A chilling reminder of history's darkest chapters, the Trump administration's demand for 'lists of Jews' at the University of Pennsylvania has sparked outrage and concern among faculty and staff. This controversial move, justified as a measure to combat antisemitism on campus, has been met with fierce resistance.
The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has demanded the university provide personal details of Jewish community members, including emails, phone numbers, and home addresses. However, Jewish faculty and staff view this as a threat to their safety, evoking a terrifying historical precedent.
In November, the EEOC sued the university for non-compliance, leading to a joint motion by several faculty groups to intervene in the case. They argue that creating such a centralized registry is an invasion of privacy and a dangerous infringement on constitutional freedoms.
"We're entering a dangerous territory," warns Norm Eisen, executive chair of the Democracy Defenders Fund. "This information, no matter the excuse, can be misused in the most dangerous ways. It's an abuse of power that recalls some of our history's darkest moments."
The University of Pennsylvania is one of many US universities under federal investigation for alleged antisemitism post-Hamas attacks and Israel's Gaza war. In response, the university established an antisemitism taskforce and implemented measures, but it drew the line at providing personal information without consent.
A university spokesperson emphasized that violating privacy and trust undermines the safety of its Jewish community. Instead, the university offered to inform employees of the investigation, allowing interested parties to contact the EEOC directly.
Despite this, the EEOC pursued legal action to enforce its subpoena. Andrea Lucas, EEOC chair, stated that employer obstruction hinders their ability to investigate harassment, but this stance has been met with widespread alarm and condemnation from Jewish faculty and Jewish groups like Hillel.
Steven Weitzman, a professor of religious studies and member of the university's antisemitism taskforce, expressed concern that the mere request for these lists makes Jews feel vulnerable. He questions the government's ability to ensure the information won't be misused.
"For people like me, the alarm bells ring because of a history of using Jewish lists against Jews," Weitzman said. "The Nazi campaign relied on institutions providing information about their Jewish members."
Beth Wenger, a Jewish history professor at Penn, echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the dangers of collecting such sensitive information.
This is not the first time the EEOC's antisemitism efforts have caused alarm. Last spring, the commission texted personal phones of Barnard College employees, linking to a survey that asked about Jewish or Israeli identity.
The controversy raises important questions: How can we balance the need to address antisemitism with the protection of individual rights and privacy? And how do we ensure history doesn't repeat itself?
