An anti-Semitic message written in chalk on the sidewalk in front of the Hillel building at the University of Wisconsin-Madison during Hanukkah has led the campus Jewish community to speak out about the increase of incidents at UW targeting Jewish students.
The message scrawled outside the Hillel office – “Happy Hanukkah & happy day of int’l solidarity with the Palestinian people,” a Palestinian Arab flag and the hashtag “Palestine Day” – were placed there on the first night of Hanukkah, according to an Instagram post by Hillel.
“No religious celebration should be used as an opportunity to promote divisiveness, and to attempt to hold our diverse Jewish community responsible for the actions of the Israeli government is a modern manifestation of anti-Semitism,” Hillel wrote. “Unfortunately, this is not the first time that our building has been targeted for such political messaging.”
Hillel added: “UW Hillel is proud of its work helping Jewish students develop and celebrate their faith and we are committed to helping them give voice to their identities.
Noting that they are “committed to being an open and welcoming space,” Hillel hoped “others will also work to ensure this campus remains a safe and inclusive space for Jewish students.”
UW student Rachel Rosen, a political affairs head at the Badger Alliance For Israel, told the Badger Herald student newspaper that chalking the message on the first day of Hanukkah was “purposeful” and “disrespectful.”
“Given that it was the very first night [of Hanukkah], … they intentionally wrote ‘Happy Hanukkah,’ facetiously to be like, ‘Hey, Jews, like we’re talking to you,’” Rosen said.
UW spokesman John Lucas told the Badger Herald that the university's mission was “to create an environment where everyone is at home and feels welcome. We encourage respectful and courteous dialogue in our community.”