Q&A
Council Member Brewer questions CUNY's efforts to recruit Jewish students amid concerns of antisemitism
2:18:33
·
151 sec
Council Member Gale A. Brewer raises concerns about Jewish families hesitating to send their children to CUNY due to antisemitism fears. She questions Chancellor Felix Matos Rodriguez about CUNY's approach to handling this issue and recruiting Jewish students. The Chancellor discusses CUNY's collaboration with Hillel and outreach efforts, particularly at Queens College.
- Brewer requests copies of recruitment brochures targeting Jewish students
- The Chancellor mentions working on early college programs with yeshivas
- Brewer suggests that all CUNY campuses, not just Queens College, should have targeted recruitment efforts for Jewish students
Gale A. Brewer
2:18:33
Sorry.
2:18:33
I just came from Jessica Tisch's inauguration at the police department.
2:18:38
It's a big deal for me and for everybody.
2:18:40
My question is, when students apply for college these coming, months, I know a lot of my friends, parents, and students are applying now, and they are concerned as parents about sending students as Jewish families where they're not comfortable.
2:19:00
In fact, I've heard this over and over in the last few weeks.
2:19:05
The students may wanna go, but the parents don't want them to go because they don't want them at 17 to be exposed.
2:19:11
So my question to you is, how are you handling that issue?
2:19:14
I know that, to the credit, there's more there are more students now at CUNY, But I am worried that students hearing about some of these issues, Jewish students, will not be applying to CUNY.
2:19:26
How are you handling that?
Felix Matos Rodriguez
2:19:27
Well, thank thank you for that question.
2:19:29
We've been working very closely, particularly with the Hillels, who've been, traditionally, you know, whereas at Queens College, it's been a great way to, to recruit, students and and and do that.
2:19:42
And to your point and some of the points that have been made by some of your council members here, clearly, there's been a lot of, like, anti Semitic incidents and things that that give worry to parents and to students.
2:19:56
But when you also talk to some of the students, they do share some of their concerns.
2:20:00
But I've also been talking to many of them and they say that, they're having, a good experience that, you know, part of their, Jewish identity in life is be being part of the Hillels and the Shabbats in, in some of the campuses.
2:20:15
So we are sending that message to I know some of the colleges, Queens College, for example, produced an entire brochure, that was geared towards Jewish students to be, helping with the with the recruitment.
2:20:27
Some of the campus have done that.
2:20:29
So we've been in that outreach campaign.
Gale A. Brewer
2:20:32
Could we get a copy of those brochures sent to the committee?
Felix Matos Rodriguez
2:20:35
I'd certainly
Gale A. Brewer
2:20:36
But it would seem to be that every campus should be doing that, not just Queens College.
2:20:39
Is there a city, campus I'm sorry, a university wide effort along those lines?
Felix Matos Rodriguez
2:20:43
We've been working, with some, in in our efforts to in the same college now model that we have.
2:20:52
We've been also doing some outreach to the chief us to sort of do a similar model, sort of having some early college there too.
2:20:58
So there's been some outreach efforts there too, but I'll get you the materials from Queens College.
Gale A. Brewer
2:21:02
Thank you, mister chair.
