The parodied writer, senior Aaron Marcus, told WWOR-TV that publication of the piece under his name was hurtful. His grandparents lost family members in the Holocaust, he said.
"It's one thing to write a mock article, and the Medium is known for being offensive and being a satirical newspaper. But it's another thing to take my name, the picture, and title of my column and attribute something so horrific to me," Marcus told the Daily Targum.
Marcus, who on his Twitter account describes himself as an "unabashed Zionist," writes a bimonthly column for the Targum. Its pro-Israel message has stirred controversy on campus, according to the newspaper. Marcus also has written about what he says is an anti-Semitic climate at Rutgers.
Rutgers students who commented online to the Targum's coverage of the controversy were divided on how successful they thought the Medium's attempt at humor was. Some, including one commenter who said she was Jewish, said the fake column was a good send-up of Marcus, whose writing they described as sometimes being intolerant of those who do not hold pro-Israel views. Many were appalled by the parody.
The Medium's editor, Amy DiMaria, told the Targum that the mock column was not intended to be anti-Semitic. Parodying a Targum columnist is an annual tradition, she said. Marcus was chosen because his work is well-known on campus, she said.
"We're not out to get anyone or be malicious," DiMaria told the Targum.
Marcus said that he was considering the possibility of legal action.
"The Medium has a right to freedom of the speech, but they don't have the right to impersonate me by printing an anti-Semitic diatribe that praises Adolf Hitler," he said.
Rutgers president Richard McCormick said the article was "particularly despicable" in light of Marcus' Jewish faith.
The Medium's faculty adviser, Ronald Miskoff, told the Newark Star-Ledger that he hoped whatever action Rutgers takes shows understanding that college is a time when people test boundaries and can learn from their mistakes.
