Thank you very much, members of the committee, for using your platform to elevate our voices today.

My name is Rachel Cook, and I'm a rising 2L at the University of Alberta faculty of law. I am Jewish and I am a Zionist, but most importantly, I am a Canadian.

On December 6 last year, I asked my law faculty's department of student services if they would be willing to include a menorah in their annual holiday decorations, which included Christmas trees, Christmas garlands and Christmas lights. The reaction to my request was initially positive. However, that evening, I received an email from a member of the administration, stating that I would not be permitted to add my menorah and, furthermore, due to my concerns, the trees would be removed as well.

The administration's reasoning was primarily due to the secularly festive intent. However, I believe there was another, more insidious goal. One day, before I requested adding a menorah, an administrator had wandered around campus dressed up as Santa, handing out candy canes to faculty and students, including me.

I think, however, the faculty and the University of Alberta were concerned that displaying a menorah would be seen as supportive of Israel, which is a politically unpopular opinion on campuses throughout Canada. Someone at the U of A administration made the decision to subtract from the enjoyment of the Christmas season to avoid including Jewish symbols in that display. In my opinion, that's especially problematic, given the number of churches that have been burned throughout this country.

Contrary to my administration's assertion that few, if any, people would notice the removal of the trees, their removal became international news. My story was covered by the National Post, various American channels, including Fox News, and various European and Israeli news agencies. In addition to media requests, I had discussions with federal and provincial politicians, and many concerned members of the legal community. I also heard from Jewish students throughout North America who had had similar experiences on their campus and who were terrified to return to campus after their break.

I sympathize with that. In the weeks leading up to my going viral, there were a number of anti-Israel protests at the time at the U of A, including one advertised as a rally for martyrs.

The director of the U of A's sexual assault centre, Samantha Pearson, was fired after making headlines for signing an open letter, calling the well-documented sexual assault that occurred on October 7 “unverified”.

Additionally, Students for Justice in Palestine was permitted to operate openly on campus, contrary to the U of A's statement saying otherwise.

Specifically in the faculty of law, student groups advertised in the Law Students' Association's weekly email that they had partnered with organizations that had been banned in Israel and other countries for their support of Hamas. One of the founders of that club was selected to speak at an awards dinner, where she stated they had a lot to learn from the bravery of Palestinians.

Personally, I accepted a mid-semester move between sections, after a criminal law professor concluded that the system kept Black and indigenous people of colour from their land, and made what I believed was a “Farrakhan-esque” comparison of the system to a roof infested with termites. This professor is still teaching, and would later sign an open letter stating that they “reject the notion that it is antisemitic, hateful, or illegitimate to contextualize the October 7, 2023 attack”.

One month after the trees were banned, an EDI feedback meeting took place at the faculty of law. No Jewish student or Jewish faculty member was present at that meeting. According to the minutes, which I received by freedom of information, it was noted that my appearance in the media was one of the greatest attacks to student safety, and that there was space for the faculty to make comments and hold people accountable. I could never have imagined that voices on campus would advocate for holding me accountable for asking to display a menorah or for asking to speak out against anti-Semitism.

I was reminded of all this earlier in the week, when I walked through Rutherford library on my way to my final exam. There was a display of student artwork, including an interactive piece discussing Gaza. Students were invited to write their feelings about history washed over by colonialism on this interactive display. Students had done so, and the display included a swastika, support of a terrorist organization recognized by the Canadian government—the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine—and a message reading “Death to ZOGs”, implying that the Jews run western governments like Canada and the United States.

After this year, I have been left with the impression that the U of A is more interested in covering up systematic anti-Semitism on campus than addressing it head-on and working toward change. Unfortunately, speaking publicly about documented anti-Semitism has been seen as a greater risk than the behaviour I've worked to draw attention to.

I've heard from numerous members of faculty and classmates and many Albertans who have quietly offered their support for my advocacy.

I have no doubt that when I return to campus, I will be broadly disliked for speaking out, but only by a vocal minority of students.

As you undertake this study, I encourage you to keep the following in mind.

We have been told for years that words are violence, feelings of safety are paramount, and that we should be mindful of actions and interactions, and how our behaviour can harm shared goals on campuses. It is embarrassing for institutions across Canada to admit they have allowed a cultural environment of anti-Semitism to thrive, but light, like the light from a banned menorah or a banned tree, is the best way to shine attention on hate.

Albertans, and Canadians as a whole, are hard-working, ethical people with a deeply ingrained moral compass—

Transcript

Discussions (0)