Jon Lovitz, a famous comedian, recently talked about the anti-Semitism (discrimination against Jewish people) happening at Columbia University. This is a brief overview of the key points he made:
- Jewish students are being blocked from going to classes at Columbia
- Lovitz compared it to how Jewish people were treated terribly in Nazi Germany
- He thinks more people need to speak out against this unfair treatment
- Lovitz wonders why top leaders aren’t doing more to stop the anti-Semitism
Do you know much about what’s happening with Jewish students at Columbia? If not, please keep reading to learn more.
Jewish Students Facing Discrimination
Lovitz explained that Jewish students at the Ivy League school Columbia University are being prevented from getting to their classes and taking tests. Protestors have been blocking them from entering school buildings.
He said a friend’s daughter, who attends Cornell University, experienced similar issues recently where she couldn’t go to class or take an exam because of protestors. The professor there wouldn’t even respond to help her make up the missed test.
Comparison to Nazi Germany Persecution
The comedian said the situation reminds him of how his father warned that Jewish people in Nazi Germany didn’t believe the horrific persecution could happen until it was too late.
Lovitz referenced a story from a Holocaust memoir, where a man in a small village was labeled the “village idiot.” This man tried sounding the alarm about Jews being killed after witnessing it himself. But no one believed him because of how he was viewed in the town.
Calling for Action Against Anti-Semitism
Lovitz thinks many Jewish Americans are in disbelief that blatant anti-Semitism is occurring so openly again. He said while he is Jewish by religion, he views himself simply as an American citizen first. And he doesn’t understand why this widespread discrimination isn’t upsetting to everyone.
The comedian wonders why more famous people aren’t speaking out forcefully against the unfair treatment of Jewish students at Columbia and other campuses. He suggested some may be afraid of having their careers or businesses negatively impacted.
But in Lovitz’s view, the situation has become so bad that more individuals need to speak up, regardless of who they are. If left unchecked, he warned the anti-Semitism will only continue spreading like “weeds.”
Lack of Response from National Leaders
Lovitz expressed frustration that top national leaders, including the President and White House officials, haven’t addressed the campus anti-Semitism more forcefully.
He compared it to scenarios where racist acts targeting other minority groups would likely draw a stronger response from authorities. But Lovitz isn’t sure why the discrimination facing Jewish students hasn’t received the same level of condemnation from leaders.
The comedian highlighted that Israel is aย keyย democratic ally of the United States. Soย heย doesn’t understand the disconnect when it comes to pushing back against the anti-Semitic acts occurring on American college campuses.
Final Thoughts
In Lovitz’s opinion, the unfair treatment and protests blocking Jewish students from their classes and studies at universities like Columbia is unacceptable discrimination that demands action.
He believes not enough is being done at the highest levels of government to denounce and stop the anti-Semitism from worsening further. Do you agree more should be done to protect Jewish students’ rights? Or do you see this situation differently?
