How to reject hate and return to truth at America’s universities

Amid the furor this past week over the congressional testimonies of Harvard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and University of Pennsylvania (Penn) presidents — which led Penn President Liz Magill to forcibly resign — I couldn’t help but think by contrast of the background of our president at New York University (NYU): Linda Mills, a Jewish woman and documentary filmmaker. 

That her mother is a Holocaust survivor is turning out to be more and more relevant. Mills’s first film, “Auf Widersehen, Til We Meet Again,” details her family’s return to Austria following her mother’s escape from the Holocaust. Also relevant is her film “Of Many,” which focuses on a powerful relationship between an imam and an orthodox rabbi who both serve as university chaplains in New York City.

These themes of remembering the lessons of history and learning to get along with and befriend those of opposite political or religious beliefs are crucial lessons for our time. “Of Many” won several humanitarian awards and should be a must-watch for every university student in the country. Premiered in 2014, filmed at another time of tension between Jewish and Muslim students on college campuses, the movie is prescient as it shows young religious Jews and Muslims working together and overcoming their divisiveness to help communities in turmoil. 

Currently, instead of the positive feelings of being a college student with an appetite for learning, too often there is a reverberating divisive hostility rocking many of our campuses. NYU — where I am a professor of medicine and medical director of Doctor Radio at NYU Langone Health — has suspended a student, Hafiza Khalique, for reportedly tearing down posters of kidnapped Israelis in October. She has had her scholarship rescinded. 

Unfortunately, she wasn’t alone in tearing down these posters or rallying on behalf of Hamas. It is one thing for students to disagree, it is another for them to resort to desecration or threats. 

At the same time, hate speech and divisiveness have a huge impact on mental health as students objectify each other rather than learn how to relate. 

The American Psychological Association points to research showing that those who experience hate are more likely to also experience other negative emotions, including anger and shame. Senior digital editor Amy Novotny wrote that victims, “experience poor mental health, including depression, anxiety and suicidal behavior” and that research shows “the experience of hate-motivated behavior can result in blaming of and lower empathy toward fellow victims.” 

Too often hate speech is driven by misinformation, which then leads to more hate speech. I am concerned about denialism or attempts to rewrite history as a way to justify an extreme or antisemitic position. Shockingly, a new small poll from the Economist/YouGov found that one-fifth of Americans ages 18-29 believe the Holocaust was a myth. Perhaps worse than that, another 30 percent of young people said they didn’t disagree or agree with the statement.

Perhaps too many films have shown Holocaust images in a way that makes them seem surreal. Or perhaps this denialism is ideologically based. Whatever the reason, it is antisemitic and dangerous. “Never Again” involves accepting the horror of what happened before you can vow to make certain it is never repeated. 

Primo Levi, who survived Auschwitz, was perhaps the best at bringing the horrid experience alive for people. In his monumental account, “Survival in Auschwitz,” he described people walking a field with their heads down, scanning for the tiniest crumb or broken piece of tool to help them survive. 

This story of courage and resilience means something even now, especially in the face of the atrocities committed by Hamas and Israel’s struggle to respond. Unfortunately, many Holocaust survivors, including many of my elderly patients, are now struggling with flashbacks and nightmares brought on by the wave of antisemitism currently sweeping across this country. 

Holocaust survivors bear witness, and it is wise for our young to listen to them and learn. Never again is an ominous warning at this time. Healing as a society begins on our college campuses where informed debate and inclusivity must take the place of derision and marginalization.

Marc Siegel MD is a professor of medicine and medical director of Doctor Radio at NYU Langone Health. He is a Fox News medical correspondent and author of the new book, “COVID; The Politics of Fear and the Power of Science.”