Publisher’s note: The following is a letter from the board of trustees at the B’nai Israel temple in Columbus, which was sent to Mississippi State University Provost David Shaw and Mississippi Department of Education’s Chief Academic Officer Dr. Donna Boone. A copy of the letter was also sent to area media.
Drs. Shaw and Boone,
I write to you regarding the proposal submitted by MSU for the future of MSMS. I am not writing about the merits of the proposal itself, and will not express an opinion about the future path and location of MSMS. Instead, I will comment on one aspect of the proposal: the diagram of the proposed facility. I do not know the origin of that diagram or how many people were able to comment on it before the proposal was published. I do know that the maroon and yellow shape at the center of the proposed campus is easily recognized as a swastika by Jewish people and by those who wish to do us harm. As such, I must say that any future design of this facility cannot include any elements that even hint at the shape of a symbol used to terrorize and incite violence. Many members of our local Jewish community were shocked to see this image widely publicized. I hope that such an oversight will not happen again.
Board of Trustees
Temple B’nai Israel
Columbus, Mississippi
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