YOOHYUN PARK/MULTIMEDIA COORDINATOR
Kanye West’s antisemitism has instilled fear and distress in the McMaster Jewish community
The public antisemitic comments made by multimillionaire musician Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, this past month have brought discussions of antisemitism and religious discrimination to the forefront.
In October 2022, West went to several public platforms, including Fox News, Instagram and Twitter, and made several offensive and violent comments towards the Jewish community. A few of the most notable comments include West’s claim that the Jewish holiday Hanukah includes education on “financial engineering”, as well as a claim that Jewish people are exercising control over his colleagues in the music industry to intimidate him.
The most violent among West’s statements may be his now deleted tweet from October 9th. West’s Twitter and Instagram accounts received temporary suspensions and his brand deal with Adidas has been terminated following his statements.
West perpetuated several common antisemitic tropes in his public comments. The main themes of West’s antisemitism are ones that have been seen several times before — that all Jewish people are powerful and control the media or that Jewish people are greedy and have control over financial institutions. These narratives have existed for decades in popular media, and although many acknowledge the outlandish nature of these stereotypes, they continue to be used against the Jewish community.
West’s violence has not been isolated. His actions have allowed others to feel comfortable sharing their own antisemitic views. Following his viral tweets, antisemitic banners were hung above a Freeway in Los Angeles stating, “Kanye was right about the Jews”.
Jewish McMaster Biology student Andrew Johnston commented on the underestimated impact of many common antisemitic tropes.
“I feel like microaggressions towards Jews often have a deeper meaning and history behind them. Like, it may not seem harmful when people say Jews control everything, but it is. Offensive rhetoric towards Jewish people is more nuanced, as it's not very in your face, but it can be very harmful,” said Johnston.
“I feel like microaggressions towards Jews often have a deeper meaning and history behind them. Like, it may not seem harmful when people say Jews control everything, but it is. Offensive rhetoric towards Jewish people is more nuanced, as it's not very in your face, but it can be very harmful.”
Andrew Johnston, Jewish McMaster Biology student
In an email statement to The Silhouette, McMaster Hillel president Atara Lipetz commented on these antisemitic hate crimes and their impact on the neighbouring Jewish communities.
“Unfortunately, Jewish students at McMaster are not immune to the effects of antisemitism and recent statements by Kanye West and others have done great harm by spreading antisemitic sentiments. This dangerous rhetoric normalizes antisemitism and fuels hatred. There have also been a number of recent antisemitic incidents around university campuses in Ontario, including graffiti and swastikas,” said Lipetz in the email statement.
“Unfortunately, Jewish students at McMaster are not immune to the effects of antisemitism and recent statements by Kanye West and others have done great harm by spreading antisemitic sentiments. This dangerous rhetoric normalizes antisemitism and fuels hatred. There have also been a number of recent antisemitic incidents around university campuses in Ontario, including graffiti and swastikas.”
Atara Lipetz, President of mcMaster hillel
As referenced by McMaster Hillel, Queen’s University has also seen a stark increase in antisemitic vandalism in the last few weeks following the height of West’s public hate. A swastika was vandalized on the fridge of a Queens residence building and several antisemitic phrases have been found vandalized throughout campus, including “Kill the Jews”.
Jewish McMaster Biochemistry student Alan Minkovich discussed how unfortunately, West’s far-reaching and strong influence does not surprise him and he is anticipating West’s words to resonate even within his own communities.
“[West] is somebody who touches all kinds of people. They're going to hear this and see him co-opting white supremacist symbols and making them marketable and many people are going to think that this is okay just because it’s him,” said Minkovich
“[West] is somebody who touches all kinds of people. They're going to hear this and see him co-opting white supremacist symbols and making them marketable and many people are going to think that this is okay just because it’s him.”
Alan Minkovich, Jewish McMaster Biochemistry student
West’s antisemitic rhetoric does not exist in a vacuum. As McMaster students and faculty, we must be aware on how external hate and violence towards marginalized groups may influence members within our own community and support one another.
