ASMSU’s Student Assembly voted Thursday against allowing a member from the Council of Jewish Student Organizations.
The motion failed by only one vote, but it raised several issues as to what determines an ethnicity from a religion. Other assembly members were concerned other religious groups would want a seat, too.
Cindy Hughey, director of Hillel Jewish Student Center, 402 Linden St., said there is need for Jewish students to be represented on campus.
“There is definite Jewish culture that isn’t associated with the religion,” Hughey said. “It’s really sad the Jewish students have no direct voice on the student government.”
Hughey said there are Jewish traditions such as dances, food and songs that are in no way related to the religion.
She added it’s hard for people to determine the distinctions of the Jewish culture and the Jewish religion, since there is no way to determine it.
“What we’re lacking are qualifications for what is ethnicity,” Hughey said. “This is an unusual circumstance and people need to wake up and realize that.”
She said even though the bill still failed, the organization will definitely look at this issue again.
“If there’s one person who voted the against the bill who changes their mind, then they can ask for reconsideration,” Hughey said.
Al Welch, a professor of religious studies, said the issue of other religious groups wanting a seat isn’t really one at all.
“There are Jews who don’t go to synagogue and don’t celebrate religious holidays, but they still consider themselves Jews,” Welch said. “Jewish people have their own ethnicity. Non-practicing Christians don’t have their own ethnicity.”
Welch said this religion has been established for 4,000 years and a lot of changes have been made since then that have made the Jewish culture separate.
The percentage of religious Jews was higher before the Holocaust, and since then the percentages of ethnic Jews have been higher, Welch said.
Another problem with the bill was where the seat would be placed in the Student Assembly. Council of Racial and Ethnic Students and Council of Progressive Students are the two groups where the seat could have gone.
Laura Sorensen, representative for Women’s Council, which is part of COPS, said the way the bill was worded the seat would have been part of COPS.
“As a student who represents marginalized people, it’s hard to deny any minority,” Sorensen said.
Sorensen, who voted against the bill, said that for her and the other members of CORES/COPS, it was a difficult decision to make the vote.
But the religious ties were too much.
“It didn’t appear to us that this was only an ethnic group,” she said.
