By Katie Goss ’23
Business Manager & News Editor
On Feb. 10, Vice President for Equity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer Kijua Sanders-McMurtry sent an email out to the Mount Holyoke community discussing the College’s efforts to educate the community on antisemitism. The letter focused on the progress made so far as well as steps forward in preventing it on campus.
“This year, Mount Holyoke has been the site of terrible incidents targeting Jewish community members,” Sanders-McMurtry wrote. “We believe it is imperative that our work addresses these issues head-on by urging every member of our community to learn about the history of Judeophobia and antisemitism.”
The College has launched a new series of talks and invited guest speakers in order to achieve this goal. During the annual Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King Week of Racial Justice and Reconciliation at the College, held on the third week of January, Dr. Laura Leibman gave a lecture on antisemitism titled “Once we were slaves: The Extraordinary Journey of a Multiracial Jewish Family.” 2022 was the first year that a teach-in on antisemitism was added to the week.
Sanders-McMurtry wrote, “Each year, during this week, we will continue to host a teach-in on antisemitism, but we know that one day in a semester is not enough to even begin to address what has been a part of the experience of so many who have suffered virulent and violent attacks.”
During Black History Month, the Jewish Student Union and the Association of Pan African Unity have collaborated to host events that create a dialogue between Black and Jewish students. Other lectures will be taking place on Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. by Dr. Anthea Butler and on April 5 at 7 p.m. by Dr. Paola Tartakoff.
Additionally, the annual BOOM! Conference will also focus on diversity, equity and inclusion in order to “expand our understanding and perspective,” as stated in the email.