The University of Toronto graduate student union has apologized after an official said, in response to a Jewish student, that making kosher food accessible on campus would be “pro-Israel” and therefore problematic.
“The External Commissioner did not intend to do harm in using this language, but recognizes that this is not an excuse for the harm that the wording of this response caused to the individual receiving it as well as to Jewish students at U of T,” added the apology.
The statement mentioned that no decision has been made whether to proceed with a motion to make kosher food available on campus.
The graduate student union said it has reached out to Hillel and the student who received the response “to request a meeting to discuss how to remedy harm and how to mitigate future harm towards Jewish students on campus.”
U of T Hillel acknowledged the apology and appreciated that the motion will be considered, but said the statement “does not address the anti-Semitic nature of their original response. This is the core issue that must be discussed.”
The graduate student union voted in 2012 to support the anti-Israel BDS movement.