Message from Chancellor re: an act of hate at Rutgers-New Brunswick

April 13, 2021

Dear RBHS Community Members, 

I want to share a note with you from Rutgers New Brunswick Chancellor Christopher Molloy regarding an incident of antisemitism that occurred in New Brunswick last week when the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity was commemorating Yom HaShoah as the fraternity members were, for 24 hours, reading the names of Holocaust victims.

I strongly agree with Chancellor Molloy’s statement that these acts are repugnant and should never be tolerated anywhere or anytime and that we support a university community where all members feel a sense of belonging. We can assure you that there is no home for this type of behavior at RBHS, or anywhere within the beloved community of Rutgers. We are reminded to place our RBHS diversity, equity, and inclusion statement into practice and treat all with respect.

Sincerely,

Brian L. Strom, MD, MPH
Chancellor, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences
Executive Vice President for Health Affairs, Rutgers University

From Rutgers New Brunswick Chancellor Christopher Molloy:

Dear Members of the New Brunswick Jewish Community, 

I am writing regarding the incident in which eggs were thrown at the Alpha Epsilon Pi house during the fraternity’s commemoration of Yom HaShoah. Yesterday’s act of vandalism was made more awful in that it occurred during the annual 24-hour reading of the names of Holocaust victims. 

As Chancellor of Rutgers-New Brunswick, I am deeply dismayed by this act of ignorance and the hurt that it has caused members of our Jewish community. All members of our campus community deserve to learn and work in an environment in which they feel fully safe, valued and respected, free from anti-Semitism, and all other forms of hate and discrimination. Rutgers University-New Brunswick will provide all necessary resources to help assure a thorough investigation by the Rutgers University Police Department to identify those responsible and hold them accountable.

That such an incident happened during a sacred time of remembrance for the Jewish people makes it clear that further education and awareness are needed. Outreach has already begun from the Office of the Senior Vice President for Equity. They will highlight resources related to antisemitism in the coming week as a part of their ongoing work to unpack hate. As we go through the diversity strategic planning process, we will attend closely to this, and follow up with members of the Jewish community to ensure your voices and perspectives are reflected in our path forward.

Again, I express my sincere support for our Jewish students, faculty, and staff, and my full commitment to ensuring that all members of our community feel a sense of belonging here at Rutgers-New Brunswick.

Sincerely,

Christopher J. Molloy, PhD
Chancellor, Rutgers–New Brunswick