Amazon Pulls Auschwitz Holiday Ornaments; Jewish Student Leader at McGill U. Threatened with Impeachment Over Israel Trip

December 05, 2019

THE WEEK’S BIG 3

Online retail giant Amazon removed from its marketplace holiday ornaments, bottle openers and other products that displayed images from the Nazi concentration camp, Auschwitz. In related news, the International Skating Union (ISU) apologized after nominating a Russian skater, who donned Auschwitz-themed attire, for costume of the year. And in Montreal, McGill University’s student government was condemned after forcing one of its members to cancel a trip to Israel or resign.

Read on for more on these headlines, news you can use to fight hate and the latest info about ADL from around the country.

1. ISU Apologizes After Nominating Offensive Auschwitz Uniform for Costume of the Year

“Russia’s Anton Shulepov has competed in the free skate program to the theme from Schindler’s List, wearing a costume that uses elements of prisoner and guard uniforms from Auschwitz, where more than one million Jews, Poles, Roma and prisoners of war were killed by the Nazi regime…” The Guardian: READ MORE

+ Jonathan Greenblatt tweet: “It’s also shocking the @ISU_Figure initially posted a picture of this costume as a nominee for ‘costume of the year,’ and then issued a wholly inadequate apology…”

+ READ Jonathan Greenblatt’s Op-Ed in JTA on the misappropriation of Holocaust imagery

2. Amazon Removes Holiday Ornaments with Images of Auschwitz After Criticism

“’It is hard to fathom why anyone would want to hang a Christmas ornament adorned with images of a concentration camp,’ said Jonathan A. Greenblatt, chief executive of the Anti-Defamation League. ‘These ornaments are deeply offensive by any measure…’” The New York Times: FULL STORY

+ ADL tweet: “Another example of how products that can incite hate find a place on Amazon…”

+ ADL Resource: Amazon – Hate for Sale

3. Jewish Student Government Member at McGill U Threatened with Impeachment Over Israel Trip

“Jordyn Wright, a member of the Student Society of McGill University’s legislative council and board of directors, said she is ‘outraged and disgusted’ by the student society’s call on Thursday for her to resign for agreeing to the trip sponsored by Hillel…” JTA: FULL STORY

+ UPDATE: McGill student union board rejects motion for Jewish student to cancel trip or be impeached…

+ ADL Resource: Confronting Anti-Semitism and Hate on Campus

KEY ADL SOCIAL STATEMENTS

• The social media platform @Telegram has emerged as a gathering place for the international white supremacist community, as well as other extremists…
• It’s that time of year when students, parents, and teachers face what’s known as the “December Dilemma…”
• TruNews continues to push #antiSemitic conspiracies about impeachment. This #hate has no business on @Twitter, as well as @YouTube & @Facebook…

IN THE COMMUNITY

• Hate Crime Reports Down in Missouri Almost 40% But Some Are Skeptical (St. Louis Public Radio)
• Racist, obscene graffiti causing concern in Mesa (ABC Arizona – Carlos Galindo-Elvira interviewed)
• The History of White Supremacy and Racism in America Today (Think Tank with Steve Adubato – Oren Segal interviewed)

ADL IN THE NEWS

• Influential neo-Nazi eats at soup kitchens, lives in government housing (NBC News – Joanna Mendelson interviewed)
• At ADL conference, a focus on schools, reactions by students and teachers to anti-Semitism (JNS.org)
• Linda Sarsour clarifies her comment that Israel is ‘built on the idea that Jews are supreme to everyone else’ (JTA)