Poisoned ivy

Why are Trump and his henchmen finding the University of Pennsylvania worthy of yet another in their administration’s long and catastrophic series of revenge attacks?  Is it because, despite Trump’s boasts, he is not the possessor of a Wharton MBA? Who knows what paranoia set him off this time?  As a long-time fan of Penn, I’m here to tell you that for this old bubbie Penn fulfilled many of my dreams for our progeny, our definitely seriously Jewish grandchildren. And Trump’s intended investigation of Penn’s supposed antisemitism is yet another red herring, intended to distract, diminish, and destroy.

Need some Jewish penicillin, aka chicken soup with kneidel?  With a clever play on words, Penn Hillel offers an order form for dorm delivery to  students fighting colds, flu, and covid. It’s called PENNicillin and if you’ve got a friend or family member dealing with minor illness at Penn, you can take advantage of an old and trusted road to recovery by ordering some hot and tasty soup for your student’s quick pick-me-up.  This is quite an indicator of Jewish life at Penn, which is now being challenged by the Trump administration’s nefarious, insidious, and deceptive invasion into the school under the guise of investigating antisemitism. Here’s one grandmother’s vote against this egregious scrutiny that is now demanding the names and contact information, including phone numbers and street addresses, of Jews affiliated with the university. We all know that identifying Jews is part of the heinous history of rabid antisemites.

Kudos to the school’s administration, which has refused to comply with the government’s demands and is now being sued by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which is theoretically investigating antisemitism on campus.

At risk in the subpoena is personal information pertaining to employees and members of Jewish clubs or campus groups, and those who work in the university’s Jewish studies program. At least up until this point, Penn has staunchly and courageously refused to bend the knee and provide the government with these documents.

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The order was followed by a petition organized by members of the Jewish community, strongly supporting the University of Pennsylvania, and denouncing the government for compromising the safety of their community. Penn’s motto has long been “Leges sine Moribus vanae,” which appropriately translates to “laws without morals are useless.” Indeed.

I have been dismayed at the rapidity with which so many towering American institutions, museums, law firms, newspapers, and universities have quickly subjugated themselves to the illegal demands of the current administration.  One can only hope that the example of the University of Pennsylvania will be inspirational and enduring. As they say, FIGHT ON FOR PENN!

The battering rams of this government have been totally totalitarian in nature. Whether it be illegally tearing down a huge portion of our own White House, replacing Kennedy Center management with lackeys, removing integrity from our most esteemed museums like the Smithsonian, fining prestigious law firms to the tune of millions of dollars, punishing news sources like the AP, interfering and degrading prominent leaders in communications and the arts, constantly issuing commands and threats while avoiding punishment for serious legal violations on the part of the president himself (fierce objection to the judges who threw out the Georgia charges against the president, charges that could be substantiated by millions of Americans like me who would eagerly share our shock when we ourselves heard the phone call that has now been wiped clean), and, yes, pursuing, at our most prominent universities, fallacious charges without merit.

For our family Penn has been a haven, a place where our grandchildren have continued their Jewish growth and lived their Jewish lives without fear. One of our grandsons was president of Penn Hillel. Another was a singer in the amazing a capella group the Shabbatones, which sang for large audiences both on campus and off. Another spent a year abroad at Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem in a unique program offered by Penn.  All cherish their time at the school, the lifetime friendships, and the safe harbor that the school remains.

And two of our grandchildren married Penn graduates, one a fellow graduate, and one a resident in orthopedics.

Jewdensity is alive and well at Penn. We love the school, the campus and its proximity to our New Jersey home. Please, if your child is considering a Penn application now or forevermore, go for it!

Rosanne Skopp of West Orange is a wife, mother of four, grandmother of 14, and great-grandmother of nine. She is a graduate of Rutgers University and a dual citizen of the United States and Israel. She is a lifelong blogger, writing blogs before anyone knew what a blog was! She welcomes email at rosanne.skopp@gmail.com