73% of Jewish students have witnessed or been victims of anti-Semitism on campus: Study

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Israel war 2023

by Alyssa Guzman

Jewish college students are experiencing or witnessing an alarming rise in anti-Semitism on campus in the weeks following Hamas’s shocking attack on Israel.

Nearly 73% of Jewish students have witnessed or been the victim of anti-Semitism since the start of the semester, up from 63% in 2021, according to a study by the Anti-Defamation League and Hillel International obtained by The Post Wednesday.

In comparison, 44% of non-Jewish students witnessed or witnessed such acts in the same time period.

Sixty-seven percent of Jewish students said they felt physically safe on campus before Oct. 7, the study of 3,084 college students — including 527 Jews — from 689 campuses across the country found.

This percentage decreased to 46% after the terrorist group’s attack.

66% of Jews surveyed felt emotionally safe on campus before the war began, a number that dropped to 33% afterward.

In addition, 64% of those surveyed said their universities were “welcoming and supportive” before the invasion, while only 44% felt the same in the aftermath of the invasion.

“Jewish students are experiencing a wave of anti-Semitism unlike anything we have seen before, but shockingly, non-Jewish students barely see it,” Jonathan Greenblatt, MD, CEO of the ADL, said in a statement.

“Since the October 7 massacre in Israel, Jewish students feel increasingly threatened on campus – but
University leaders are not doing enough to address this real fear of anti-Semitism.

Adam Lehman, president and CEO of Hillel International, added that the survey results are “a disturbing picture of hate on college campuses across the country.” “Widespread experiences with anti-Semitism, as reported in this survey, lead Jewish students to hide their identities.”

Since October, seven schools have been placed under federal investigation for anti-Semitism and Islamophobia — including three Ivy League universities: Cornell, Columbia, and the University of Pennsylvania.

Schools could lose federal funding if they do not comply with the Department of Education’s recommendation after the investigation concludes. According to CNN.

Anti-Semitic acts have been on the rise on college campuses across the United States, including the arrest of a 21-year-old Cornell University student accused of making violent threats against other Jewish scholars online.

Jewish students at New York City’s Cooper Union School – another school being investigated – barricaded themselves inside the library after pro-Palestinian students brought their protest inside and pounded on the doors and windows.

A Harvard student was surrounded by Palestinian protesters last month, who shouted “Shame, shame, shame” at him.

They were carrying keffiyehs – traditional Palestinian scarves – and waved them in the student’s face as they surrounded him.

Across New York City, students were seen tearing down posters of kidnapped Israelis, and a group of Big Apple High School students were attacked in the Washington, D.C., metro after attending a pro-Israel rally.

Additional reporting by Matthew Sedaka.