The Forward reports:

More than three dozen former leaders of major Jewish organizations published an open letter in The New York Times rebuking current leadership for being “far too silent about the stunning assault on democratic norms.”

Although they did not name President Donald Trump in the letter published Thursday, the signatories — which included directors and former chairs of the Anti-Defamation League, American Jewish Committee, Hillel International, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and major federations — decried his administration’s approach to fighting antisemitism.

“A range of actors are using a purported concern about Jewish safety as a cudgel,” they wrote. “We call on Jewish leaders and institutions – national and local – to resist the exploitation of Jewish fears.”

It was the latest salvo in a war over how American Jews should respond to the Trump administration, which has launched an unprecedented crackdown on colleges and universities in the name of protecting Jews.

These moves, including freezing billions of dollars in federal funding and canceling hundreds of student visas, were initially welcomed by groups like the ADL and AJC, though those organizations have since tempered their enthusiasm. [Continue reading…]