By Grace Tesoro, Staff Writer
The Center for Diversity and Inclusion (CDI) facilitated a discussion about the Tree of Life Synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh which occurred Saturday, Oct. 27, when an alleged gunman by the name of Robert Bowers opened fire in the synagogue, killing 11 people.
Among the group of students and staff members present at the lunch was Eli Bass, the Director of Jewish life on campus. Bass stressed the importance of being an ally to the Jewish community at Susquehanna during this difficult time, encouraging all allies of Jewish students to check in on them.
“Checking in with Jewish students will be a long and ongoing process,” Bass said. “Do not only check in them now but check up on them in a couple weeks from now.”
Bass shared that the Anti-Defamation League, an organization that fights against anti-Semitism and hate, that the shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue stands as the deadliest attack of Jews in the history of the U.S. Bass also brought up a new reality that the Jewish community now faces.
“There’s a challenging feeling that many Jewish people are experiencing for the first time now that has to do with what it really means to be a targeted minority,” Bass said.
Bass spoke of the Hillel communities commitment to Susquehanna’s campus.
“Hillel is a community that is consistent in saying ‘welcome.’ Anyone is welcome to the Hillel House, it is encouraged
that the wider body of Susquehanna comes to be exposed to Jewish thought,” Bass said.
The discussion transitioned into how different marginalized groups may be feeling during this time and how their feelings can intersect with a group different from their own.
Bass raised the question of: “how do we, as diverse communities, think about how we can stand together with different people?”
On this topic, dean for student diversity and Inclusion and Title IX coordinator Dena Salerno added: “Fear comes
up in different marginalized groups. These are the opportunities where we gather.”
Salerno passed around a hand out of a diagram called “The Pyramid of Hate.”. This diagram laid out five different levels of hatred and how people can go from simply thinking negative thoughts about another group and how it can escalate to executing these negative thoughts.
The lowest level, titled “Prejudice Attitudes” mentioned examples such as “accepting stereotypes” and “not challenging belittling jokes.” Each level increased from “Acts of Prejudice,” to “Discrimination,” “Violence,” and finally “Genocide.”
“At the lowest level, we can intervene and stop this. However, as hatred escalates it becomes harder to end. We all have the power to do something,” Salerno said.