JDL International Chairman Irv Rubin has, throughout his career, spoken to numerous college campuses around the United States, and his appearances have encouraged thoughtful dialogues on a variety of substantive issues. These addresses have never before touched off firestorms of controversy and protest. However, a truly bizarre series of events took place over Rubin's 1999 engagement at Pasadena City College in Pasadena, California.

Rubin had spoken to a number of Pasadena City College classes in the past; he was well received by faculty and students alike on all of those occasions. Rubin was scheduled to speak to the Scholars Humanities Block course in the fall of 1999 on the subject of antisemitism. Apparently, this greatly angered one Jewish faculty member, Marc Dollinger (pictured right), who decided he would attempt to bar JDL's chairman from speaking to the class. Dollinger's attempts were detailed in two previous articles posted to JDL's site, "The Anonymous Flier" and From the Ghetto, A Warrior.

Dollinger failed to block the event - in spite of all his efforts - but he also refused to let go of the issue. With the aid of three associates, Dollinger continued his attempts to blacken Rubin's name; he also attacked fellow colleagues who had supported Rubin's right to speak.

These attacks extended for over one year! When a sympathetic party passed along a libelous memo from Dollinger dated February 2001, Rubin knew he would have to respond. Dollinger's memo has been converted verbatim into PDF form. (If you're clicking to read Dollinger's text, be sure to return to view Irv Rubin's published response, as well as the continuation of the saga.)

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Here's Irv Rubin's response:

By Irv Rubin

Over a year ago, I was invited along with a rabbi to address the Humanities Scholars Block on the topic of contemporary antisemitism. My qualifications to speak on those issues were never in doubt. I have battled hatred for thirty years; it is my life’s work. However, I was never positioned as a speaker for the entire Jewish community, nor did I make myself out to be one. There could never be a single voice for Jews. Like all people, Jews have a multitude of diverse beliefs. Yet, as incredible as it may seem, one man believes he is the true spokesmen and arbiter of Jewish thought for Pasadena City College.

Prior to this event, I was prepared simply to impart my views to the class (as I have done many times before at PCC and countless other campuses). I was shocked when I learned that a coerced, pitiful campaign was being waged against me. The impetus behind the quest to hinder my free speech was Marc Dollinger, a social science professor; he was aided by a primary lackey and a couple of associated cohorts.

In spite of his efforts – including the dissemination of a libelous flyer – Dollinger failed to bar my appearance; he failed again the next week when he attempted to curtail my visit to a philosophy class. Feeling rebuked by PCC faculty and administration because his actions did not yield the results he desired, Dollinger has resorted to deceitful, vengeful, and underhanded tactics in an attempt to defame my character and exert punishment upon those who supported my right to speak. Incredibly, he has done all of this in the name of academic freedom and freedom of speech. I have firsthand knowledge and evidence of these incidents, including a prolix memo distributed to over sixty faculty members.

Dollinger’s own words are most damaging to his cause. First and foremost, he claims to be an exponent of academic freedom, yet he seeks to deny that freedom to his peers. Pathetic cries of victimization ring out throughout the document. (I propose that Dollinger is a self-victimizer, and he has no one to blame other than himself for his victimhood.) Several paragraphs ramble on and on about his fears that “PCC would be a lonely place” for him because of his religion – even though I have witnessed the great diversity of the PCC faculty and student body. Dollinger then segues into an unmitigated sequence of libel. He lies through his teeth when he states that my organization is “named to the FBI’s list of domestic terrorists.” My organization is pro-law enforcement, pro-government and on absolutely no government terrorist lists. My organization has no Israeli counterpart. Dollinger’s dishonesty is sickening.

Dollinger claims that humanities block professors remarked the following: I was invited to titillate students; I was invited for shock value; I am a Jewish clown; “I was able to overcome ‘native intelligence’” and articulate myself beyond my capabilities. Not only are these statements nonsensical, they are bold-faced lies. The professors in question swear they never said anything of the sort. Furthermore, Dollinger claims that during my speech, I “spent much of the hour making threats” against him. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Disturbingly, Dollinger makes comments that seemingly paint him as a racist. He says he is a “Jewish man. . . also a white man,” and that this episode brought him to “non-whiteness,” as though Irv Rubin has the ability to alter someone’s skin color. He says he lost power and privilege. Obviously, there’s something really wrong here.

PCC is a community college held in high esteem. Its professors are professional, dedicated and erudite. Marc Dollinger, you are the weakest link. I urge the college to say to you, “Goodbye.”

At this point the reader should have a good understanding of the events that took place at this community college. Marc Dollinger disagreed so strongly with Irv Rubin, he continued to make trouble for his campus months and months after the event. Dollinger didn't even have the courage to voice his opinions in an honorable and open manner. Instead, he chose to spin absolute fabrications behind Rubin's back.

