By Bill Altman
JCRC Chair
Bill Altman, chair of the Jewish Community Relations Council
Recent actions by the U.S. government—such as the deportation of student protesters and threats to withhold university funding—have prompted Jewish Americans to confront a difficult question: How can we respond to the alarming rise of antisemitism on college campuses while also safeguarding the fundamental rights of due process and free speech?
Jewish organizations across the country have grappled with this challenge, recognizing the urgent need to combat antisemitism while also expressing deep concern about erosion of civil liberties. These rights are central to the American experience, and especially meaningful to Jewish Americans, who have long relied on them for protection and justice.
Louisville’s Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) felt it was essential and timely to address this issue directly. Our JCRC has always taken a strong stance against antisemitism. Throughout JCRC’s history we have also been at the vanguard of advocating for civil rights. As explained below, our position today is unchanged: The rise of antisemitism on campuses must be addressed with urgency and consistency, and we appreciate recent efforts to do so. At the same time, due process and free speech rights must be protected as a bedrock principle of our democracy. Put simply, antisemitism should not be used as a justification for eroding these rights.
We engaged in a thorough process to arrive at our position. We began by examining statements issued by leading national Jewish organizations and coalitions. The Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA) convened a broad coalition of religious and civic groups to draft a shared statement. The organizations that jointly released the statement include the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, National Council of Jewish Women, American Conference of Cantors, Central Conference of American Rabbis, HIAS, Rabbinical Assembly, Reconstructing Judaism, Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association, the Union for Reform Judaism.
Similarly, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and the American Jewish Committee (AJC) issued strong statements through their leadership, underscoring shared principles that align closely with our own.
We encourage Louisville’s Jewish community to read these statements carefully. While the wording may differ, the core values are remarkably consistent—and our JCRC’s position reflects that shared commitment.
JCRC’s Key Position Points:
- Antisemitism on College Campuses Must Be Addressed Consistently and Urgently Without Undermining Academic Freedom and Funding
Antisemitism is a real and growing threat on many college campuses, and it demands strong action by government officials, university administrators, and community leaders. As the JCPA coalition states, “There should be no doubt that antisemitism is rising — visible, chilling, and increasingly normalized in our public discourse. It requires urgent and consistent action by our nation’s political, academic, religious, and civic leaders.” At the same time, billions of dollars in academic research and education funding have been put at risk. Universities have an obligation to protect Jewish students, and the federal government has an important role to play in that effort. Funding cuts that weaken free academic inquiry run counter to the goal of addressing antisemitism.
- Fighting Antisemitism Must Be Done While Protecting Civil Liberties
All three major Jewish organizations cited above and the Conservative, Reform, and Reconstructionist movements firmly reject the notion that we must choose between combating antisemitism and protecting constitutional rights. As ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt put it:
“We must resist false choices. We can hold perpetrators of unlawful antisemitism accountable while maintaining a commitment to the Constitution. We can protect the civil liberties of Jewish students even as we preserve the civil liberties of those who protest, harass, or attack them — because they are innocent until proven guilty.”
Even non-citizens, including students in the U.S. legally on visas or green cards, are entitled to due process and free speech protections under our Constitution. Antisemitism should not be used to justify denying those rights.
- Pending Deportation Cases Require Transparency and Fairness
The facts in many of these cases remain unclear. Jewish Americans recoil at some of the abhorrent things said and done during campus protests, including, “horrifically, some voices in the public square justifying or celebrating the murder of Jews” (JCPA statement). Still, whether individuals’ prior activities meet the legal criteria for deportation is up to the courts to decide. We believe that due process must be afforded at every stage of the proceedings. We urge the judicial system to fulfill its essential role of sorting through the facts, objectively applying the law and ensuring constitutional protections.
Our JCRC Executive Committee arrived at our position after deep analysis, spirited discussion, and careful deliberation. As is our Jewish tradition, we welcomed constructive disagreement as an essential part of our decision-making process. Our committee intentionally reflects a broad range of perspectives so that we can craft policies grounded in meaningful dialogue, democratic principles, and best we can determine, the sentiment of Louisville’s Jewish community.
There is room in our community for divergent views on important and complicated matters. What’s most important is that our community remains committed to civil, respectful conversations and remains connected even amid controversy. As the Talmud teaches in Pirkei Avot, civil debate is an essential attribute of Jewish life, “for the sake of heaven.”
We will continue monitoring developments closely and work with our national partners to advocate for the values reflected in our statement. Our reach is significant. Jewish Louisville should know that we have impressive representation serving national Jewish organizations—former JCL Chair Ralph Greene on the Board of Jewish Federations of North America; JCL Chair (and former JCRC Chair) Beth Salamon serves on NCJW’s Board; JCRC Board member Corey Shapiro as Vice Chair of the Jewish Council of Public Affairs; and JCL and JCRC Board member Melanie Pell is a senior national staff member of American Jewish Committee’s leadership team. Many of us serve on the Kentucky Antisemitism Task Force as well.
Louisville’s JCRC is committed to engaging our community in the critical issues of our time. To learn more or to get involved, please contact JCRC Director Trent Spoolstra, at tspoolstra@jewishlouisville.org or 502-238-2711.
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To read the above statements by JCPA, EJP and AJC, go to jewishlouisville.org/communitylinks.