Our Emory University community is united by shared values of trust and empathy. As members of this institution, we believe in the fundamental rights of students to expression, assembly and protest, which the University's Respect for Open Expression Policy safeguards. However, rights come with responsibilities, and protected actions — like protests — can still be morally reprehensible. In the coming days, we must prioritize compassion and allow our fellow students the space to mourn and heal in peace.
On Oct. 7, 2023, more Jews were killed than on any other day since the Holocaust. Jewish students at Emory have lost relatives, friends and mentors. The grief is still fresh. The wounds are still raw.
Many Jewish students hope to gather on the first anniversary to honor those who were lost and to remind us of the 97 hostages Hamas still holds. This is not a political event but a communal act of grief — a moment of remembrance for lives cut short and futures stolen.
Recently, it has come to light that Emory Students for Justice in Palestine (ESJP) plans to hold a flag-raising event on Oct. 7, coinciding with the Jewish student groups’ joint memorial. This ESJP event has the sole listed purpose of focusing on the deaths of Palestinians during the Israel-Hamas War. At best, such an event would portray to Jewish students that their grief and their losses are considered illegitimate as compared to those suffered by Palestinians. At worst, it would illustrate a condonation of the Oct. 7 attacks. We must consider the message it would send to our campus community if we fail to allow one another the space to mourn in peace.
Mourning allows us to process loss and find a way forward. Both Islam and Judaism have profound mourning traditions designed to create supportive environments for the bereaved. These traditions encourage processing and acceptance, and they must be remembered in times of utmost pressure and grief.
It is in this spirit of empathy and understanding that I respectfully request that the leaders of ESJP cancel their event tentatively scheduled for Oct. 7. This is not an attempt to silence or minimize the suffering of Palestinians, who continue to endure terrible hardships as a result of the ongoing conflict. Instead, it is an appeal to allow Jewish students to have the peace of mind to mourn and remember their loved ones on the one-year anniversary of that fateful day.
Additionally, I encourage Emory’s administration to invite the Parents Circle-Families Forum to campus. This organization, founded by Palestinian and Israeli families who have lost loved ones to the conflict, promotes reconciliation as the key to lasting peace. Its work represents the kind of collective healing and mutual respect that our campus needs to move forward. I hope that Jewish and Muslim student groups will play a key role in bringing this event to life.
Ultimately, this is a moral choice. Students must choose to resist the impulse to exercise their rights to the fullest in favor of creating space for collective grief. I ask that you, the leaders of ESJP, help our campus take one step closer to the healing and dialogue that are necessary if we are to be the generation to break the cycle of violence.
Noah Stifelman (27C) is from Englewood, N.J.
