I read with interest Mauricio Karchmer's Why I Quit My Dream Job at MIT, published Tuesday in The Free Press; but its perspective struck me as rather alien to the very nature of a modern secular American university.
The author begins by pointing to what he sees as MIT's inadequate condemnation of the Hamas attack; some students' "chant[ing] 'Free Palestine' and 'From the river to the sea' with fury and at times glee, like they were reciting catchy songs instead of slogans demanding the erasure of the Jewish people"; several colleagues' "endorsing this behavior"; and the upset this caused to Jewish and Israeli students. But eventually he offers this as the main reason for quitting:
Over 65 percent of students from each MIT undergraduate class—or around 800 students—enroll in my Introduction to Algorithms course every year. When I looked at the names of the leaders of some of the most violent anti-Israel groups on our campus, I found a handful of my students on the list. Then I found out that one of my former teaching assistants—a bright young woman—was one of the organizers of the Coalition Against Apartheid and helped bring Mohammed El-Kurd to campus.
I loved my job. But I realized there and then I could no longer train kids in algorithms, knowing they might one day spread this ideology even further through their advanced knowledge. I knew I could no longer be a part of a system that foments antisemitism. In late November, I sat on the ferry I used to take from MIT's campus back home and decided that I should resign. I have worked hard throughout my professional life to have choices, so I have the luxury of acting on my principles. A few weeks later, on December 13, I handed in my resignation to the head of the department.
My letter stated, in part: "I cannot continue teaching Algorithms to those who lack the most basic critical thinking skills or emotional intelligence. Nor can I teach those who condemn my Jewish identity or my support for Israel's right to exist in peace with its neighbors." …
MIT's mission is to train the next generation of leaders. But right now, I'm terrified of the thought that today's students could lead anything in the future.
