Across the United States, students are rallying and advocating for their perspectives about the ongoing Israel-Hamas War. Campus conversations and environments are becoming increasingly hostile with many Jewish students reporting feeling unsafe. In this week’s episode, Yehuda Kurtzer is joined by Mijal Bitton, research fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America and Rosh Kehilla (communal leader) and co-founder of the Downtown Minyan in New York City to probe the term ‘safety’ and how it interacts with the discomfort that a diverse, liberal education should engender. They ask: when is discomfort productive, when is it unproductive, and when does it cross the line to dangerous? They consider the purpose of universities as well as if and how Jews can continue to exist within, and even improve, systems that don’t see us. 

Mijal Bitton’s Speech at the March on Washington 

Mijal Bitton’s Speech at a rally at NYU 

Yascha Mounk, mentioned by Mijal Bitton 

Mijal Bitton’s article in opposition to the Women’s March, 2019 

Avishai Margalit On Compromise and On Rotten Compromises  

Harper’s letter on justice and open debate 

Letter in response to Harper’s letter  

Message from Northwestern’s President Schill to Senior Leadership 

University of Chicago’s approach to free speech - The Kalven Report (1967) 

University of Chicago’s “Statement,” October 9, 2023 

Letter signed by 500 Columbia professors 

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