Memo stirs controversy at York U.

A history professor is demanding an apology from a leading Jewish rights group and York University for what he calls "scurrilous attacks" on his character and attempts to squelch his freedom of speech.

If no apology is forthcoming, David Noble said he'd consider legal action against the Canadian Jewish Congress and York.

The congress has denounced Noble for spreading "anti-Semitic" material on campus.

Noble handed out a memo last week listing the names of the directors of the York University Foundation, the school's fundraising arm, and their links to pro-Israel organizations.

The material, which appears to suggest that a small cabal of Jews runs the foundation, is reminiscent of classic Jewish-conspiracy theories, Bernie Farber, executive director of the congress, said yesterday.

"Not only is this absurd, it reeks of anti-Semitism.... It's bizarre, and if this wasn't coming from an academic, one would laugh it off. The fact that it's coming from an academic should scare people."

Noble, who has taught at York for 15 years and is Jewish, said those comments are worrisome and "deeply offensive to me because my own family has suffered from anti-Semitism."

"When you get these kinds of scurrilous attacks it trivializes anti-Semitism. I guess they didn't do their homework and find out I was Jewish."

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