The local chapter of Jewish fraternity Alpha Epsilon Pi at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) in San Luis Obispo was vandalized on Friday night with swastikas and antisemitic graffiti, according to the fraternity and the college.In an instagram post Saturday evening, the fraternity said: Last week, on January 27th, we honored the memory of the 6 million Jews who perished and others affected by the Holocaust. Unfortunately, in 2021, antisemitism is still the number one cause of hate crimes in the United States. This morning, a hateful group of people committed an antisemitic hate crime on our chapter house. We awoke to multiple swastikas and antisemitic statements spray-painted on and in front of our house. This was targeted at us, as the Jewish fraternity, and we would like to let the world know we do not tolerate or condone this behavior. Our chapter and the entire San Luis Obispo Jewish community stand together proudly against those who are uneducated and who encourage hateful acts. We are proud to be the Jewish fraternity on this campus, and at this time we ask for your support in spreading awareness about rising antisemitism through education and discussion. AEPi and the Jewish community have an open door to anyone who wishes to learn about our culture and beliefs. It is our mission to make Cal Poly a safe place for everyone. Shabbat Shalom — Peace and Love View this post on Instagram A post shared by ALPHA EPSILON PI (@sloaepi) The university has condemned the crime, which was reported to police. Several California colleges and universities, public and private, have experienced a rise in antisemitism in recent years, including the years prior to 2016. Fraternities were vandalized, Jews were heckled for standing up for Israel, and Jewish students were even barred from participation in student government bodies. President Donald Trump signed an executive order in 2019 extending the protections of Title VI of the Civil Rights ...
Swastika
Vandals Paint Swastikas, Anti-Semitic Graffiti On Jewish Frat House At Cal Poly
SAN LUIS OBISPO (AP) — Police were investigating after swastikas and other anti-Semitic graffiti were spray-painted on a Jewish fraternity house at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. The Tribune reports the vandalism was reported Friday night at the Alpha Epsilon Pi house. Cal Poly president Jeffrey Armstrong said Saturday that the incident was reported to the San Luis Obispo Police Department and an investigation is underway. Interim Police Chief Jeff Smith tells the newspaper that the department’s hate crime investigator is looking into the matter. However, since no one witnessed the incident, police did not have any leads as of Sunday morning. A school statement says the graffiti has been cleaned up, but “the emotional scars will last much longer.” The fraternity wrote on Instagram that “our chapter and the entire San Luis Obispo Jewish community stand together proudly against those who are uneducated and who encourage hateful acts.” © Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ...
Swastika Discovered Etched On Wall Of Fremont Synagogue
FREMONT (CBS SF) — Worker arriving for a monthly cleaning of Fremont’s Temple Beth Torah synagogue discovered a swastika etched into the wall of the structure. The synagogue has been shut down during the COVID-19 outbreak, forcing officials to conduct services remotely so the maintenance worker only visits the facility every other month. In an email to members, synagogue officials said the swastika appeared to have been drawn in black marker or thick pen onto a stucco wall. It measured about 5 square inches. Fremont police were investigating and asked neighbors to check their security cameras to see if they captured images of the vandal. “It’s disturbing,” Temple administrator Jill Ziman told the Jewish News of Northern California website . “It’s sad that this still happens.” Ro Khanna, who represents California’s 17th District including Fremont, in the Congress took to Twitter on Thursday to condemn the act of vandalism. “It is sad and outrageous to have this act of antisemitism in my hometown of Fremont where a synagogue was defaced with a swastika,” he posted. “The perpetrators of this hate crime must be held accountable. I stand with the impacted community during this difficult time.” ...
Jewish Student Pressed to Abstain from Israel Vote
A Jewish student at the University of California Santa Cruz was pushed to abstain from voting on an anti-Israel resolution seeking divestment from the Jewish state over fears that he was “elected by a Jewish agenda.”Daniel Bernstein, who represents UCSC’s Stevenson College in the Student Union Assembly, received a message from the chair of the Stevenson student council telling him that the council voted to exclude him from voting on the anti-Israel resolution over concerns that the “Jewish community rallied with [Bernstein] to elect [him] the Stevenson rep.” as a result of this “Jewish agenda.” A copy of the message was first obtained by Stand With Us and reported on by Campus Reform. The Student Union Assembly at UCSC reportedly voted last week to divest from five companies that the students say are complicit in human rights violations by making the equipment used by the Israeli military. The companies are Hewlett Packard, General Electric, Caterpillar, Lockheed Martin, and Elbit. Bernstein reportedly defied the pressure and still voted “no” on the resolution, which subsequently went on to pass, 28-5, with seven abstentions. He posted the following message on Facebook: The implication that I, as a Jewish student and leader in the Jewish community, should not be allowed to vote on an issue that so deeply impacts the Jewish community, and that I should abstain because I cannot be trusted due to an alleged, ‘Jewish agenda,’ echoes the racism Jews have faced all over the world throughout our history. I wish that me being subjected to anti-Semitism was a shocking new occurrence. But the truth is that I’m not shocked. I’m not shocked because this hatred and ignorance has followed me everywhere. I’m not shocked because Jewish students have been targeted with this vile racism all over the UC system for years, and especially since BDS became a major issue of discussion. ...
Democrats respond to Trump, seeking to pick apart his arguments
Democrats on Tuesday amplified their charges that Donald Trump incited the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, accusing the former president of exploiting an angry mob to do his political dirty work — and then blaming them for heeding his own request.In a 33-page legal filing, the nine Democrats prosecuting Trump's latest impeachment trial ticked through the various defense arguments advanced by Trump's attorneys in their own brief released a day earlier, then sought to pick them apart one by one."His brief — in which he refuses to accept responsibility for his actions — highlights the danger he continues to pose to the Nation he betrayed," wrote the impeachment managers, a group led by Rep. Jamie RaskinJamin (Jamie) Ben RaskinDemocrats say Trump impeachment defense 'wholly without merit' Sunday shows preview: Budget resolution clears path for .9 trillion stimulus; Senate gears up for impeachment trial READ: Trump attorneys deny request for impeachment testimony MORE (D-Md.).ADVERTISEMENTThe brief arrived shortly before the Senate was scheduled to kick off the trial phase of Trump's impeachment, which begins Tuesday afternoon. The process is historic on two fronts: It marks the first time a president will face an impeachment trial twice in his tenure; and the first time that trial will occur after the president has left the White House.On Monday, Trump's defense attorneys had laid out their case for why the impeachment charges should be dismissed. First, they argue, Trump cannot be subject to impeachment because the Founders never intended that process to apply to former presidents. Second, they say Trump's fiery rhetoric leading up to the Capitol siege is well protected under the First Amendment right to free speech.Democrats have rejected both defenses out of hand. In their latest filing, they reiterate their legal argument why Trump should be held accountable, both for his unsubstantiated claims that the election was "stolen," and for egging on the ...
