A strong supporter of an anti-Semitic Cornell University student has managed to raise around $20,000 for him. This includes a notable contribution of $1,776 from a donor, which seems symbolic, perhaps referencing the year of America’s founding.
Nineteen-year-old Austin Franco gained attention after he declined a job interview with a New York City startup named VryflD, explicitly stating he was “not interested in working for a Jew” due to the Jewish heritage of the co-founders, Gabe and Aiden Einhorn.
The Einhorn brothers had been considering Franco for an internship but shared a screenshot where he responded to their Zoom interview invitation with that shocking comment.
This reaction stirred quite a bit of concern, leading to a controversial GiveSendGo fundraiser aptly titled “Funding Austin Franco after Jewish Exposure.”
By Wednesday afternoon, the campaign had collected over $19,100. Notably, four donations exceeded $1,000, with the largest being that aforementioned $1,776.
“His career and financial future are at stake. Please help fund this good Christian man,” the fundraiser states.
According to Gabe Einhorn, Franco (whose name was obscured in the screenshot) expressed regret for revealing his message but felt it was necessary to emphasize the current rise in anti-Semitism.
Gabe mentioned, “Me and my brother were looking at each other like, ‘What?'” They noted their shock as they had never really encountered such direct anti-Semitism before.
Gabe speculated that Franco “may have made a mistake and doesn’t wholeheartedly believe in this idea.” Yet, even after being publicly exposed, Franco maintained his stance.
In a comment on X, he stated, “My experiences with Jews, both in person and online, have not been pleasant. That’s not to say I haven’t had positive experiences, but not overall.”
Cornell University, where Franco is pursuing studies in industrial and labor relations, is now investigating the matter according to his recently deleted LinkedIn profile.
Franco sent the hateful message on a Monday, about a month following the end of the semester at Cornell.
