, both sides were heard and a student was not supposed to know a lecturer's views on poitical or controversial topics from hearing his lectures. Culture was not cancelled, the word "woke" had to do with opening your eyes and making it to your classes on time, and both faculty and students were products of the great American melting pot of democracy at whose open gates Emma Lazarus' words were clearly to be seen at the Statue of Liberty.

Unfortunately, the Jew/Israel hater/educators in that New York City University System (CUNY) are now on the move. Apparently, some forces of nature have signaled that it's time for them to start crawling out of the woodwork to mate with other halls of ivy militant radicals in order to undermine democracy in lecture halls, labs and minds. Their proudly, openly aggressive goals to destroy the Jewish State are now blatantly obvious. The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions fanatics are pushing the envelope, challenging the usually timid defenders of freedom and justice to take a stand. Just what brand of ice cream are these Jew haters eating?

The teachers' union at CUNY recently passed a deplorable resolution condemning Israel for its strong defense of its citizens in response to terrorist Hamas' deadly rocket attacks against them. These so called "educators" willingly ignore the fact that it was Hamas, from its Gaza territory, in its attempt to kill innocent Israelis in their homes, schools and synagogues, who initiated the conflict and Israel only retaliated defensively to shut down the barrages.

Israel has the military might and where-with-all to wipe out the entire Gaza population, but didn't. What is it that these supposed educators can't get straight? Don't they believe in a nation's right to self-defense or the punishment for violators not only of international law but of common moral decency and respect for the lives of others?

Have these professors, who have the power to mold young peoples' minds, lost their own? They must be held to account by their colleagues and removed from their positions of absolute power.

This disease of Jew hatred is endemic throughout the system. A few years back, Michael Goldstein, a professor at CUNY at Kingsborough CC, penned an op-ed in the NY Daily News, titled: "A campus infected with hostility: a professor says he's been targeted for being a conservative Jew." He claimed his politically conservative and pro-Israel views inflamed a radical campus group, the Progressive Faculty Caucus to harass, threaten and intend to intimidate him as a lesson to others of his ilk.

Of course, CUNY and KCC ignored his plea. They did zilch. After all, he's a white male, a political conservative and worst of all, a Jew.

One stand-out, brave, outspoken, fearless (not many of our leaders wear this badge) guy, Long island Congressman, Lee Zeldin (R), who is running for governor stated: "The CUNY educators (sic) who just passed this insane pro-BDS resolution accusing Israel of a massacre of Palestinians, shouldn't have any ability at all to brainwash students, especially in a publicly funded university."

Kudos to Lee!!! He stands towers higher than the likes of cowards such as Schumer, Nadler, Schultz, Deutch, and the other Jews, whose silence in the wake of increasing Jew hatred only fuels the inspirations, goals and strengths of idiot professors in CUNY, the American Federation of Teachers, the National Education Association and the likes of Congresspeople Omar, Tlaib, Cortez, Pressley, Bush, all of them pushers of the BDS propaganda lies that threaten Israel and Jews world wide.

It's time for our elected leaders to wake up and remember what their responsibilities to their communities are. They must stand up for honesty, integrity and their sworn oath to uphold the Constitution.

The light in the amp beside the Golden Door is wavering - don't let it go out!. Vote to preserve democracy, fairness and free speech.

Your votes should go to those who do the right thing.What will you do?

Alan Bergstein, lecturer and columnist, is an editorial writer for The NY Jewish Voice and a retired NYC school principal A father of four, he is a Korean War veteran and Jewish activist who is President of the Judeo/Christian Republican Club of Palm Beach County, Florida.

Rochel Sylvetsky, an alumnus of CUNY's City College campus, contributed to this article