Professor Lolita Zamir Shares Antisemitic Experiences

I have started to work as a full Professor at Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS) since 1984 and the department where I am associated is called Institut Armand-Frappier. There are 150 professors at INRS whereas 31 professors at the department:Institut Armand-Frappier. When I first joined the Institut Armand-Frappier (25 years ago) we were two jews but the second one moved to McGill University 20 years ago. I am therefore the only jew remaining at INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier

In 2002-2003 I received a prix d’excellence of $5 000. I was very pleased, thanked my chairman profusely (I think I also sent him flowers!). The same year I found out that three other professors in my department received “Prix de performance” of the order of $ 15 000 and $ 20 000!

Obviously I was jealous so I went to my chairman and told him that I was very happy to be excellent, however I am aspiring to be performant since obviously $ 15 000 and $ 20 000 is certainly more than $ 5 000.

My chairman answer was very hurtful: “Lolita, I knew that Jews like MONEY but I did not know YOU are like that!!!”

Unfortunately, I was the only one hearing this certainly ANTISEMITIC phrase!!

Obviously I was and still am very hurt about it! but I must admit it is the first time in 25 years that I heard it!

I hope it will never happen again!

Thank you for hearing me.

Best regards
Lolita Zamir

AUTHOR

SPME

Scholars for Peace in the Middle East (SPME) is not-for-profit [501 (C) (3)], grass-roots community of scholars who have united to promote honest, fact-based, and civil discourse, especially in regard to Middle East issues. We believe that ethnic, national, and religious hatreds, including anti-Semitism and anti-Israelism, have no place in our institutions, disciplines, and communities. We employ academic means to address these issues.