Jewish Student Reinstated to Student Government After Targeted Removal

Seven months after taking his position as a Student Justice for New York University’s Graduate Student Council (GSC), Justin Feldman received an email informing him of a vote to dismiss him. Four days later, he was terminated. 

Feldman joined the GSC last May. Serving in the Justice Department of the GSC, he was the liaison between the Graduate Union for Student Workers and communicated with university administrators to resolve issues raised by students and faculty. 

Justin Feldman, a Graduate Student at NYU and his role in the Graduate Student Council

On October 7 2023, Hamas launched a violent assault on Israeli towns near the Gaza strip, killing over 1,000 people and taking more than 200 hostages. 

As a member of the Jewish community who has family members living in Israel, the attacks had a profound effect on Feldman. He decided to author a resolution titled “Condemning the Endorsement, Promotion, or Excusing of Civilian-Murder (Terrorism) in Academia” and propose it to the Student Government Assembly, the umbrella organization incorporating the GSC. 

“I saw that there were no other voices that were really being representative of the Jewish or Israeli community on campus and in student government,” Feldman said. “If I didn't put forward this resolution, there would be no voice.”

The resolution, which several Jewish student organizations sponsored, condemned the terrorist attacks, as the title suggests, called for the release of Israeli hostages and urged peaceful dialogue on campus. 

Feldman also rejected the notion of having to choose between solidarity with the Muslim community or the Jewish community, “but rather affirms a choice between supporting humanity or supporting terror.”

According to Feldman, he made it clear to his colleagues and members of the GSC that the resolution only spoke for him and his co-sponsors — not the council and not the student government. The only reason GSC’s name was used in the resolution was to identify himself. 

Feldman’s resolution was discussed at a meeting held by the Student SenatorsCouncil on November 9 2023, along with another resolution proposed by SGA’s senator at-large. The senator’s resolution demanded more protections for pro-Palestinian speech and activity on campus and accused the university of not providing enough support. 

Incorporating the feedback received at the November 9 meeting, Feldman’s resolution was debated on November 30. It was voted down, while Khan’s and other pro-Palestinian resolutions passed. 

Two weeks later, Feldman received the email from his student council president notifying him of the vote to be held to remove him.

“I think she had pressure from certain people, whether in the SGA or the GSC’s administration,” Feldman said. “They didn't like what I was doing.”

The charges levied against Feldman stated that he had exceeded his powers by proposing a resolution in the SGA.

The first article Feldman was said to have violated was Article I.C.1. of the constitution, which dealt with the powers of GSC members — but does not state that proposing resolutions to the SGA was prohibited. 

The second article, Article II.A.1.e of the bylaws, states position requirements and duties. Feldman said he had been fulfilling his role.

“There wasn't a legitimate basis to remove me legally or morally,” Feldman said. “I alerted the administration to this, and they decided, ‘We’re still going to have the vote go through.’”

Feldman also discovered that the day before being notified of the vote, the GSC President had secretly modified the GSC constitution and bylaws.

The version of Article IV.B of the constitution ratified in 2020 required two-thirds of the present representatives to cast a vote of no confidence to remove a council member. The new version made by the President only required a simple majority, which meant that the six votes cast in favor of removing Feldman from his position on December 15 effectively did so.

According to Feldman, the President held an emergency meeting to ratify the new modifications after becoming aware of Feldman’s op-ed in the Jewish Journal. The meeting was not highly attended and apparently less than a third of the council showed up. 

On January 12, 2024, Feldman was reinstated into his position by university administration for the duration of the investigation into his dismissal. 

Since regaining his position, Feldman has picked up where he left off. However, he did say that he’s been sidelined by the Graduate Student Organizing Committee, which he’d been on ‘good’ terms with prior to his termination. 

Outside of the GSC, Feldman  continues to operate Abrahama, a club he founded to promote interfaith work between NYU’s Muslim and Jewish communities. 

“Since our founding, we've had Muslim and Jewish board members and we still do,” Feldman said. “It’s nice to see the level of dedication, even amid tough times.”

In May, Feldman will graduate with his Masters in International Relations. 

“Before I depart, I want to bring up those issues one more time,” Feldman said. “We’ll see what happens.”