Early Sunday morning, following the observance of Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, swastikas and other anti-Semitic graffiti were discovered on the Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity house at Emory University. “This is the latest in a series of incidents on American campuses which should arouse universal condemnation and result in measures to prevent any acts of intimidation, harassment, let alone violence, against Jewish students or institutions,” said Conference of Presidents leaders, Robert G. Sugarman, Chairman, and Malcolm Hoenlein, Executive Vice Chairman. Mr. Sugarman and Mr. Hoenlein welcomed the clear declaration by Jim Wagner, President of Emory University who “denounced this abhorrent act” and described the swastikas as “repugnant and flagrant emblems of anti-Semitism.” They noted that President Wagner rightly described this as an offense against the entire University and “an attack against everything Emory stands for”. He declared that “Emory University will not tolerate such acts” and reiterated the commitment of the University to prevent “all forms of violence and discrimination.”
Mr. Sugarman and Mr. Hoenlein said, “We also welcome the increased police patrols and active investigation of what occurred at Emory in hope that those responsible will be apprehended quickly. This outrageous incident should be a further warning to all academic institutions to take preemptive steps to assure the physical security of students, making clear the penalties for those who violate the rights of others, and acting to ensure that any manifestation of intolerance will bear consequences. The anti-Semitic incidents have been increasingly in evidence in Europe for some time, but we are now seeing growing numbers of incidents on American campuses.”
“We have written to the leaders of AEPI, a member organization of the Conference, to express our solidarity and we pledge to do all that we can to ensure the security and rights of Jewish students,” the Jewish leaders said.
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