Fifty-seven percent of Jewish students have witnessed or experienced an antisemitic incident. That was the key finding from a survey that my organization, Jewish on Campus, released this month. It was conducted by Ipsos with support from the World Jewish Congress. Surprising as that number may seem to an audience unfamiliar with the rise of antisemitism in the United States, it affirmed what Jewish students have been saying for years: College campuses have an antisemitism problem.
It comes as no surprise that campus antisemitism is making headlines once again. Last week, the University of Pennsylvania hosted an event called the Palestine Writes Literature Festival, which on the surface, sounds like a celebration of Palestinian culture. But just a quick glance at the list of speakers reveals the event to be a front for the spread of longstanding antisemitic beliefs: musician Roger Waters, condemned by the U.S. State Department for dressing in what looked like a Nazi uniform during a concert in Germany, to academic Refaat Alareer, who is quoted saying, “Are most Jews evil? Of course they are.”
Providing further evidence that antisemitic rhetoric can create a climate for antisemitic violence, a student vandalized Penn Hillel before the event. These developments, from the conference to the vandalism, have sparked a national outcry from Jewish leaders, UPenn alumni, and all those concerned with allowing hate on campus to go unchecked.
Mark Wieland/Redferns
Antisemitism is rising in the United States, and college students are part of this trend. Serving as yet another wake-up call, our national survey of more than 3,000 students underscored the urgent state-of-affairs. Alarmingly, one-in-six college students found the death toll of the Holocaust to be not very believable, not at all believable, or were unsure.
And what starts on campus does not stay on campus. Today’s students will become tomorrow’s teachers and doctors, lawyers, and lawmakers. Antisemitism may be rising today, but the threat it poses to our future is even greater.
University administrators have an obligation to protect their students. But as leaders committed to shaping the next generation, their duty extends beyond that. If they hope for progress toward a more just future, they cannot neglect the urgency of fighting antisemitism on their campuses, in any of its forms.
It’s time to take a decisive step. University administrators must condemn antisemitism strongly, no matter where it arises. They must ensure that all students, including Jews, have equal access to their school as a safe environment to learn. They must stand with their Jewish students at times of celebration and times of difficulty. They must understand that our people have always grappled with antisemitism, and it is those who have remained silent who have allowed it to continue.
Campus antisemitism will not be eliminated by one school, one professor, or one student. The responsibility to act belongs to each of us. The Jewish students at the University of Pennsylvania have shown us that antisemitism will not derail their strength nor their pride. As they stand up against antisemitism at their school, they should not stand alone.
As students grapple with this latest story of hate, the Jewish community celebrates our high holidays—the most holy time of the year. During this time, we continue the traditions of our ancestors. Strength in the face of antisemitism is another tradition that we inherit proudly. By uplifting students’ stories, including those at UPenn, we work toward a better future.
Julia Jassey is the co-founder and CEO of Jewish on Campus, a national organization founded in 2020 to uplift the experiences of Jewish students and combat antisemitism through youth advocacy.
The views expressed in this article are the writer’s own.
