Neo-Nazi site lists photographs, names of thousands of Yeshiva U. students
Most of the photos were found on the YU website and were taken at several of the university's official events.
By TAMAR URIEL-BEERIYeshiva University's Mendel Gottesman Library(photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)Pictures of Thousands of Yeshiva University (YU) students were found posted on the neo-Nazi forum Vanguard News Network (VNN) on Friday, according to the YU Observer.The Observer was informed of the threads, which included photos and names of Jewish people attending or teaching at the university. One of those threads was created in early June 2018 and dissected the "physical defects" of a Jewish journalist's "Jewishness" as well as listing the YU students and faculty as additional examples of the Jewish "phenotype."Different comments preceding the thread included criticism of Jewish people for being ugly because of the "money sucked up their big noses" and that call the photographs are "proof that [Jews] are creatures of Satan hell-bent on destroying the White race."Most of the photos were found on the YU website and were taken at several of the university's official events. Thousands of pictures and names were posted altogether, according to the Observer, including those of YU high schools students.YU is working on a case with the NYPD to send a cease and desist order to VNN for harassment. Although there are no explicit threats to a physical attack on the people whose pictures and names were posted, the posts nevertheless brought about great concern."The content of the online forum targeting members of our community is appalling and offensive," said YU's senior vice president Josh Joseph. "Targeting individuals on the basis of their religion, ethnicity or race is inexcusable."However, Joseph added that, "while this situation is obviously disturbing, our security team has investigated and found no direct threat to the individuals appearing in the photos or to Yeshiva University. We do not believe there is reason to be concerned at this time, and our security team will continue to monitor the situation."
