In the 1960s, my father’s father took a boat to Israel, which was a very big deal, and brought back Jaffa oranges. That really symbolized a love for that land that is just so much a part of me. My parents were also Zionists, and I learned all the Israeli songs and dances in school. Zionism is not a modern political belief. It has been in the blood of the Jews for the last, I want to say, 2,800 years or so. Jews maintained their identity, even in diaspora. And there was always, always this longing to return.

Early in my career at CUNY, there were reports that the union president was flying around the world supporting leftist causes. If she wants to go support them, fine, that’s her right. But why is she doing it using members’ dues? That’s not the job of a union president. I thought she should be spending her time fighting for our contract. I really did not believe in the union, and I was not a member.

But then I worked with a union rep, a really great person, who helped me when I was denied a promotion due to discrimination. At that point, I decided to become a union member and eventually a rep for my department. There were sometimes things that came down from the union that I felt were totally not right. At one point, they wanted us to get people to sign union cards with a clause saying that if you wanted to get out of being a union member, it could only be within 30 days of your annual anniversary of having signed the card. I threw them in paper recycling because I thought that was like a ball and chain. I just didn’t do it. So, I believe that there is a need for unionism, but I believe unions have to stay on the mark.

When the union came out with that statement, my kneejerk reaction was to get out of the union. Some of my colleagues started emailing each other to form a loose coalition, and Jeff Lax [later a co-plaintiff] helped us by preparing an exactly worded letter telling the union you want out. So, I used that letter, and I resigned from the PSC.

Initially, I just wanted as far away from the PSC as I could get. If they’re supporting those that want to kill me, how are they going to represent me? Pitiful. But they do still represent me even though I’m not a member. I don’t want to have to associate with people who hate me.

The union has essentially said they hate me. Why should I have to socialize with them, or do business with them? If you don’t like a store in your neighborhood, say the owner has been nasty to you, you don’t go back there. Why should I be forced to do that? It’s a fundamental injustice when you are required to associate with an organization that supports those who would seek to kill you and your loved ones. Getting the right for us to associate with who we want—that’s what my lawsuit was working towards.

I have gotten contacts from people who stayed in the union, who weren’t aware of all that was going on, and they’ve said, you know, I’ve just found this out, or they just did something to me. And I heard you’re part of this group that’s fighting this in the union. What should I do? So, I’ve become somewhat of a lightning rod for people who are starting to see these things, feel uncomfortable about it, and want to know what to do, where to go.