To the Editor:

We, the undersigned members of the Oberlin Jewish community and of Oberlin College Hillel, publicly announce our support of the Freedom Summer Veterans panel held on April 8, 2015. Inspired by their deep-seated Jewish values, these three activists have devoted their lives to social justice. We are grateful to have had them come speak on Oberlin’s campus and had a moving experience listening and learning from Dorothy Zellner, Ira Grupper and Larry Rubin, as well as Professor Pam Brooks, chair of the Africana Studies department here at Oberlin. Some of us disagree with their stated stances on Israel-Palestine, and some of us agree with them. But all of us feel that their voices must be welcome in our Jewish community.

As Oberlin students and as Jews, we believe in open dialogue and that these speakers’ voices deserve to be heard and do have a place in our Jewish Community. We reject political litmus tests that police what speakers can and cannot speak in our communities and what opinions Jewish students can and cannot express. No Jewish student should be ostracized from their Jewish community simply because of their political beliefs. Jewish spaces on campus should reflect the diversity of opinions and create a space for all to feel comfortable openly sharing their views. This pluralism is absolutely crucial to a vibrant and meaningful Jewish Community.

Signed,

–Emily Isaacson, College first-year

–Jeremy Swack, College junior

–Mimi Stern, College junior, Program Director, Hebrew Heritage House

–Rebecca “Prim” Primoff, College first-year

–Tali Levy-Bernstein, College sophomore

–Liora Lebowitz, College senior

–Sam Price, College sophomore, Hillel Outreach Coordinator, RA, Hebrew Heritage House

–Rachel Sacks, College sophomore

–Rebecca Newman, College first-year

–Sam Ascheim, College senior

–Kira Nathan, College sophomore

–Eli Hovland, College first-year

–Sarah Minion, College sophomore

–Zach Resnick, College junior

–Talia Rodwin, College sophomore

–Natalia Shevin, College sophomore