To: Rabbi Jessica Goldberg, Hillel director and Jewish chaplain
Dear Rabbi Goldberg,
On behalf of the Bucknell University Alumni Association (BUAA) and its Board of Directors, we wish to express solidarity with you and all members of the Jewish community at Bucknell following the anti-Semitism directed at Jewish students and the placement of a swastika in a residence hall.
We share President Bravman’s outrage that anti-Semitic acts have occurred at Bucknell. And we support the edict in his November 1 campus message that hateful speech, acts or symbols — directed toward any individual or group — have no place at Bucknell and will carry consequences.
As the BUAA Board of Directors, our mission is to represent alumni, engage Bucknellians and promote and enhance the University. Since the George Floyd murder in 2020 seared into the national consciousness that hate and racial discrimination are intolerable, the BUAA has redoubled our commitment to combat discrimination, racism and social injustice. We are proactive in our efforts to be inclusive and fight hate of all kinds, including educating ourselves on the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion.
We also share President Bravman’s commitment to making the Bucknell community, on and off campus, feel safe. Likewise, we support the expectation that everyone at Bucknell must uphold the University’s commitment to mutual respect, and to building a community where each person’s humanity is seen, heard and valued.
The October 11 campus vigil for peace, where hundreds of Bucknellians gathered to honor the dead and wounded and to pray for an end to the violence and hate, demonstrates that people of different backgrounds at Bucknell are unified in sorrow and seek common ground.
Consistent with this and because of the rise of anti-Semitism across the country at this time, we are writing now to reinforce that the Jewish community at Bucknell is valued and supported.
If there is any support from the BUAA you may find useful, beyond the campus resources available to students and employees who may need extra support in these trying times, please reach out.
Sincerely,
Kyle McGee ’04, President
Daniel Weimer ‘10, First Vice President
Bucknell University Alumni Association Board of Directors
Jennifer Carter ’93, Co-Chair
Jessica Vooris ’09, Co-Chair
Ann Malcolm ’80, former Co-Chair and current BUAA Board member
Bucknell LGBTQA Alumni Committee
Amanda Shapiro ’14, President
Anthony Mariniello ’90, President-elect
Bucknell Engineering Alumni Association