ZIONIST ORGANIZATION OF AMERICA 633 THIRD AVENUE, SUITE 31-B NEW YORK, NY 10017 (212) 481-1500 | FAX: (212) 481-1515 | [email protected] | WWW.ZOA.ORG August 17, 2022 VIA EMAIL Dr. Claudia V. Schrader, President Kingsborough Community College 2001 Oriental Boulevard Brooklyn, NY 11235-2398 Dear Dr. Schrader: We write on behalf of the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA), the oldest pro-Israel organization in the U.S. and a leader in the fight against campus antisemitism, including at the City University of New York (CUNY). We were horrified to learn that despite a very troubling history of antisemitism at Kingsborough Community College (KCC) – including last year’s finding by the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment Commission that KCC’s Progressive Faculty Caucus and its staff union discriminated against observant Jews and Israel supporters – KCC has nevertheless commissioned a search committee for a new diversity officer position that does not include a Jewish member, but does include someone openly hostile to the Jewish state of Israel. In your message to the campus community on June 1, 2021, you acknowledged that “[t]oo many of us have been on the receiving end of the rhetoric of hate because of who we are and what we believe.” You told the community that “[a]t KCC we must be better and do better,” and you announced that KCC would be seeking to fill a new position: Assistant Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, to address antisemitism, among other issues and problems. The job posting for this position likewise makes it clear that this new assistant dean would be tasked with addressing antisemitism, among other concerns. Given KCC’s expectations for this prospective diversity officer, it is impossible to fathom how KCC could constitute a search committee for the diversity officer that includes an open supporter of the anti-Israel, antisemitic boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement. We understand that KCC has refused to divulge the names of the members of the search committee, even though the search process should be open and transparent from beginning to end. But according to a news report, the search committee disturbingly includes Lili Shi who signed a pro-BDS statement last year. The statement falsely accused Israel of, among other things, “apartheid” and “war crimes,” and it denied the Jewish people’s right to a nation-state in their religious and ancestral homeland by categorizing them as “colonialists” rather than indigenous to this land for thousands of years. To our knowledge, Ms. Shi has not supported BDS against China, Russia, or any other truly human rights abusing country. Only Israel, the one Jewish state in the world, has been targeted for condemnation and punishment. That is antisemitism, plain and simple. Given her hostility to Israel, Ms. Shi is the wrong person to have any say in who is selected to ensure that Jews and Israel supporters are afforded the safe, welcoming and respectful environment that every student at KCC deserves. READ MORE ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ About Us News Videos ZOA Report Events Founded in 1897, ZOA played a key role in the Jewish State's re-establishment. Today, ZOA is the leading major American Jewish organization courageously defending Israel and the Jewish people; fighting against all forms of antisemitism, including anti-Jewish boycotts; and promoting the Jewish people's lawful right to live in and settle historic Jewish lands. ZOA exposes that a Palestinian state would endanger Israel's existence; presents the facts about the Arab/Islamic war against Israel; and combats the anti-Israel lie that Israel is an "occupier" of her own land. ZOA spearheaded long battles to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, and apply civil rights protections to Jewish students. ZOA provides free legal assistance and programs to pro-Israel students at numerous college campuses. ZOA's bold, unapologetic voice has a significant impact on public discourse and policy. DONATE NOW Copyright © Zionist Organization of America 2022, All rights reserved. Zionist Organization of America | 633 Third Ave, 31 B, New York, NY 10017 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by [email protected]