A rabbi for the Hillel at Georgia's Emory University was fired in August after her fiancé posted criticisms of Israel on social media, the rabbi, Nikki Golomb, told Jewish Currents on Thursday.
According to Golomb, she began working at Emory Hillel on July 1 and was fired by the nonprofit that operates Hillels in Georgia on August 3.
“There were no questions, no conversation, nothing about me or my politics or anything I’ve done,” Golomb said. “It was just about the fact that I am in a relationship with people who are critical of Israel.”
Golomb's fiancé, Sam Stein, describes himself as a "protective presence activist and journalist" on Instagram, where he has a substantial following. He posts frequently from the West Bank, including sharing videos of settler violence.
“I don’t think that Sam’s politics are relevant to my job, and they’re certainly not relevant to my ability to do the job that they hired me to do,” Golomb said.
Before she had been hired, Golomb said that Hillel had told her that Israel and Zionism, and supporting Zionist students, were a major part of the organization and her role in it. "That’s something I was prepared to do,” she said, saying that she feels a "deep sense of connection to the land of Israel" despite her fiancé's activism.
Hillel concerned Marcus Foundation would pull funding over pro-Palestine posts
According to Golomb, Hillel's Georgia CEO, Larry Sernovitz, told her that the Marcus Foundation, a major Hillel donor, might cut off its funding if it learned about her engagement to Stein.
Golomb also said she was told she would not receive severance pay after her firing.
Responding to Jewish Currents inquiries, Sernovitz said that "this employment decision was made in accordance with federal and state law and violated no governmental or organizational policy," adding that the decision had been made "for legitimate, work-related reasons and in accordance with our policies.”
Director emeritus of UCLA Hillel, Rabbi Chaim Seidler-Feller, told Jewish Currents that Golomb's firing was "an act of political cancellation and intolerance.”