Hugo Schwyzer, associate and friend of Dollinger, attempted to rationalize Dollinger's cowardly actions. He too was caught in a series of lies -- Rubin's detractors can seemingly defend their positions only through the perpetuation of myths.

Here's Rubin's reply to Schwyzer:

Hugo:

I’m amused that you’ve found the need to defend your friend, Marc Dollinger. Yet, I want you to know that your attempt is futile, because Dollinger’s actions are simply indefensible. No amount of lying, defamation and vitriol can change the truth; the truth is not on your side. You state that you’re “mystified as to why” I chose to raise the issue in the Courier after the passing of so many months. Well, let me clue you in: Marc Dollinger alone is responsible for keeping this issue alive. He continued to harass faculty members months after the event; his libelous memo was dated February 22, 2001. Prior to receiving his memo, I was prepared to drop the issue. However, I cannot sit idly by in the face of continued attacks on my character. Much of your response to me is simply a tired rehash of Dollinger’s propaganda, so rather than refute his statements a second time, I’ve decided to focus primarily on the ignorance, hatred and lies you’ve brought to the table.

And when I speak of your ignorance, I will allow your own words to speak for you - just as I let Marc Dollinger’s words speak for him. I find it somewhat shocking that Marc Dollinger had to give you a “primer on the history of the Shoah” - I would expect that as a Jew and as “sole historian in the Block,” you really should have possessed some innate knowledge of the systemic, premeditated murder of Six Million Jews. You also state Dollinger schooled you on the subject of my organization. Since Marc Dollinger excels in the art of decimating the truth, it’s no small wonder that you came away with such a biased and tainted image of me. How dare you impugn my integrity and blacken my name! If you had acted with prudence, you would have realized that your admittedly narrow sphere of expertise makes you vastly unqualified to debate my qualifications and record.

No, Hugo, Kach is not the same as the JDL. The Jewish Defense League, founded by Rabbi Meir Kahane, was established in the Diaspora with the sole purpose of defending Jews (even backward thinking leftists), whereas Kach was created much later on in Israel as Kahane’s political party. The Jewish Defense League predates any of Kahane’s other organizations. The JDL is a completely separate and distinct entity; the government clearly understands the difference. Moreover, groups that are designated as “terrorist” organizations are listed individually, under their respective titles. Once again - just so it’s perfectly clear - you will not find JDL on any government terrorist list. Dollinger’s repeated claims to the contrary can only be attributed to pure malice.

Your practice of shading the truth nearly rivals the lies of Marc Dollinger. You claim, “[Rubin] devoted a fair amount of his time. . .” “to attacking Marc.” You go on to say, “[Rubin] made what seemed to me to be threatening overtures” toward Marc Dollinger. You’ve just lied multiple times in one paragraph. I never threatened Marc Dollinger, and I have numerous witnesses to attest to that fact. I did say that the professor who opposed me was a self-hating, left-wing Jew, and the facts show my statement to be truthful. I didn’t even know Dollinger by name when I spoke to the humanities block. (Threats against employees of the state of California are considered a felony; if I had threatened Dollinger as you and he allege, I would have been arrested.) The two of you say I made threats, yet you provide contradictory accounts. Dollinger claims I spent much of the hour making threats against him, but you say I spent a fair amount of time making threatening overtures. Which one is it? Through disingenuous rhetoric, both you and Marc attempt to obscure the fact that neither of you had the courage to attend the event! You didn't even bother to tell the same lie your friend told.

Hugo, you take offense to my claim that Marc Dollinger is the weakest link at Pasadena City College. I’ve realized that to single Dollinger out as the weakest link may not be fair to the other very weak links in the faculty chain. Ardent communists who seek the indoctrination of youthful minds; a division dean who lives with an individual and assigns said person to teach classes he is unqualified to teach; pompous, cowardly leftists - all of these individuals are weak links. Pasadena City College has some great faculty, and it has some real dogs. It’s indeed difficult to comprehend how you and your associates can rationalize and accept your filthy conduct. (I also took note of the truly despicable manner in which you treated a PCC professor this very day.) I will put my record against yours or Marc Dollinger’s any day of the week, and I will debate either of you at any time. I’m fairly certain, however, that there will be no takers on my offer.

Schwyzer then sent a reply, in which he apologized for numerous instances of coloring the truth. He also admitted that neither he or nor Marc Dollinger had attended Rubin's speech. (All of Schwyzer's statements about the event were, therefore, hearsay; it's obvious to JDL where the lies came from.) Unfortunately, instead of coming completely clean and repudiating Dollinger's reprehensible conduct, Schwyzer decided to substitute certain lies for less outrageous ones.

Rather than debunk Hugo's allegations a second time -- wasting precious time and energy -- Rubin has decided to let the issue stay where it is. The ball is in Marc Dollinger's court; if he decides to spread more lies, Rubin may well have to respond yet once again.