Division News & Statements
Statement from President Mantella on Vandalism at Ahavas Israel Cemetery
November 03, 2020
Excerpt from President Mantella's Election Day speech delivered on November 3 at the Cook Carillon Tower on the Allendale Campus:
And today, while we are focused on the practice of the sacred right of voting, we would be remiss not to take this opportunity to also make a strong statement also about the fact that as a community, we cannot stand by as acts of hate are committed under the guise of politics. Last night, in a Grand Rapids cemetery, a hateful act was perpetrated on our Jewish brothers and sisters. This will surely be on the minds of our Jewish students, faculty and staff today. When one of us suffers, we all suffer. We must all stand together to say that we will not tolerate acts of hate disguised as politics. Politics will be messy, challenging and difficult. But it is up to us to commit to working through our differences, disagreements and that messiness- with respect for one another’s shared humanity.