Open Letter to the Jewish Community at Cornell University*

* Rafael Castro

Editorial note: A professor at Cornell University, Russell Rickford, achieved international infamy comparable to that of Professor Tariq Ramadan, then at Oxford, a British university similarly fallen from grace. At a public pro-Palestine rally on 15 October 2023, Rickford is recorded as saying:

Hamas has challenged the monopoly of violence. And in those first few hours, even as horrific acts were being carried out, many of which we would not learn about until later, there are many Gazans of good will, many Palestinians of conscience, who abhor violence, as do you, as do I. Who abhor the targeting of civilians, as do you, as do I, who were able to breathe! They were able to breathe for the first time in years! It was exhilarating. It was energising. And if they weren’t exhilarated by this challenge to the monopoly of violence, by this shifting of the balance of power, then they would not be human. I was exhilarated.

So there you have it. But perhaps I was over-hasty in my judgement of Professor Rickford. Maybe he did not mean that a human being is a creature exhilarated by unspeakable barbarism perpetrated on another human being. Perhaps he only meant unspeakable barbarism perpetrated on Jews exhilarates a human being. It would be helpful if he would clarify, since I generally try not to misrepresent people.

Helpfully, Professor Rickford took a night to sleep on it, and the next day, his position emerged imbued with clarity, wisdom and moral fortitude, as he told The Cornell Daily Sun in an interview:

As I said in that clip, I abhor the killing of civilians. If in fact we believe in the West in the rhetoric that we spout about equality, about human rights, then we must recognise the tremendous disproportionality, the tremendous unevenness, the injustice and the hypocrisy of Western support in celebration of Israeli war crimes, and the equation of any form of Palestinian resistance with terrorism.

According to Professor Rickford's clarification, a human being is a creature exhilarated by unspeakable barbarism perpetrated on Jews.

A year later, one month short of the anniversary of Rickford's remarks and clarification, Cornell University confirmed that they are quite happy with the calibre of their faculty. They reinstated the professor whose best side shines through in the presence of barbarism. There must be few people on earth able to recognise that the Palestinians are "unable to breathe," except when in the act of inflicting barbaric horror on Jews.

Consistent with well-established principles of academic freedom, Cornell has a process for considering whether public statements such as those expressed off campus by Professor Rickford at a political rally fall under the category of protected speech, or rather demonstrate prohibited bias, discrimination or harassment. Given that Professor Rickford’s comments were made as a private citizen in his free time, the university’s academic leadership has concluded that Professor Rickford’s conduct in relation to this incident did not meet that high bar. (Inside Higher Ed, 17 September 2024)

No doubt, the "high bar" that Rickford failed to meet was that he neglected to make clear to his audience that he was not exhilarated by barbarism perpetrated on just anybody, only by barbarism perpetrated on Jews. To Cornell University, it was a forgivable oversight, warranting reinstatement.

Not everyone was as relaxed about yet another terrible episode in the precipitous decline of America's once-great and highly sought-after educational institutions. A graduate from one such institution and a regular contributor to Murtadd to Human, Rafael Castro, felt moved to respond to Professor Russell Rickford's reinstatement. We publish his intervention below.

Dear Jewish Students at Cornell,

I am speechless that the leadership of Cornell University has allowed Professor Russell Rickford to resume teaching.

Any person sympathetic to the goals and actions of Hamas has no place at Cornell—not as a cook, not as a police officer, and certainly not in any role influencing the thoughts, values, and actions of future Cornell graduates.

Had Rickford made comparable remarks about any other nation, he would almost certainly have been dismissed immediately. If any professor had felt "exhilarated" by the raping and butchering of women and children, and then been welcomed back to Cornell, the outraged community would have burned the campus to the ground.

Since you are yids, I know your response will be ethical and law-abiding.

Nevertheless, the reaction must be strong enough to make those responsible for this shameless decision deeply regret their disgraceful callousness and cowardice.

I urge you to gather signatures from as many Jewish and pro-Jewish students as possible, expressing their intention to transfer to other colleges unless Rickford and those who reinstated him are dismissed or resign. These signatures, along with an open letter, should be published in major newspapers in both America and Israel.

This open letter is crucial to deter other colleges from following Cornell's lead in welcoming genocidal antisemites on campus.

As an Ivy League alum myself, I understand how much toil and effort you've invested to secure admission and succeed at Cornell. However, remember that dignity and self-respect matter more than any diploma. You would be Muslim or Christian today, if your forefathers hadn't valued their dignity and self-respect. Moreover, as a graduate of Hebrew University in Jerusalem, I assure you that most Israeli universities offer experiences as rich and intense as any Ivy League campus—at a fraction of the cost that burdens you and your parents.

