Eggs Thrown At Rutgers Jewish Fraternity During Holocaust Vigil

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ — Someone threw eggs at the Rutgers' Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity house last Thursday evening while the fraternity members were reading the names of those who died in the Holocaust, according to Rutgers Chancellor Christopher Molloy.

As part of the event, AEPi invited anyone in the community to come read names or light a memorial candle.

"Everyone and anyone is welcome to come to 34 Sicard St to read names, light a memorial candle, or donate to the National Holocaust Museum," the fraternity said in this Instagram post.

The eggs were thrown at the house during the reading.

"This year we held the name-reading outside the front of our house. Overnight during the reading, eggs were thrown at our house," said the members of AEPi in this GoFundMe they created. "This just shows us why we need to continue to have events like this."

The incident happened last Thursday, April 8 and was announced by Molloy the next day in this statement. Alpha Epsilon Pi is a Jewish men's fraternity with houses on college campuses nationwide. The eggs were thrown while members were reading the names of all of those who died in the Holocaust, a somber 24-hour vigil known as Yom HaShoah.

"(This) act of vandalism was made more awful in that it occurred during the annual 24-hour reading of the names of Holocaust victims," said Molloy. "As Chancellor of Rutgers-New Brunswick, I am deeply dismayed by this act of ignorance and the hurt that it has caused members of our Jewish community."

This is not the first incident of anti-Semetism that has occurred on the Rutgers campus:

• In 2016, a Rutgers student, who happens to be Jewish, was feuding with her two roommates. She said she returned to her dorm room one day to find a swastika taped to her ceiling.
• Then twice in 2017, swastikas were found around campus: A swastika was found written on a dry erase board in a study lounge in Clothier Hall. Another was found on Stonier Hall.
• Also in 2017, two different white supremacist groups put recruitment flyers around the Rutgers campus. The groups were identified as Identity Evropa and American Vanguard; flyers were found taped inside and outside multiple campus buildings, and up by Voorhees Chapel. At the time, Identity Evropa said it was trying to recruit members at college campuses. White Supremacist Fliers Found Again At Rutgers University

This week, after the AEPi egg throwing incident, an Instagram account called JewishOnCampus released this statement, saying that antisemitism is an issue at Rutgers: "That such an event happened during a sacred time of remembrance and visible mourning makes it clear ... that antisemitism is a very real issue on campus." That statement received 2,500 "likes."

"The brothers of Alpha Epsilon Pi at Rutgers University are grateful for the tremendous support we have received from the campus and area Jewish community as well as AEPi International," said the president of the Rutgers fraternity. "We are very thankful for the strong statement and stand against antisemitism that we have seen from our university administration. While sad this occurred, we are glad that the increased exposure brought about by this event has allowed us to raise even more in support of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum."

For those looking to help them donate to the museum:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/rutgers-alpha-epsilon-pi-holocaust-awareness?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=p_cf+share-flow-1 Any donations are greatly appreciated.

The Rutgers Student Union, composed of undergrad students, condemned the incident in this statement.

Rutgers Police are working to identify the people responsible and hold them accountable, said Molloy.

Molloy said Rutgers is addressing the matter.

"Further education and awareness are needed. Outreach has already begun from the Office of the Senior Vice President for Equity," he said. "They will highlight resources related to antisemitism in the coming week as a part of their ongoing work to unpack hate. As we go through the diversity strategic planning process, we will attend closely to this, and follow up with members of the Jewish community to ensure your voices and perspectives are reflected in our path forward."

Related: Rutgers Student Finds Swastika Outside Dorm Room (Feb. 2016)

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