Concordia University Students’ Union apologises for standing “idly by” when “Jewish students are afraid to openly identify as Jewish”

The Students’ Union at Concordia University, Montreal, has apologised to the Jewish community for standing “idly by” in the face of antisemitism on campus, and has called for training to combat anti-Jewish sentiment.

In an open letter of apology on its Facebook page, the Students’ Union said that its mistakes were “embarrassing” and expressed regret that in standing “idly by” it had “assisted in fostering a campus culture where Jewish students are afraid to openly identify as Jewish.”

The Students’ Union also pledged to implement antisemitism training for incoming officers and to include “a Jewish perspective” in its operations when dealing in future with “topics of discrimination.”

The letter concluded by saying that the Students’ Union had “stood idly by in the past while acts of antisemitism occurred” and that it hoped “not to repeat those mistakes” and that the Jewish community would give it “a chance to support them in the future.”

Rabbi Reuben Poupko, co-Chair of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs in Quebec expressed “gratitude and pride in the students of our community who very intelligently and very courageously engaged in the necessary dialogue to bring this about.”

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