Lost opportunities for dialogue

Lost opportunities for dialogue:
Susssex University Students’ Union’s cancellation of JVL education workshop

Introduction

In November 2022 the JVL Education Group was sent an urgent request to provide workshops on antisemitism education, by a member of staff of Sussex University Student’s Union. Tony Booth and Miriam David agreed to deliver them and arranged that the first would take place on January 23^rd, 2023.  Three days before the workshop was scheduled, and one day after a request was made for the number of places to be expanded to 30, the workshop was cancelled. We asked for clarification about why the invitation was abruptly withdrawn at such short notice.

In what follows Tony Booth and Miriam David have set out the sequence of communications with the University. It is not difficult to guess at what was behind the cancellation since disagreements between the activities of the Union and the Jewish Society at the University were given in the background information gathered after we received the request.

It seems that this is yet another episode in the sectarian battle involving some Jews in silencing other Jews they consider to hold the “wrong” views.  Nevertheless, we regard it as unacceptable that two Jewish Professors of Education should be treated in this cursory way and that the Jewish Vice–Chancellor of Sussex University, Sasha Roseneil, previously a close professional colleague of Miriam David, should decline to engage with what had happened at her university.  Tony and Miriam wonder at this example of declining dialogue in the Universities.

From invitation to cancellation and apology

On 21^st November 2022 we were approached by an officer of Sussex University Students’ Union who had heard very positive things about JVL antisemitism education: “Our CEO had heard really good things so hopefully schedules can work out!” From the background information we learnt that the workshop was to be for ‘elected officers of the Sussex University Student’s Union and staff in relevant positions’ with the hope that we would agree to provide a second session. The pressing need was explained:

There have been tensions with the Jewish Society over the perceived silence of the Students’ Union following the increase in antisemitism in recent years, but also the Students’ Union statement regarding the investigation into NUS President caused consternation and upset. Other issues have been over the definition of antisemitism itself and with the Union much more in favour of the JDA definition rather than the IHRA definition. This is of particular importance given the historic support the Union has for the Palestinian cause and creation of a free and independent state.

We had planned to gently explore these tensions. We were asked to help them towards: “a clearer understanding of the Jewish experience, the root causes of antisemitism and its modern manifestations particularly in Higher Education and how we can better support Jewish students/members” and to cover, “the pros and cons of both the JDA and IHRA definitions, the distinction between anti-Israeli Policy and being antisemitic and when being anti-Israeli can be seen as antisemitism”.  These are all issues that we regularly consider in workshops, through providing education through dialogue rather than training, an approach now endorsed within the Forde Report.

On the 17th January we received an enthusiastic email from Sussex University’s human resources manager asking us to expand the numbers: “we are super keen to get more people involved…we’ve agreed to extend an invitation to up to 30 people”.  Three days later, on the 20th January we received confirmation that the Zoom link had been circulated, rapidly followed by an email from the previously “super keen” HR manager under the heading: “URGENT: USSU Antisemitism Training Cancellation – 23.01.22:

“It is with regret I am writing to advise that the Sussex University Students’ Union will need to cancel the Antisemitism Training Session booked on 23rd January at 10am, via Zoom. We sincerely apologise for the short notice and any inconvenience this may cause.”

Tony Booth requested an explanation for the cancellation and asked, “whether you intend to rebook.” Given our experience of the antisemitism wars the explanation hinted at a familiar, if vaguely expressed reason: “Concerns were expressed by our Union Exec that we had not consulted the SU Jewish Society about our approach to antisemitism… to ensure it meets the needs and concerns of Jewish students here at Sussex.” In response we expressed surprise that the sensibilities of Jewish students were only being considered “at the last minute” since “we take the view that university staff have a duty of care towards all students”. We continued:

You should know that both Miriam David and I are very experienced Jewish professors of education with a total of several decades teaching about, and researching, issues of racism and discrimination, including antisemitism, in education. In our workshops we encourage a spirit of dialogue between those of differing views with the clear aim of reducing all forms of discriminatory talk and action. We do not engage in training but in participatory education, an approach required by the complex task of reducing antisemitism and other forms of discrimination.

We received no reply from the HR manager, so Miriam approached the newly appointed Vice-Chancellor of Sussex University, Sasha Roseneil for assistance. She and Sasha have been colleagues over a long period, in the sisterhood of Jewish feminism with a shared interest in education and psychotherapy. When Roseneil was Dean at UCL she had asked for Miriam’s help with antisemitism education. Miriam informed her about the details of what happened and asked for a response as a colleague as well in her capacity as the vice-chancellor of Sussex University.

I am reaching out to you, in a professional capacity, to try to understand the cancellation at the last minute of an antisemitism education workshop due to be delivered by Professor Tony Booth, a Jewish education professor like myself.  As you know I was a visiting professor in CHEER (Centre for Higher Education Equity Research) at Sussex for 10 years (until lockdown) …We would be grateful if you could shed some further light on the pattern of events that took place.

Roseneil’s response gave no acknowledgement of collegiality or sisterhood, just a washing of hands: “The University of Sussex Students’ Union, like all students’ unions, is an independent charity, and is not part of the University of Sussex. Might I suggest that you write to the Chief Executive of USSU, James Hann to discuss your concerns.”

When James Hann wrote to us he was apologetic and conciliatory and promised to investigate: “I am sorry to hear you have been treated so poorly by Sussex Students’ Union in regard to the antisemitism education participation workshop that you had been asked to run”:

I started in my role this week and I have yet to fully understand what the thought process behind the recent decision to cancel the session you had worked so hard, at short notice, to prepare for. Please accept my apologies for the lack of communication and the last-minute cancellation…I will contact you both once I have a better understanding and proposals for how we move forward.

Tony wrote to reinforce the harm that had been caused:

Can I speak plainly? The decision to cancel a workshop run by two Jewish professors of education at the last minute felt like discrimination and unwarranted criticism of our professional expertise in working with people with a variety of views. It seemed to question our implacable opposition to antisemitism, all racism and discrimination. We work through dialogue, and it seems that this is lacking in the way we have been summarily excluded from working with your university.

A follow up letter was sent by Tony and Miriam two months later which finally prompted the promised result of the investigation from James Hann.

My apologies that you had to chase this up and for not responding sooner… your invitation…and the Union’s last-minute cancellation leads me to conclude that the whole process was one that does not reflect well on Sussex Students’ Union…It appears that when students were involved, specifically the Jewish Society and the elected officers, they decided they wanted to use UJS [Union of Jewish Students]. Unfortunately, as students were not asked for their views, the invitation to you both had already been made. Once the students had made their decision, the cancellation was made.

My apologies that you were treated in this way. While I can understand if you would prefer not to, if you are still willing and interested in providing training on antisemitism for next year’s officers, I will ensure that you are invited to submit a proposal for the officers to consider.

Concluding remarks

We have no intention of putting ourselves forward to experience faceless rejection from those in control of the Jewish Society in the University. We are saddened that they felt unable to reach out to fellow Jews who would have been only too willing to enter into dialogue with them, as would all responsible educators, and explore differences of view on antisemitism. We are sorry to see the insistence on reducing education to training. We are disappointed that there was no urging towards dialogue from the Vice-Chancellor of the University. It remains of fundamental importance in a ‘post-truth’ era that our universities fulfil, what Hannah Arendt saw as their fundamental purpose as, ‘places where people think together’, exploring truth and its manifestations, in order to function as bastions against ‘evil’.