‘Wanted’ posters target Jewish faculty, staff at University of Rochester

Nov 13

Lauren Taylor Anchor/Reporter

By Lauren Taylor (Anchor/Reporter), Ian Kennedy (Video Editor)

Hundreds of posters featuring the faces of Jewish faculty, staff and board of trustees members with the word “wanted” were plastered across the University of Rochester campus during the night of Sunday, Nov. 10. The posters included phrases such as “ethnic cleansing,” “racism,” “hate speech,” “misuse of power” and “displacement of Palestinians,” among others. These messages criticized faculty members for their alleged response to the war in Gaza.

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The university’s Department of Public Safety Chief Quchee Collins described the posters as an act of vandalism, noting that the removal process was “painstaking because of the strong adhesive used to affix the posters, which in some cases caused damage to walls, floors, chalkboards, and other surfaces.”

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University of Rochester President Sarah Mangelsdorf issued a statement condemning the posters as an act of antisemitism.

“Several of those depicted appear to have been targeted because they are members of our Jewish community. We view this as antisemitism, which will not be tolerated at our university. This isn’t who we are. This goes against everything we stand for, and we have an obligation to reject it,” Mangelsdorf said.

Hillel, a Jewish student organization, also responded to the incident in a social media post.

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A post shared by University of Rochester Hillel (@urhillel)

“These deeply disturbing posters, which disproportionately singled out Jewish faculty and staff, spread harmful antisemitic ideas about the Jewish people and about Israel. They further the spread of antisemitic hate on our campus, in an attempt to sow fear,” the group wrote.

The university announced that it is investigating those responsible for placing the posters in campus buildings and classrooms.

This incident is part of a broader pattern of such acts at the university. In February, officials reported finding images of swastikas and antisemitic language on university property. The university called that incident an “act of hate.”

Tags: antisemitism, Israel, Jewish, New York, Palestine, Universities

[Lauren Taylor]

AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER IN NEW YORK, HUNDREDS OF POSTERS CONTAINING THE FACES OF JEWISH FACULTY, STAFF AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES WITH THE WORD “WANTED” – WERE PLASTERED ACROSS CAMPUS SUNDAY NIGHT.

THE POSTERS CONTAINED PHRASES LIKE “ETHNIC CLEANSING”, “RACISM”, “HATE SPEECH”, “MISUSE OF POWER”, AND “DISPLACEMENT OF PALESTINIANS” – AMONG OTHERS – CRITICIZING THE FACULTY MEMBERS FOR THEIR PURPORTED REACTION TO THE WAR IN GAZA.

THE UNIVERSITY’S DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY CHIEF CALLED THE POSTERS AN ACT OF VANDALISM AND THE REMOVAL PROCESS “PAINSTAKING BECAUSE OF THE STRONG ADHESIVE USED TO AFFIX THE POSTERS, WHICH IN SOME CASES CAUSED DAMAGE TO WALLS, FLOORS, CHALKBOARDS, AND OTHER SURFACES.”

UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER PRESIDENT SARAH MANGELSDORF RELEASED A STATEMENT DENOUNCING THE POSTERS AS AN ACT OF ANTISEMITISM SAYING “SEVERAL OF THOSE DEPICTED APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN TARGETED BECAUSE THEY ARE MEMBERS OF OUR JEWISH COMMUNITY. WE VIEW THIS AS ANTISEMITISM, WHICH WILL NOT BE TOLERATED AT OUR UNIVERSITY. THIS ISN’T WHO WE ARE. THIS GOES AGAINST EVERYTHING WE STAND FOR, AND WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO REJECT IT.”

HILLEL – A JEWISH STUDENT ORGANIZATION RESPONDED TO THE POSTERS – WRITING IN A SOCIAL MEDIA POST, “THESE DEEPLY DISTURBING POSTERS, WHICH DISPROPORTIONATELY SINGLED OUT JEWISH FACULTY AND STAFF, SPREAD HARMFUL ANTISEMITIC IDEAS ABOUT THE JEWISH PEOPLE AND ABOUT ISRAEL. THEY FURTHER THE SPREAD OF ANTISEMITIC HATE ON OUR CAMPUS, IN AN ATTEMPT TO SOW FEAR.”

THE UNIVERSITY SAYS IT IS INVESTIGATING WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR PUTTING THE POSTERS IN BUILDINGS AND CLASSROOMS.

THE INCIDENT IS NOT ISOLATED. IN FEBRUARY UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER OFFICIALS SAID IMAGES OF SWASTIKAS AND ANTI-SEMITIC LANGUAGE WERE FOUND WRITTEN ON A UNIVERSITY PROPERTY. THE UNIVERSITY CALLED THE VANDALISM AN “ACT OF HATE.”