Current Events: Anti-Semitism on College Campuses

On college campuses like Yeshiva University, Columbia, UPenn, and others, anti-Semitism has begun to become a significant problem. While universities are meant to be safe spaces of learning, diversity, and inclusivity for all religions, they recently have become breeding grounds for bigotry and hatred. While faculty and officials were meant to help and create a safe environment for all students no matter what, most failed the Jewish community greatly. By not condemning rallies that physically harmed students, and by allowing defaced buildings and protests that blocked access to parts of campus for Jewish students, they failed the Jewish student population. Most of the protesters at these marches are outside agitators and not even enrolled in the universities, and by pushing their agenda, they are interrupting student life. We live in a world where hatred is something that we do not tolerate, and seeing the people meant to protect students turning against their backs just shows how problematic anti-Semitism is.

At Columbia University, pro-Palestinian activists set up tent encampments across the campus, put up signs, and shouted anti-Semitic phrases at passers-by. On the night of May 4th, a group of protesters broke into the university’s campus in the city, expressing anti-Semitic sentiments and criticizing Columbia’s ties to Israel. Police have finally shut down the encampments after a month and are finally taking measures to ensure student safety at Columbia. Like the former university, University of Pennsylvania has similar anti-Semitic disruptions circling its campus, but unlike at Columbia, the police had no plans to intervene until recent backlash. 

On May 6, Holocaust Remembrance Day, pro-Palestine protesters marched onto the YU campus, attacking and shouting at students who were visibly Jewish. A young religious student was walking to her class and got shot with a BB gun by someone in the mob, proving that these protesters will resort to violence. “I was walking to class and a large mob of protesters was chanting the now-familiar anti-Semitic phrases that they call ‘antizionist,’ like ‘From the river to the sea’ as well as ‘Globalize the intifada.’ The police surrounded them. They were clearly making a point passing through YU and screaming like that on Holocaust Remembrance Day,” said YU student, Nina Ghaytanchi. She further shared, “A police officer escorted me to class and it hit me that this was real. I couldn’t believe that I had to be escorted by a police officer to class just because of my religion, in this day and age. The fact that there was a need for police officers at a rally shows the gravity of the situation.” For a pro-Palestine march to be conducted in a manner that is visibly anti-Semitic, especially on such a sensitive day, is not only disrespectful but also deeply hurtful. As a community, we have to show these malicious bullies that we will not back down no matter what because we are all brothers and sisters who look out for each other. This is 2024, not 1938. עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל חַי