CCSU PROF BLASTS CANDIDACY OF ADL STAFF PERSON
By Judie Jacobson
Connecticut Jewish Ledger, CT
Nov 1 2007
NEW BRITAIN-"What is your definition of anti-Semitism and can you
provide examples of criticisms of Israel that are anti-Semitic?"
On the face of it, it seemed like an odd question for Dr. Jay Bergman,
a history professor at Central Connecticut State University (CCSU)
to be asking of his colleague Dr. Sadanand Nanjundiah, a professor
of physics who primarily teaches the introductory courses in physics,
quantum mechanics and mathematical physics at the state-funded school
located in New Britain.
But Bergman wasn’t discussing anything Nanjundiah had done in the
classroom. Instead, his question came in response to a long e-mail
Nanjundiah had sent to the CCSU faculty criticizing the inclusion
of an Anti-Defamation League staff member on the short list for the
position of Chief Diversity Officer at CCSU.
"It is very troubling to read that one of the candidates for the
Executive Assistant to the President/Chief Diversity Officer position
at CCSU is identified as ‘currently the Assistant Director for the
A World of Difference Institute of the Anti-Defamation League in
Hamden, CT," wrote Nanjundiah, referring to Deborah Colucci, who
in her current position helps to oversee a program within the ADL
that provides anti-bias training to schools, campuses, workplaces,
and communities. Colucci is one of three candidates for the CCSU
position selected from among more than 150 applicants to visit the
campus for an open forum, to which all faculty were welcome to come.
In an e-mail sent via the university’s list serve to the entire
faculty, Nanjundiah "reminded all of the recent history of the ADL."
"(The ADL’s) focus has become one of defending Israel’s ‘pristine’
image, come what may, and anyone (not even excluding ex-President
Carter, Nobel Peace Prize winner and renowned for his humanitarian
work) who dares to criticize the government of Israel for its harsh
(apartheid-like) treatment of Palestinians in illegally occupied
Palestine. Most recently, the ADL has engineered the cancellation of
talks by well known scholars like Prof. Tony Judt of NYU, Profs. Walt
and Mearsheimer (authors of the book "Israel Lobby") at various
institutions merely because they were critical of Israel’s policies
towards the Palestinians or because they maintained that the actions
of the Lobby were inimical to the interests of the U.S…The ADL’s
method…is simple: label anyone who dares criticize Israel or the
influence of its Lobby in determining U.S. policies in the Middle
East to be ‘anti-Semitic,’ thereby squelching legitimate debate on
Israel’s oppression of Palestinians and of the Lobby’s influence in
determining U.S. foreign policy."
And don’t think the long arm of the ADL stops there, Nanjundiah
continued.
In case you didn’t know, he wrote, "The ADL has also been involved
in pressuring Congress not to pass a resolution that recognizes the
Armenian genocide so as not to jeopardize the ties between Israel and
Turkey." Finally, as if for good measure, he added links to several
web articles that "expose some of the actions of the ADL."
In light of all that, wrote Nanjundiah, "…it would be utterly
incongruous to consider anyone who comes from ADL for the position of
‘diversity officer’."
Old habits
Not that this was the first time CCSU faculty had been briefed on
the subject of Israel from their colleague. Nanjundiah, who received
a degree in aeronautical engineering from the Indian Institute of
Technology in Bombay and a PhD in physics from the University of
Connecticut, has a well-known penchant for sharing his unflattering
views of Israel and its supporters with other faculty via the school’s
list-serv.
Likewise, he frequently speaks out on the subject online. For example,
responding to what he called a "ludicrous article in defense of Israel"
that appeared on the Media Monitors Network website in Oct. 2004,
Nanjundiah wrote, "The reality is that Israel has been cleansing
all of Palestine of its indigenous population, which is the real
genocide in this region. But for die-hard Zionists, Israel can never
do any wrong and any criticism or negative characterization of its
belligerence or oppression is immediately called "anti-Semitic."
But while several of Nanjundiah’s colleagues have responded with
criticism to his list-serv missives, most, including CCSU President
Jack Miller, have preferred to sit quietly by and allow him the
freedom to present his point of view.
Until now.
This time, Nanjundiah’s e-mail hit a nerve among those who saw it as
a witch hunt of sorts.
"Substitute ‘Communist Party’ for the ADL and you are back to the
blacklisting and suspicions of the 1950s," wrote Paul Petterson, a
political science professor. "If the organization a candidate worked
for raises questions in your mind, go and speak with them directly
at the interview process about your concerns. Treat them as we all
should be treated n as individuals, with respect."
Serafin Mendez-Mendez, a communications professor, announced his
intention to evaluate all three candidates on their own merits. He also
took aim at the anti-Semitic tone he detected in Nanjundiah’s note.
"I despite the potential anti-Semitic subtexts that I am seeing
here lately," he wrote. "The unfair targeting of ‘anything Jewish’
is making me every bit as angry as the Polydong cartoon," he wrote,
referring to a recent offensive cartoon in the school’s newspaper.
Bergman hammered Nanjundiah on his statement that the ADL "labels"
those who criticize Israel as anti-Semitic.
"If you are going to criticize people and institutions for misusing
the term, you really should indicate instances, hypothetical or
real, in which the term is used correctly. Or is it your view that
anti-Semitism doesn’t exist, and that it doesn’t exist because the
term itself is meaningless?" he wrote.
Bergman was not surprised that Nanjundiah did not answer his query.
"I’ve asked him the same question before and he has never given me
the courtesy of a response," Bergman told the Ledger.
This time around, however, Bergman was pleased to hear from President
Miller.
"It is wrong n indeed, grossly unfair n to label "Colucci’s candidacy
as "inappropriate" because she works for a particular organization,"
responded Miller in a list-serv e-mail to faculty. "Her education,
training, and background make her a highly qualified candidate for
the position."
"Prof. Nanjundiah’s commentary, without even the professionalism and
courtesy of posing questions to the candidate and allowing her to
respond, is not what we should expect from a colleague."
As the Ledger went to press, a decision on the selection of CCSU’s
chief diversity officer had still not been announced.