A law student at the University of Alberta who asked to display a menorah in a study space was not only denied, but her request resulted in the faculty removing Christmas trees as well.
On Tuesday, law student Rachel Cook spoke with the staff at law student services after she noticed several Christmas trees, garlands and other holiday decorations on display at a campus lounge.
Cook, who is Jewish, offered to bring in an electric menorah to represent Hanukkah and supplement another menorah that was lit at the campus on Thursday, according to the National Post.
Cook said the initial response to her offer was positive, however she later received an email from a vice dean who wanted to address Cook’s “concerns” about the existing decorations on campus.
The vice dean offered Cook a bookable room where she could hold a lighting ceremony and display a menorah but said that the decorations that were already up in public spaces around campus were meant to be “non-denominational.”
Following the email, the Christmas trees were taken down, but the garlands, lights and decorative polar bears were kept on display.
Cook said she never had any issue with the Christmas trees, noting that she had accepted a candy cane from the vice dean while he was dressed up as Santa in a previous exchange with him.
She was shocked to learn that her request led to such an overreaction.
“I got an email from the vice dean (telling me) ‘No trees either, we’re going to take all those down because of your concerns,’ ” she told the National Post. “That’s when I responded, ‘But I don’t have concerns, I actually find them quite pretty. I just wanted to display a menorah.’ ”
Cook said she was also confused as to how the faculty defined what a non-secular decoration was, as many of the other decorations remained on display, like the garlands.
“They’ve decided now the secular line is that if it’s nature-themed and lying flat, that’s secular. But if it’s in tree form (it’s religious),” she said.
Cook believes that it was the faculty’s decision to take down the trees because they don’t want to display what they incorrectly may perceive to be an endorsement of Israel.
“I have not talked to a single student on campus who has a problem with a menorah,” said Cook, adding that she suspects that the faculty felt it better to remove symbols with Christian connotations, instead of displaying a menorah.
The faculty’s decision comes on the heels of Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek’s refusal to attend a Hanukkah ceremony at city hall.
Gondek’s decision was based on the premise that the event had “been repositioned as an event to support Israel,” including its invasion of Gaza.
Several Jewish leaders condemned Gondek’s decision as well as certain government and opposition MPs.
Several weeks ago, the university also fired the head of its sexual assault centre, Samantha Pearson, after she used the organization’s name to endorse a letter denying several reports of sexual abuse perpetrated by Hamas members during the Oct. 7 attack.
Michael Brown, a spokesman for the University of Alberta, said that “some decorations were moved in order to maintain the intent of seasonal decorations in this shared space, which is to be secularly festive.”
“The faculty supports student groups and others who wish to hold celebration events that may be denominational, religious or spiritual with bookable spaces, including a room specifically designated for these purposes,” said Brown in a statement, according to the National Post.
