A Jewish-Canadian student at Montreal’s McGill University has been told to cancel a planned trip to Israel or to resign from her role in the Student Society of McGill University. Jordyn Wright has refused to do either, risking impeachment once she returns from the Hillel-sponsored trip.
The “Face to Face” trip aims to foster a better understanding of the region, with students meeting politicians and journalists in Israel.
“As a Jew, my connection to Israel is a core aspect of my identity, and I hoped that this trip would help me to experience Israel through a new lens,” Wright wrote in a Facebook post which has been shared over 1,600 times.
Wright further described how the Student Society held a vote on requesting her to resign which subsequently passed. A non-Jewish member of the Society who is also participating in the Hillel trip faced no criticism, according to Wright.
Additionally, Wright, a student of Microbiology and Immunology, allegedly faced the same threat from the Science Executive Committee, another board she serves on. The student claims a “toxic environment, countless scandals, prohibitive anti-Israel sentiment, and anti-Semitism,” had led to the image of a campus unfriendly for Jews.
Wright provided information on her further steps, writing: “Science demands that I resign as a Councillor. [The Student Society of McGill University] demands that I resign as a Director. I am Jordyn Wright, and I will not resign.”
McGill University has frequently involved in controversy over its Student Society’s positions on Israel and the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. Jewish students have repeatedly gone public stating they were being made to feel uncomfortable by the student representative body.
In addition, McGill’s Student Society has faced scrutiny on all sides of the political spectrum over its incoherent statements and resolutions on BDS with the group being accused of lacking consistency on its relationship with the movement.