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Amidst the rising tide of antisemitism on U.S. campuses, one woman is rallying mothers to take a stand against this disturbing phenomenon.
By Susan Tawil
With antisemitism soaring in the U.S. and abroad following the horrific Hamas attacks of October 7th, a group of concerned mothers is organizing to counter the spread of anti-Jewish bigotry and harassment on college campuses.
In the wake of the Hamas massacres, the number of antisemitic incidents in both the U.S. and across the world have soared, in particular in and around major universities.
In response to the now violent climate in the once bucolic halls of academia, Elizabeth Rand founded Mothers Against Campus Antisemitism (MACA), a new Facebook group.
Rand, a Manhattan lawyer who is also the mother of a college-age son, started MACA to bring other concerned mothers together, in order to effectuate change.
Begun on October 26, the group quickly grew to over forty thousand members in less than a week.
Rand says she has been overwhelmed by the tremendous interest in the FB group. A working mother, she can’t single-handedly manage the flood of postings and requests for advice on handling the giant spike of hateful rhetoric targeting Jewish students on even the “best” university campuses throughout the country.
So Rand is delegating responsibility for running the group: she brought a communications manager on board, assembled a team of administrators and monitors for the postings, and reached out to followers with legal and non-profit experience to help advise the group.
Besides offering a forum for member moms to decry the current climate of hatred on campus, supportive practical action is encouraged.
The members of the 40,000-strong group can circulate petitions, or write letters and make phone calls to politicians, school administrators, and university donors. They can withhold donations and demand additional campus security for students.
One goal of the new group is to harness the legal clout of the group to pressure college administration to condemn antisemitic attacks and intimidation of students. Rand would like the group to assist students with bringing lawsuits against colleges and student groups when necessary.
As well, the FB group provides a “community,” offering emotional support for like-minded mothers concerned and anxious about their children.
Considering the exorbitant cost of university tuition, parents feel that their children should at least be assured of a safe environment in which to learn.
For many parents who were not previously involved in anything Jewish, the current spate of antisemitic assaults threatening their children on college campuses is a real wake-up call.
Rand says she draws inspiration from MADD, Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
Formed in 1980 by a mother whose daughter was killed by a drunk driver, the group of “ordinary mothers” accomplished a major change in social attitudes.
Laws were enacted raising the legal drinking age in the US from 18 to 21, saving many lives. MADD brought their cause into public awareness, making drunk driving socially unacceptable.
Likewise, Rand says about her new group: “I want to make it socially unacceptable to display Jew hatred on college campuses.”
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