June 20, 2024 

Dear Interim President Ettinger and Provost Crosson,

We sincerely appreciate the time you dedicated to meeting with the Minnesota Rabbinic Association (MRA) last month. Your willingness to engage with our community is both heartening and inspiring.

We are writing today to offer our input in the ongoing search for the director of the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies. This role is both pivotal within the academic landscape and holds profound significance for our community.

While we deeply respect the principle of academic freedom in faculty decisions, we believe that the unique nature of this position necessitates a broader, more inclusive approach. The director of this Center must embody the values and sensitivities of those who are most profoundly impacted by the atrocities it seeks to study and remember. Therefore, we appreciate your openness to reevaluating the search process and recognizing the vital importance of local community representation.

As the University moves forward with a new search, we strongly advocate that the leadership and hiring committee continue to be mindful about the founding mission and vision of the Center, as conceived and designed by Dr. Feinstein together with donors Myron and Anita Kunin, which included fighting modern-day antisemitism and all forms of bigotry. Since the directorship is a community-facing position, we also recommend that the Center continue to engage their multiple community stakeholders in the hiring process, including those from our Jewish community. Such representation will ensure that the voices of those connected to the Center’s mission are heard and respected.

Thank you for considering our perspective and for your commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive academic environment. We look forward to working with you toward our common goals. 

With deep respect,

Rabbi Esther Adler

Rabbi Morris Allen

Rabbi Jill Avrin

Rabbi Barbara L. Block 

Rabbi Norman M. Cohen

Rabbi Barry Cytron

Rabbi Alexander Davis

Rabbi Avram Ettedgui

Rabbi Jennifer Hartman

Rabbi Justin Held 

Rabbi Rebecca Kamil

Rabbi Ricky Kamil

Rabbi Harold J. Kravitz

Rabbi Lynn Liberman

Rabbi David Locketz

Rabbi Tamar Magill-Grimm 

Rabbi Tobias Divack Moss

Rabbi Cathy Nemiroff

Rabbi Avi S. Olitzky

Rabbi Debra Rappaport

Rabbi Jason Rodich

Rabbi Marcus Rubenstein

Rabbi Rachel Rubenstein

Rabbi Sharon Stiefel

Rabbi David Steinberg

Rabbi Adam Stock Spilker

Rabbi David B. Thomas

Rabbi Aaron Weininger 

Rabbi Marcia Zimmerman