YJP's Go and Learn NYC event censored by host

On Friday evening, May 25th, at 8 pm Eastern, Steven Arnoff, Executive Director of the 14th Street Y, called to cancel the “Go & Learn” event organized by Young, Jewish, and Proud less than 48 hours before the event was scheduled to begin. YJP, the young adult wing of Jewish Voice for Peace, had a signed contract and had paid to rent the space from the 14th Street Y for a room that holds 75 people. Arnoff cited concerns about attendance exceeding our agreed limit even though there were only 40 RSVP’s as of Friday evening. The Go & Learn event, part of a national series, is designed to encourage open conversation about the Palestinian Call for Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) and in honor of Shavuot, a Jewish holiday of study. The 14th Street Y’s last minute cancellation is emblematic of a larger trend of silencing discussion on Palestinian nonviolent movements within the Jewish community.

Click here to sign the petition in protest of this censorship by the 14th St Y

Watch the video of the event that was held anyway:

Forward, May 31st, 2012: Censorship at the 14th St Y!
Jewish Telegraph Agency, May 28, 2012: BDS workshop abruptly canceled by N.Y. host.
Forward, May 26, 2012: Y Scraps Pro-Boycott Jewish Groups Event
Electronic Intifada, May 26, 2012: Acting as "censor," New York’s 14th Street Y abruptly cancels Jewish youth event on Israel boycott
Mondoweiss, May 29, 2012: Beyond the pale: NYC Jewish community center cancels workshop on Palestinian nonviolent movements