Anti-Semitic Graffiti at UC-Santa Cruz; Reaction from a Provost

Tammi Rossman-Benjamin, a lecturer in Hebrew at the University of California, Santa Cruz, sent the emails below to UCSC's chancellor, George Blumenthal. She asks that he act in the face of the anti-Semitic, anti-American graffiti, reproduced below, that she saw yesterday in a campus building. The provost for Oakes College, where the graffiti was drawn, responded, and she wrote him again. As Tammi notes, this is yet another example of anti-Semitic acts carried out within the vast UC system.

---------- Forwarded message ----------

From: Tammi Benjamin [address redacted]
To: chancellor@ucsc.edu
Date: Tue, 29 Apr 2008 23:18:49 -0700
Subject: anti-Semitic graffiti at Oakes
Dear Chancellor Blumenthal,

Today I witnessed some very disturbing graffiti drawn with permanent marker on the wall in the hallway outside of Oakes 105. It contained a picture of a plane flying into what appear to be the Twin Towers, with a large Jewish star between them. Underneath the towers is the number "666", a well-known allusion to the mark of Satan, the embodiment of pure evil. (See photograph of graffiti).

It seems to me the anti-Semitic nature of this graffiti makes it not only an act of vandalism but a hate crime. University officials should inform the campus community that a morally reprehensible act has been committed, and that this is totally unacceptable behavior according to campus codes of conduct and state law.

Thank you for your attention to this very disturbing matter.

Sincerely,

Tammi Rossman-Benjamin
Lecturer in Hebrew

Pedreo Castillo, provost of Oakes College, responded:

On Apr 30, 2008, at 6:12 AM, Pedro Castillo wrote:

Dear Ms. Rossman-Benjamin,
Oakes College has seen the graffiti and we contacted the university
police and physical plant on Tuesday, April 30. Thanking you for your concern and we agree with you that this is totally unacceptable.
Thanking you for your concern. Best, Pedro

Pedro Castillo
Provost, Oakes College
University of California, Santa Cruz

To which Rossman-Benjamin responded:

CC: chancellor@ucsc.edu, cpevc@ucsc.edu, sja@ucsc.edu, Susan Welte From: Tammi Benjamin Subject: Re: anti-Semitic graffiti at Oakes Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 08:11:50 -0700 To: Pedro Castillo

Dear Provost Castillo,

Thank you for your response. I'm pleased that you are aware of the problem, have contacted the university policy, and agree that anti-Semitic graffiti is totally unacceptable. However as you must know, this is far from the first anti-Semitic incident of this nature on our campus. It is therefore essential that you and other administrators take a firm and clear stand on this morally repugnant behavior directed squarely at Jews, and publicize it to the entire campus community. I look forward to hearing such a statement soon.

Sincerely,

Tammi Rossman-Benjamin