The faculty of the Syracuse University Judaic Studies Program recognizes the government’s responsibility to investigate, in a lawful manner, credible threats to public safety. We believe, however, it is never appropriate to base that determination on a person’s ethnicity, religious affiliation and practices, or membership in a student association. We join students from Hillel in condemning the New York Police Department’s campaign of monitoring and spying on Muslim students at SU and other colleges. We stand in solidarity with these students and the Muslim community in opposing actions such as these that threaten academic freedom and civil discourse in general. Such governmental intrusions undermine all communities, whether religious or secular.

Harvey M. Teres

Professor in the Department of English

Director of the Judaic Studies Program