By SHELDON KIRSHNER, Staff Reporter (CJN)
TORONTO ? The dean of the University of To ronto's Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work has condemned two anti-Semitic incidents that occurred on cam pus late last year.
Ernie Lightman
Faye Mishna's condemnation was contained in two separate letters on official university letterhead addressed to colleagues, students and friends. She wrote the letters when she was interim dean.
In the first letter on Dec. 7, 2009, she wrote, "Let me be clear: There is no place in this faculty ? or anywhere else at the University of Toronto ? for anti-Semitism, discrimination or
exclusion of any sort whatsoever. This faculty is unwavering in our commitment to inclusiveness and diversity."
She acknowledged that the incidents, which occurred in a classroom discussion last November and in a subsequent students' meeting with faculty members, were "profoundly hurtful to Jew ish
colleagues and students."
Mishna, who maintains a private practice in psychotherapy, said that the incidents created "a rift" among students and faculty.
In her second letter, dated Feb. 7, 2010, Mishna said that the anti-Semitic comments in question were "unacceptable and upsetting to many faculty and students," and reiterated that anti-Semitism
has no place at the university.
Stung and embarrassed by the incidents, the university has taken steps to close the festering wounds.
Mishna and members of her leadership team have met with students and teachers close to the incidents in an at tempt to understand what happened and open a dialogue.
Awareness and educational programs are being developed to address underlying issues.
An equity adviser within the faculty may be appointed to handle concerns raised by students about discrimination and any forms of exclusion.
Robert Steiner, the university's vice-president of communications, said that Mishna has strived to "heal the injury," having labelled the incidents as anti-Semitic, met with students and fac ulty
and hosted two "instructional events" with faculty members.
And in the near future, he noted, the faculty plans to host two educational events for its members.
A seminar titled "Understanding Anti-Semitism and Religious Discrimination: A Dialogue About Stereotypes, Silencing and Social Justice"?is set for March 16. A seminar on "Civility, Res pect and
Engagement: What Is the Role in the Fight Against Racism" is to follow on March 22.
According to Ernie Lightman ? a fac ulty member who pieced together the story but did not personally hear the offending comments ? the first anti-Se mitic incident took place when one or two
students in Rupaleem Bhuyan's class said they did not want to visit the Baycrest geriatric health-care facility in Toronto.
In an undated, widely circulated letter to university president David Nay lor, Lightman claimed that a student or students "did not want to visit a place full of old Jews, while another student
did not want to go to a place with so many rich Jews."
Lightman, a professor of social po licy, added, "One student said he did not feel comfortable visiting Baycrest after what Israel did in Gaza" dur ing its invasion last year to end Palestinian
roc ket attacks on Israeli territory.
"That students would express these types of comments is not necessarily un usual," wrote Lightman, who's currently in Israel on a sabbatical and could not be reached for elaboration.
"What is surprising is that the discussion would be sanctioned ? or encouraged ? by Rupaleem."
Lightman said that Bhuyan ? an academic of South Asian descent who was born and raised in the United States and whose background is in international studies, cultural anthropology and social
welfare ? could have "shut down" the discussion and turned it into "a teachable moment."
Instead, she tacitly acquiesced to, or actively promoted, the problematic discussion, there by allowing or encouraging the students "to act out their agen das of hate and ignorance," charged
Light man, who has since decided to "accelerate" his retirement on the grounds that he does not wish to be "a part of a de partment where anti-Semitic discourse is an acceptable teaching tool."
Asked what transpired in the second incident, Steiner replied, "I do not know what was said in that meeting."
After the students visited Baycrest, Lightman writes, the discussion was resumed in Bhuyan's class. "At this point, [it] turned to the number of Jewish faculty in the [social work] department...
Once again, Rupaleem did nothing to channel the discussion in a more constructive direction, but instead sanction ed ? or actively encouraged ? the pro mulgation of hate."
Accusing Bhuyan of trying to suppress the incidents, Lightman wrote, "Secrecy in the classroom is, of course, antithetical to everything the university stands for' " In an allusion to the Ku Klux
Klan, he wrote, "We can't' hide under white sheets of secrecy ? with or without burning crosses."
Further, Lightman claimed Mishna did not inform faculty of what exactly had happened before writing her letters.
In her Feb. 7 letter, Mishna expressed disappointment with Lightman's letter, saying it had unnecessarily caused "fur ther distress in the community" and had not contributed "positively to our
efforts to move forward in addressing these issues."
Asked to explain her role in the affair, Bhuyan replied, "I don't wish to make a comment. I have nothing to say."
Pressed for an explanation, she said, "This has really been hurtful to me and my family, and I don't think a comment will be useful."
Before impatiently ending the impromptu telephone interview, she lashed out at Lightman, describing him as "a destructive person."
Adrienne Chambon, Bhuyan's colleague and the director of the faculty's PhD program, suggested that the anti-Semitic comments in Bhuyan's class did not occur in a vacuum.
"It takes two to tango. These kind of conversations don't develop unless they are allowed to happen."
Chambon, who described herself as "a European Jew" of French and Romanian ancestry, said she has no idea whether Bhuyan is an anti-Semite. "I've struggled with that. It's a very difficult
question."
She added, "As a Jewish person, I don't really feel safe. Nor do some of the students feel safe either. This be comes a psychological problem."
Mishna has said that the university "great ly values its partnership and collaboration" with Baycrest.
Steiner denied that the university tried to hush up the incidents.
"There has been no attempt to cover up anything," he said, adding that the university's goal is to en sure that everyone ? students and faculty ? feels "safe and comfortable" on campus.
