Antisemitism in Higher Education Isn't Coming from the Right; It's Coming from the Left

From the Arkansas Democrat Gazette yesterday (with letter from the Anti-Defamation League below):  

ADL Supports Professor

by Mike Masterson 

December 18, 2021 at 3:18 a.m.

I'll bet good folks at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and its Bowen School of Law continue yanking out handfuls of hair after months of contention over a law school professorship named for former governor and President Bill Clinton until faculty questions canceled those plans.

More recently, the failure to support the religious needs of Jewish law professor Rob Steinbuch has also made headlines.

And last week, a leading official with the Anti-Defamation League wrote Bowen Law School Dean Theresa Beiner, along with the leadership of the University of Arkansas and UALR, a strongly worded letter over the dean's handling of Steinbuch's religious rights in his classrooms.

Beiner, who also clashed with Steinbuch over the professorship quietly named after Clinton, objected to Steinbuch's using a guest speaker to address his classes while he was participating in Jewish holidays, which he had done without conflict in previous years.

Contention over the matter made news and was addressed in my column, which apparently wound up directing the ADL's attention to Steinbuch's situation. "They read about it in a link to your column and responded from that," Steinbuch said.

I had no idea my written words from here in Harrison had that kind of range.

In his letter, Aaron Ahlquist, the Director of Policy for the ADL's Southern Division, said he was writing about Beiner's role in accommodating Steinbuch's request to observe Jewish High Holidays.

Ahlquist began by explaining how the ADL was founded in 1913 in response to an escalating climate of antisemitism and bigotry.

Since then, it has become a leading anti-hate organization "with the timeless mission to protect the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment for all. A global leader in exposing extremism, delivering anti-bias education, and fighting hate online, ADL's ultimate goal is a world in which no group or individual suffers from bias, discrimination, or hate."

He recounted that Steinbuch observes the Jewish High Holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, as well as Passover; they constitute the holiest days within Judaism.

Rosh Hashanah, he writes, marks the beginning of the Jewish New Year and a 10-day period of penitence and spiritual renewal that culminates with fasting on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Passover celebrates the exodus from bondage in Egypt. "Jews around the world widely observe these holidays, and they are not permitted to work or go to school on these days," the letter continues.

Since starting his employment at Bowen in 2005, Steinbuch has taken time away from classes to observe the Jewish holidays without issue, the two-page letter continues.

In the fall, he abstains from going to work during Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur and in the spring on the first day of Passover. During these three days of religious observance, Steinbuch has routinely asked a guest speaker to cover for him, ensuring class instruction and continuity. But the dean objected this year.

Alhquist writes: "[In] the Fall of 2021 you requested [Steinbuch] submit a formal form requesting time off for the Jewish holidays. On Oct. 7, 2021, the professor submitted the form on which he indicated his preference to use a guest speaker to cover for his absence during the holidays, as he has done for many years.

"While an accommodation for religious observance was granted, his preferred method of using a guest speaker for coverage was denied and instead in an Oct. 15 addendum it was stated Professor Steinbuch 'will make up the class time, either by adding time to his class on other days, or scheduling a makeup class.'

"A review of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, William H. Bowen School of Law's Academic Rules, on section IV.C- Regular and Punctual Attendance, item 5 states if the instructor 'determines that convening a scheduled class meeting is otherwise impracticable, the instructor' has multiple options, including 'guest speaker presentations related to the course subject matter.'"

A colleague of Steinbuch's, professor Josh Silverstein, echoed this sentiment. "It is indisputable that when Professor Steinbuch is unavailable due to religious observance, the Bowen Law School rules expressly authorize him to have a guest lecturer cover the class. To my continuing shock, the law school administration persists in claiming the opposite."

The ADL's letter continued, saying: "[I]t is our further understanding that Dr. Steinbuch has on occasion himself been a guest speaker for other colleagues at the Bowen School of Law who have had to cancel classes due to foreseeable medical reasons such as a planned surgery."

Ahlquist emphasized that, although ADL was not acting as Steinbuch's legal counsel, "we frequently engage in informal advocacy on behalf of the Jewish community and others. If Dr. Steinbuch' s assertions are accurate, they are of concern. We fail to understand why after many years his requested accommodation of using a guest speaker was denied. Furthermore, if professors are permitted to make use of guest speakers under section IV.C ... for medical reasons, but not religious ones, it would appear that the policy is being disparately applied."

In light of such issues, Ahlquist writes, the ADL hopes Beiner and the university would reconsider the decision to deny Steinbuch the long-standing policy that allows guest speakers to cover classes when he is observing religious holidays.

I asked Steinbuch who he had scheduled to fill in as a classroom speaker. He said "an outstanding federal judge, before whom many of today's students likely would appear in the future, was eager to speak with my classes. In fact, he volunteered to do so every year around the Jewish Holy Days, knowing I'd be away."

Sounds to me like an ideal person for law students to hear and learn from. But that wasn't to be, according to the dean.

Steinbuch said he was actually surprised to learn of Ahlquist's letter. "It made me feel good to realize there are those who understand the importance of the Jewish High Holidays and the ADL who chose to respond on my behalf without being contacted," he said.

"When the nation's pre-eminent anti-discrimination and antisemitism-awareness organization soundly condemns the discrimination/antisemitism I've been subjected to, I can only hope that those in ultimate control will now pay attention and right this rudderless ship. Only bold action will solve this entrenched rot." Ouchy!

State Sen. Jason Rapert, a candidate for lieutenant governor who chairs the Senate's State Agencies Committee, also sent me strong words about the treatment Steinbuch received.

"People who work and serve in the public sector expect that they will be treated as fairly as anyone could ever hope to be treated in our state and nation," said Rapert.

"The ongoing targeted harassment of Dr. Steinbuch due to his conservative beliefs and willingness to be outspoken on issues of concern is bad enough. But to read that he has suffered insults and punitive actions related to his desire to observe the Jewish high holy days is over the line and must not be tolerated.

"The Arkansas Senate State Agencies committee has already heard testimony about the hostile work environment Dr. Steinbuch has had to endure. I call upon the leadership of UALR and the U of A system president to get to the bottom of all this at once. They should be able to address this and restore fairness for all concerned.

"It's an embarrassment and mark on the reputation of UALR that Dr. Steinbuch has endured what amounts to actions that one could argue are antisemitic. Dr. Steinbuch and the people of Arkansas deserve much better," added Rapert, who also is the founder and president of the National Association of Christian Lawmakers.

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Mike Masterson is a longtime Arkansas journalist, was editor of three Arkansas dailies and headed the master's journalism program at Ohio State University. Email him at mmasterson@arkansasonline.com.