Tuesday, May 30, 2017

'All Ryerson social work grad Rebecca Katzman wanted was to do her third-year placement at one of two respected Toronto Jewish organizations with a track record of addressing social justice issues...'

UPDATED: See Professor Miriam Elman's piece, at Legal Insurrection, "Another Ryerson Univ BDS Scandal: Jewish Student Prohibited from Placement with pro-Israel Toronto Jewish Agencies."

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Well, if you want to do work with a Jewish organization you'll be targeted with leftist hatred. Ms. Rebecca said she was unprepared for this.

At the Toronto Sun, "Jewish Ryerson student 'felt targeted' over placement request":


TORONTO - All Ryerson social work grad Rebecca Katzman wanted was to do her third-year placement at one of two respected Toronto Jewish organizations with a track record of addressing social justice issues.

The 22-year-old, who will graduate with her Bachelor of Social Work degree on June 8, said her desire to be placed at either the Prosserman Jewish Community Centre (JCC) or the United Jewish Appeal (UJA) was “sparked” by a combination of actions at Ryerson — among them the anti-Semitism she experienced on campus.

However, she wasn’t prepared in the slightest for what happened with her third-year placement coordinator in the faculty of social work, Heather Bain.

After making it clear to Bain about her preferred placement, Katzman said the field coordinator advised her in an e-mail in late August of 2015 she did not follow up with the JCC or UJA because their values appeared to be “in opposition” to the values of the School of Social Work.

Bain listed those values as the advancement of anti-oppression; anti-racism; anti-colonialism and decolonization; feminism; anti-capitalism; Queer and trans liberation struggles; issues in disability and madness (cct); among others (many of which are not listed on the school’s own website.)

“My understanding is both agencies have a strong anti-Palestinian lean,” Bain continued, suggesting that if Katzman agreed to bring a “critical awareness” (of Palestinian solidarity movements) to either agency she might reconsider.

While the two agencies where Katzman wanted to be placed are known to be pro-Israel, she said their websites do not indicate any anti-Palestinian policies in the slightest.

Katzman, who waited until she was ready to graduate to tell her story for fear of retaliation from the faculty, said she was devastated by Bain’s e-mail.

“I felt targeted as a Jewish student,” she said, noting she’s coming forward because she wants the university to investigate as well as a public apology.

When she challenged Bain about her contentions, the field placement officer responded on Aug. 25, 2015 that she consulted with Jewish colleagues who are part of “Jews Against Israeli Apartheid movements” before making her decision not to pursue those placements.

When Katzman — with the support of a pro-Israeli campus organization called Stand With Us (she was awarded a fellowship from them) — indicated in a Sept. 4 follow-up e-mail she’d booked a meeting with then-Ryerson president Sheldon Levy to address the matter, both Bain’s boss. Kristie Wright and Bain herself wrote back indicating “misinformed information” had been provided to her.

They also indicated that the school of social work does not require their partner agencies to “align with Palestinian solidarity movements” to be considered for placement.

Katzman confirmed in a recent interview that at no time did they offer to place her at either agency and she ended up completing her third-year placement at an organization serving kids with autism...
One more reason why I'm not a leftist.

Leftism is an ideology of hate, straight up.

Still more.

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