Contact point for those affected by anti-Semitism (March 1, 2024)
Circular of the university executive board
Gießen, March 1, 2024
Dear members and relatives of the JLU,
In a joint statement by the Presidential Board and Senate (https://www.uni-giessen.de/de/ueber-uns/pressestelle/nahost/nahostsenatpraesidium) back in November, we offered help and support to all students and employees who are exposed to anti-Semitic hostility or feel unsafe in the current situation and asked them to contact the Presidential Board in such cases.
Last Wednesday, the Hessian Ministry of Science and the Arts announced the nationwide establishment of contact points for all Hessian universities for people who have experienced or observed anti-Semitic discrimination (https://wissenschaft.hessen.de/presse/gemeinsam-gegen-antisemitismus-hessens-hochschulen-schaffen-flaechendeckend-anlaufstellen).
In consultation with the ministry, we have now established the corresponding JLU contact point at short notice and affiliated it to the Department of Studies, Teaching, Continuing Education and Quality Assurance. We would like to expressly encourage all those affected by anti-Semitic incidents to contact the JLU immediately via the link http://www.uni-giessen.de/meldungantisemitismus
At this point, I would like to reiterate that the above-mentioned joint statement by the Senate and the Executive Board, in which we express our horror at the war in the Middle East and our deepest sympathy for both the victims of Hamas and the people of the Gaza Strip, is still fully valid:
"At the same time, it is important for the Presidential Board and the Senate to position themselves unequivocally and clearly when it comes to their own area of responsibility - and to how we treat each other on the JLU campus.
It pains us to hear that Jewish people in Germany are often living in fear again. The idea that Jewish students and employees might not feel safe on the JLU campus is outrageous and fills us with shame - especially in view of the history of our university, which is known to have been all too willing to exclude Jewish students and employees from its lecture halls and laboratories during the National Socialist era. The JLU Presidential Board and Senate agree that anti-Semitism will not be tolerated on campus under any circumstances. Any attempt to do so will be stopped immediately and every incident will be reported to the police."
Yours sincerely
Prof. Dr. Katharina Lorenz
First Vice President