DePaul University Law School. Photo: ajay_suresh/Wikimedia Commons.

The Student Government Association (SGA) of DePaul University issued a statement earlier this month denouncing antisemitism.

“We as the DePaul Student Government Association, strongly condemn the continued, systemic, and dramatic escalation of anti-Jewish acts and rhetoric, including incidents of antisemitism on campus,” SGA said on November 10. “This includes incendiary falsehoods and age-old canards of Jewish stereotypes and conspiracies, such as Jewish control of the media.”

“We encourage all members of the DePaul community to become informed about our Jewish neighbors and peers,” it added.

According to student Barbara Schiffer, SGA an anonymous letter describing a student’s personal experiences with antisemitism on campus prompted SGA to issue the statement and also invite other Jewish students to share their experiences with the senate.

“As a member of the Jewish community, I am thanking the DePaul SGA for taking the time acknowledge antisemitism and the toll it is taking on Jewish students,” student Barbara Schiffer wrote in the The DePaulia, a campus daily, on Sunday. “It is much easier to face hate when you are not alone.”

Schiffer also shared a message from SGA president Rob Manuel, who called on the campus community to “transform DePaul into a radically welcoming space.”

“We are committed to work collaboratively with and tirelessly to ensure we cultivate and promote an environment of well-being that is supportive and safe for everyone in our community,” Manuel said. “I am very proud and appreciative of the students who came forward to share their concerns and experiences. Anyone who has been the subject of — or has witnessed or is aware of — discrimination, harassment, or retaliation is urged to make us aware as soon as possible.”