The Brandeis University campus in Waltham, Mass. Photo by iStock

By Beth Harpaz June 26, 2023

A new ad from Brandeis University is generating controversy.

“Brandeis was founded by Jews. But, it’s anything but Orthodox,” read the ad, which appeared in a double-page spread in Sunday’s New York Times Magazine.

“Disappointing ad from @BrandeisU,” tweeted Rabbi David Bashevkin, director of education of the National Conference of Synagogue Youth, an Orthodox Union youth group. “But with all that *actual* Orthodox Jews face I find this seriously distasteful.”

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Disappointing ad from @BrandeisU.

But with all that *actual* Orthodox Jews face I find this seriously distasteful. pic.twitter.com/jpN2nDzCqN

— David/Dovid Bashevkin (@DBashIdeas) June 25, 2023

“This kind of pun might be cute on a podcast or a JCC or even a Federation meeting,” Bashevkin wrote. “Not a cute pun as an advertisement in The New York Times.”

But Bashevkin later tweeted that “some Orthodox students from Brandeis reached out to tell me how much they appreciate their university experience. That was heartening.”

A statement from the university defending the “anything but Orthodox” ad described it as “highlighting Brandeis’ Jewish roots and values as well as the fact that we have always been welcoming to students, faculty and staff from all backgrounds. This Sunday’s ad headline was a play on words meant to highlight Brandeis’ unique story and history of innovation.”

The statement added that Brandeis is “deeply committed to our Orthodox community members, and the ad was intended not to offend, but to underscore both the diversity of our community and our unusual origin story.” 

The ad is part of a university branding campaign that uses humor and wordplay to make serious points. Other taglines include  ”“Why is this university different from all other universities?” (a play on the famous Passover question), and “University quotas were a polite way of telling Jews where they could go,” a reference to limits placed on past Jewish enrollment at schools like Harvard and Yale. 

The “anything but Orthodox” ad went on to describe the origins of Brandeis, which is located just west of Boston. It was founded in 1948 as a non-sectarian university by Orthodox, Conservative and Reform Jews, “specifically to fight antisemitism, racism, and sexism, and to welcome students of all backgrounds and beliefs.” 

Brandeis spokesperson Julie Jette said students are not required to report their religion, but about 35% identify as Jewish. She had no data on how many of those students are Orthodox.

Among the school’s champions was Joshua Pines, a 1996 graduate who tweeted that on his frequent trips back, the campus “remains a glorious place for observant life,” with accommodations that include an eruv, large kosher catering facilities and Shabbat dinners that draw 500 participants.

But another Twitter user commented that there was “no other way” to look at the ad and “not be absolutely disgusted.”

Brandeis was named for Louis Brandeis, the first Jewish Supreme Court justice. Its star-studded faculty has included notable Jews and non-Jews alike, among them Leonard Bernstein, Herbert Marcuse and Anita Hill. 

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