As University of Rochester alumni, friends and supporters, we are saddened and shocked by the state of the world right now. While most of us can only imagine the pain and sadness individuals are experiencing at this time, for many this is their reality. A daily reminder of hate, Xenophobia and loss of loved ones.

While social media algorithms deepen our echo chambers, the media further ensures that we all hear a slanted view of the facts. Because of this, it’s comprehensible that all of us live with some level of unconscious bias. Part of our journey, instilled in us at University of Rochester, is to always strive to be better. We honor the University’s motto, Meliora, a Latin word meaning “ever better”, a deeply beautiful phrase that holds an individual to seek a brighter future for all. We believe we can honor this phrase in seeking other perspectives, independent fact checking, and allowing the mind to overcome emotion.

We are concerned with the vague and one-sided email distributed on October 11th by President Mangelsdorf. This statement rightly condemns the horrific acts of Hamas. However, it is completely silent regarding the disproportion response from Israel.  There has been no acknowledgment of the horrific deaths of more than 10,000 Palestinians, this figure has been confirmed by UNICEF. The Administration's statement is completely antithetic to University of Rochester's mission and vision; it alienates members of the community by failing to acknowledge the genocide occurring in Gaza. It contradicts our own personal beliefs in the importance of fostering diversity, freedom of expression, inclusivity, and safety on campus.

The administration should be addressing the issues around Islamophobia, anti-Palestinian sentiment, and antisemitism on campus. In no uncertain terms, antisemitism should not be tolerated on campus, hate has no home at University of Rochester. Equally, Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian sentiments should also have no place on campus. Further, they all deserve equal vigilance and acknowledgement - as all of them are on the rise around the nation.

The October 11th statement provided an invaluable opportunity to build bridges, serve as an opportunity to educate, and set the expectation that everyone at University of Rochester, from our students and faculty to our staff and alumni alike, are to treat each other with mutual respect, as entrenched in the University’s mission and its very fabric. Unfortunately, the email instead stoked more divisiveness through its narrative.

To help the University of Rochester community move forward and come together, we call on the President’s Office to take the following actions in accordance with its own stated principles and out of respect for its students and alumni:

• A public affirmation of the right of pro-Palestinian students to express their opinions just like pro-Israel students or any other group on campus, without fear of reprisal;
• A public statement against doxing of students who harass and try to block students’ ability to obtain and retain career opportunities.
• An earnest effort to listen to the experiences of students on campus to make sure all forms of racism and harassment are stopped; and
  Encourage dialogue, compassion, and understanding as students process, react to, and express their opinions about the situation in Palestine and Israel. 
• A public statement acknowledging the horrific loss of life in Gaza.

In this time when so many in the University of Rochester community are reeling from the violence affecting their communities, it is important for the University to live up to its mission and provide an open and safe community for all of its students. University of Rochester must create spaces in which students of all backgrounds, cultures, and religions are welcomed and feel safe by affirming students’ right to free expression and rejecting Islamophobia, anti-Palestinian sentiment, and antisemitism. This will not only uplift those communities but all historically marginalized communities who call University of Rochester home now and in the future. That is all we are hoping for from the University.

In The Service Of Humanity, 

Your Dedicated Alumni, Friends and Supporters