The Joseph Slifka Center for Jewish Life at Yale University, established to foster cultural, spiritual, religious, and intellectual experiences for Jewish students, is facing serious questions about its commitment to upholding its mission.
On January 22, 2025, during a visit by former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, an alarming decision by the Center’s leadership permitted anti-Israel student groups, including Yalies for Palestine, to use a downstairs space for a disruptive protest while Bennett spoke upstairs. Jewish students seeking to attend Bennett’s event were reportedly removed from or denied access to the Center, a space meant to provide them with safety and community, in favor of groups associated with anti-Israel, anti-Jewish, and pro-terror rhetoric.
This incident not only profoundly betrays the trust of the Jewish community but also raises significant concerns about the Slifka Center’s commitment to its stated mission of supporting and strengthening Jewish life on campus. By allowing protests hostile to Jewish students within its walls, the Center has created an environment that undermines its own purpose and leaves students feeling unsafe and alienated.
CAMERA calls on the leadership of the Slifka Center to take immediate action to investigate the unfortunate event and to reassess its policies, ensuring going forward that its spaces truly serve their intended purpose of fostering a supportive and inclusive environment for Jewish students and are not fostering disruption of pro-Israel events.
