The philanthropist behind the University of Manitoba’s largest-ever personal donation — $30 million — has denounced a speech made by a valedictorian for medicine grads and admonished the university for letting it happen.
In a letter dated Monday, Ernest Rady says he was hurt and appalled by the remarks by valedictorian Gem Newman at the May 16 convocation for students from the Max Rady College of Medicine. The school was renamed in honour of Rady’s father after the 2016 donation.
“Newman’s speech not only dishonoured the memory of my father, but also disrespected and disparaged Jewish people as a whole,” said Rady’s letter, sent to U of M president Michael Benarroch and college of medicine dean Dr. Peter Nickerson.
Approximately two minutes of Newman’s nine-minute address focused on the war in Gaza and called for a ceasefire in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, which began after an Oct. 7 cross-border attack on Israel led by Hamas that killed roughly 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 250 others hostage.
In a statement emailed to CBC News on Wednesday, college dean Nickerson confirmed the video that included the speech had been taken down.
Here’s what I think is the relevant part of the video, sorry about the source.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Winnipeg/comments/1cubttt/university_of_manitobas_2024_medical_school/
No, laughably no. It’s possible to disagree with the speech’s characterization of Israel’s actions in Gaza, specifically whether or not they are intentionally targeting hospitals and whether or not they are committing genocide. But to say that the speech disparaged Jewish people as a whole is just factually wrong. It also feeds into some really wrong and anti Semitic tropes of Jewish control of the media etc. Really bad call by Rady.