<
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/20/trump-list-jews-u-penn-dangerous>
"This month, a judge ordered the University of Pennsylvania to justify its
refusal to collect and disclose the names and personal contact information of
Jewish faculty, staff and students to the federal government. Late last year,
the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) sued Penn to force
compliance with this chilling demand, made in the name of fighting
antisemitism. Jewish and non-Jewish community members at Penn and beyond have
united to support the university’s resistance to compiling and releasing data
about members of campus Jewish organizations, the Jewish studies department,
and individuals who participated in confidential listening sessions and surveys
about antisemitism.
That such a diverse array of organizations, including Penn’s Hillel and Meor
chapters, AAUP-Penn, the Association for Jewish Studies, the American Council
on Education and Pen America, as well as local chapters of the Anti-Defamation
League, the Jewish Federation and the American Jewish Committee, have all
spoken against the EEOC’s lawsuit reflects how deeply disturbing it is to think
of the government demanding such a list. The Trump administration claims to act
in the name of Jewish safety and against antisemitism, but this common reaction
from groups with often divergent views may reflect a growing concern that its
actions belie those laudable aims.
If history teaches us anything, it is that making lists of Jews, no matter the
ostensible purpose, is often a prelude to their and others’ persecution. Many
Jewish people affiliated with US universities, ourselves included, have family
who escaped or died at the hands of authoritarian regimes that persecuted Jews
and others based on their religious or political beliefs. Even if the EEOC is
collecting Jewish community members’ personal data in a good-faith effort to
ensure safety, lists of Jews can later be leaked, or deployed to other, more
sinister ends. History is replete with examples: a census of Jews undertaken by
the Dutch government in 1941, for instance, allowed the invading Nazis to
target Jewish citizens for death camps and extermination.
At both an intellectual and a visceral level, then, the government requiring
the university to hand over the personal contact information – including
addresses – of Jewish students, faculty and staff, over strong objections,
would be profoundly chilling under any circumstances. It is especially so in a
political environment increasingly saturated with unvarnished hate, including
antisemitism and white supremacy endorsed by individuals within the government
and amplified by figures with outsize influence on some of its most powerful
leaders. And the demand is especially concerning in light of the Trump
administration’s broader assault on universities, free speech and academic
freedom, immigrants, LGBTQ+ people, other vulnerable communities and political
dissent more generally."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