I enclose the email I sent to the president of my former alma mater denouncing his decision not to immediately condemn the unspeakable crimes Hamas committed on October 7th.

Am Yisrael Chai, and Shana Tova!

Rafael Castro

P.S. I would like to note that I am not Jewish and have no Jewish spouse, parents, grandparents, business partners, or employers. Nevertheless, the gratitude and admiration I owe Israel and the Jewish people compel me to do everything I can to ensure that antisemites and their enablers always regret their evil stupidity and disgraceful cowardice.

Subject line: Yale's shameless silence

Dear President Salovey,

"Lux et Veritas" is the revered motto of Yale University, symbolizing the pursuit of light and truth. Yet, as I observe the darkness that envelops the Holy Land due to ongoing violence, my expectations for my alma mater to take a principled stand have been dashed. I anticipated Yale to denounce the tragic murder of youths dancing in the desert, the heart-wrenching beheadings of innocent children taken as hostages, and the relentless missile attacks on numerous cities welcoming hundreds of Yale alumni, their friends, and relatives.

The silence from our institution has been deafening. There has been no condemnation, no show of sympathy, and no expression of empathy — just a dark void.

With a heavy heart, I have decided to renounce my membership in the Yale community. I request that my diploma, which acknowledges my BA with honors in Economics, be rescinded, and my academic records be expunged. Moreover, I kindly request that any further communication from Yale University and its affiliates be meticulous in avoiding any contact with me.

This decision is not made lightly. My formative years were deeply influenced by the hard work and dedication required to secure admission to Yale. My middle-class parents invested years of their savings to provide their only son with a world-class education and a prestigious degree.

However, I firmly believe that this is the only ethical path forward. When my Jewish and Arab brothers and sisters are being murdered simply for residing in Israel, and my alma mater chooses not to speak out, I feel compelled to raise my voice.

President Salovey, you have been quick to take a stand in ensuring that Yale leads the charge against racism, homophobia, and climate change. However, morality is not the monopoly of any one political camp, and on certain issues, even Marjorie Taylor Greene may be more correct than progressives like Rashida Tlaib and Alexandra Ocasio-Cortéz.

The fact that you, along with the student and academic body of Yale and many other universities, seem to have lost sight of this fact is indicative of a concerning ethical and academic decline within American academia.

My sincerest intention is to bring this truth to the attention of all parents and alumni who are contemplating sending their children to or supporting universities such as Yale, Harvard, and Columbia.

The value of an Ivy League education is quickly diminishing. There may have been a time when tens of thousands of dollars for four years among a select group of students were well spent. But those days are fading.

In today's world of internet, social media, global communication, and travel, it is unjustifiable to spend four years in a bubble that is increasingly intolerant of truth and realism. Countless opportunities exist outside these institutions that can provide a more meaningful and enriching experience.

Many parents of prospective Ivy League students may think that the connections and friendships made in college are invaluable. While I agree that college friendships hold great value, they can be cultivated for a fraction of the cost in synagogues, churches, and good colleges worldwide. Furthermore, when it comes to the benefits of an elite alumni network, a compelling idea and an invitation to an upscale restaurant are far more effective in securing the interest of our fellow Ivy League alumni.

Even if legacy status were to provide an advantage in the admissions process, I would not wish for my children to attend Yale. Instead, I would encourage them to learn in a call center, a construction site, or to immerse themselves in a new language and culture in the real world, rather than within the confines of an ivory tower.

In the end, what truly matters are not credentials, but grit, ethics, and intelligence. These virtues are currently far more evident in Sderot and Kfar Aza, than in New Haven, Connecticut.

Sincerely,

Rafael Castro

(CC '02)

Picture credits:

Eustress - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18671006

Screenshot from https://youtu.be/yAZcG-ZHOz4

"J.P. Troy" - https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2015/05/cornell-rewind-commencements-back-day, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=91538020

Screenshots from https://saturday-october-seven.com/?ref=murtaddtohuman.org#/civilsettlements/photos/civil_photos_c13

Comments:

On 14 October 2024 at 17:34, Ben Dor A. wrote:

Dear Rafael Castro,

Thank you my friend for publishing this article and your letter to Yale.

Have shared it with friends and family all over the world.

God Bless you all 🙏

Best Regards
Ben Dor A.

On 15 October 2024 at 8:32, Rafael Castro wrote:

A pleasure, a duty, and an honor.