An advertisement by Brandeis in The New York Times Magazine last week is generating criticism for its perceived failure to prioritize inclusivity. The ad, displayed across two pages, reads, “Jews founded Brandeis. But, it’s anything but orthodox.” The use of all capital letters in the headline creates ambiguity, as it remains unclear whether Brandeis intended to refer to “orthodox” or “Orthodox,” with the presence of a comma suggesting a possible error.
The ad further acknowledges the potential confusion, stating, “It’s a natural mistake to make.” The ad goes on to clarify that Brandeis was established in 1948 by American Jews, including those from Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform backgrounds. However, when Brandeis claims to be “anything but orthodox,” it refers to the university’s character rather than its religious affiliation.
The ad was also published in the New York Times, a publication known for its disdain of Jews in general and, more so Orthodox Jews in particular. See the ad below.
The Brandeis Orthodox Organization (BOO), the Orthodox Association for Students, published the following letter in response.
“Dear BOO community,
We hope your summers’ are off to a good start! As many of you may have seen, Brandeis recently just published a New York Times advertisement that, even if only inadvertently, put down and mocked the Orthodox Jewish community. We are
hurt and disappointed to see something like this coming from our university, just as I’m sure many of you are. We know that for decades, Brandeis has provided Orthodox Jewish students like ourselves a place where they could comfortably grow and succeed. However, the statement that was made in this advertisement was unacceptable and antithetical to Brandeis’ values.
We would like to let you know that we have been in communication with university administration to discuss this matter and we are not letting this advertisement go unnoticed. The Orthodox Jewish community at Brandeis is proud of its identity and will continue to represent itself. At the same time, we will also be working with the university to
ensure that an issue like this does not occur again, and that our school recognizes and respects the contributions of its Orthodox Jewish community and its founding principles.
BOO board encourages you to reach out to us if you would like to share your thoughts or want to feel supported. As always, we are here for you in any way we can be. We wish you all a great rest of your summer.”
Best,
Matt Shapiro
President, Brandeis Orthodox Organization
Shoshana Solomon
Vice President, Brandeis Orthodox Organization
Disappointing ad from @BrandeisU.
But with all that *actual* Orthodox Jews face I find this seriously distasteful. pic.twitter.com/jpN2nDzCqN
— David/Dovid Bashevkin (@DBashIdeas) June 25, 2023
Not really a surprise, seeing as the NYT is filled with equally “unorthodox” Jews.