In their written statement, McMaster Hillel also describes the importance of creating spaces for Jewish people on campus in light of recent antisemitic violence and hate speech.
“[McMaster Hillel] aims to create a community for Jewish students, and foster collaborative relationships with other groups across campus. The Jewish community is the most frequently targeted religious minority in the country, according to Statistics Canada, and we need our friends and allies to stand with us during these challenging times.” said McMaster Hillel.
“[McMaster Hillel] aims to create a community for Jewish students, and foster collaborative relationships with other groups across campus. The Jewish community is the most frequently targeted religious minority in the country, according to Statistics Canada, and we need our friends and allies to stand with us during these challenging times.”
McMaster Hillel
At this time, it is important to uplift the Jewish student voices and experiences, and ensure that the spread of dangerous rhetoric is halted before it leads to further hatred and violence.
CW: mentions of violence, anti-Semitism
By: Daniella Mikanovsky
On Oct. 30, McMaster students, faculty and staff gathered on the field near Burke Science Building to mourn the deaths of the 11 people who lost their lives during the Oct. 27 Tree of Life synagogue mass shooting, committed by a man espousing Nazi rhetoric.
The McMaster community was joined by rabbis and Hamilton community members as they addressed the tragedy that unfolded the previous weekend.
The vigil, organized by McMaster Hillel, the Jewish community organization on campus, sought to honour the victims, reflect on the pervasiveness of anti-Semitism and encourage hope and a united community.
[spacer height="20px"]At the memorial service, Max Librach, the president of McMaster Hillel, spoke about the victims and the relationship between the tragedy and his own experiences.
“I myself was praying in a synagogue on that same day. I do not for a second forget that this could easily have happened right here, in my own community,” said Librach.
Fourth-year McMaster student Max Greenberg recited El Ma’aleh Rachamim, a prayer for the departed soul of the dead. Greenberg’s prayer was followed by a poem about the Pittsburgh shooting. After the poem was recited, a few Psalms and the Mourner's Kaddish, a prayer recited in memory of the victims, were said.
The mourners were joined by members of other faith groups who expressed their commitment to advocacy and combating anti-Semitism and discrimination against marginalized communities.
Rabbi Hillel Lavery-Yisraëli of the Beth Jacob Synagogue in Hamilton praised the Jewish community’s sense of unity and solidarity.
“We must draw strength from our community, our peers, and the communities of friends and supporters we are fortunate to have, and forge on forward, actively fighting hate and bringing about a better tomorrow,” he said.
In the multi-faith vigil co-organized by Rabbi Hillel later that evening at Temple Anshe Sholom, several faith leaders joined mourners in addressing the importance of togetherness and solidarity.
Judith Moses Dworkin, the director of McMaster Hillel, encourages and appreciates the allyship during this difficult time.
“We know that we have many partners on campus who continue to show us their support. We urge our friends in other communities to join us in speaking out and countering anti-Semitic hatred whenever and wherever it rears its ugly head. Only together can we truly heal from events like these,” she said.
Anti-Semitism continues to manifest itself in Hamilton, both subtly and more overtly. According to the CBC, in 2017, Jewish people were the most targeted group in religious-based hate incidents in Hamilton.
In the recent Oct. 22 municipal election, Paul Fromm, a self-proclaimed white supremacist associated with the neo-Nazi movement, garnered 706 votes.
“We have experienced some anti-Semitism in Hamilton over the past few years, but nothing more than graffiti, threats, and publication of a hate newspaper,” said rabbi Hillel. “Nonetheless, after the attack we are all feeling afraid and vulnerable. When all is said and done, we are not that much different from Pittsburgh,” he said.
McMaster Hillel is hopeful that they can support the Jewish community in the wake of the tragedy and increase public awareness about anti-Semitism and hatred on campus and in the community.
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