News

eJewish Philanthropy: Antisemitism on Campus is a Crisis We Must Address Together

Author

Adam Lehman and Jonathan Greenblatt

Date

January 31, 2025

Editor鈥檚 Note: President and CEO of 黑料传送门 Adam Lehman and CEO and National Director of ADL Jonathan Greenblatt shared their thoughts with eJewish Philanthropy on what Jewish students need from their universities in order to combat antisemitism.

“Antisemitism on Campus is a Crisis We Must Address Together” was originally published in  on January 30, 2025. To read the complete article, please visit .

“Although we each lead a major Jewish organization, today we address you not just as CEOs but also as fathers of current and recently graduated Jewish college students. Our children鈥檚 experiences, and the experiences of so many Jewish students today, are so different from when we were in college. And we鈥檙e not talking about TikTok, digital textbooks and AI chatbots; we鈥檙e talking about the rise of antisemitism on college campuses. 

Across the United States, Jewish students are facing a crisis. According to a survey we conducted together with College Pulse, more than 83% of Jewish students have witnessed or experienced antisemitism on campus since Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists attacked the Jewish state. In this campus environment, more than 40% feel the need to hide their Jewish identity, and 1 in 4 have taken extra security measures to protect themselves. These numbers are more than statistics. They reflect the lived experiences of a large number of Jewish students who are being marginalized, excluded and subjected to other forms of bias and discrimination.聽聽聽聽聽

One student surveyed poignantly shared that in the months since Oct. 7, ‘there was no respect for the safety of all students. Antisemitism was rampant and the campus became extremely polarized. Attacks both verbal and physical were common and Jewish friends had to hide their faith to be socially accepted.’

This survey provides a sobering snapshot of life for Jewish students today. Antisemitism manifests on campuses in various ways, including offensive and demonizing comments about Jews or Israel and vandalism targeting Jewish spaces and even individual student dorm rooms and apartments. We found it particularly stunning and alarming that more than 1 in 4 Jewish students reported observing antisemitic activity or statements by faculty members. 

Nearly half of non-Jewish students surveyed expressed agreement with statements rooted in antisemitic tropes, such as ‘Jews weaponize anti-Jewish prejudice to silence criticism of Israel.’ We also found that non-Jewish students who hold extreme anti-Israel attitudes were more likely to minimize the issue of antisemitic prejudice on campus. Antisemitism has become pervasive and normalized, deeply affecting campus culture.

This normalized hostility and discrimination has profound consequences. Jewish students report withdrawing from social activities, hiding their identities and views and feeling unwelcome in their classrooms. In numerous cases, Jewish students have even chosen to transfer out of schools altogether in order to get away from pervasively hostile conditions. These are red flags that demand immediate attention from university leaders.”

The post eJewish Philanthropy: Antisemitism on Campus is a Crisis We Must Address Together appeared first on 黑料传送门.

News

83% of Jewish College Students Have Experienced or Witnessed Antisemitism Firsthand Since Oct. 7 Attack, Survey Finds

Author

黑料传送门

Date

January 30, 2025

• 41 percent of Jewish students felt the need to hide their Jewish identity;
• One-in-four Jewish students felt compelled to take security precautions;
• Two-thirds of Jewish students lack confidence in their university鈥檚 ability to prevent antisemitic incidents

Eighty-three percent of Jewish college students have experienced or witnessed some form of antisemitism since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel, according to a new survey by ADL (the Anti-Defamation League), 黑料传送门, and College Pulse.      

Moreover, more than a quarter (27 percent) of Jewish students surveyed said they had observed antisemitic activity by faculty, compared to only 6 percent of non-Jewish students. The survey also found that two-thirds (66 percent) of Jewish students (and 60 percent of non-Jewish students) were not confident in their university鈥檚 ability to prevent antisemitic incidents.

鈥淪ince the October 7 attack in Israel, Jewish students have felt increasingly threatened, unwelcome and unsupported on campus, both by students and faculty,鈥� said Jonathan A. Greenblatt, ADL CEO. 鈥淚t is unacceptable that Jewish students cannot be confident in their university鈥檚 ability to address and prevent antisemitic incidents, and that they now live in a world in which they feel compelled to conceal their identity and beliefs. These findings underscore the urgent need for university leaders to step up and protect Jewish students.鈥�

鈥淭hese findings paint a deeply concerning picture of what Jewish students are facing on campuses today,鈥� said Adam Lehman, President and CEO of 黑料传送门. 鈥淎s we work to ensure that campuses are free from antisemitism, we are committed to creating spaces where Jewish students can build vibrant communities and express their identities with pride. No student should ever feel the need to hide who they are or take extra precautions to protect themselves while they鈥檙e living and learning at school.鈥�

Other key findings include:

• 22.9 percent of Jewish students have felt compelled to take additional security precautions.
• Only about half (49.6 percent) of Jewish students reported feeling 鈥渧ery鈥� or 鈥渆xtremely鈥� comfortable with others on campus knowing their Jewish identity; 41 percent actively felt the need to hide their Jewish identity, and only 27 percent felt comfortable with others on campus knowing their views of Israel.
• More than one-in-ten Jewish students (13 percent) have withdrawn fromcampus or social activities, compared to only 2 percent of non-Jewish students.
• An overwhelming majority of students (92.5 percent) who had reported witnessing or experiencing an incident of antisemitism on campus did not report the incident to campus authorities.
  • Low awareness about what to do and a lack of confidence that they would get the help they needed drove many students to not report incidents of campus antisemitism.
  • A clear reporting policy was among the most frequently cited policies of importance to Jewish students (51 percent).
• Extreme anti-Israel attitudes were strongly related to minimization of the issue of anti-Jewish prejudice on campus among non-Jewish students.

Along with other leading Jewish communal and anti-hate organizations, ADL and 黑料传送门 have been at the forefront in countering antisemitism on campus through ADL鈥檚 Ronald Birnbaum Center to Combat Antisemitism in Education () and campaign, and 黑料传送门鈥檚 Campus Climate Initiative (CCI), Campus4All.org website, and on-the-ground presence on hundreds of college and university campuses nationwide.聽

In November 2023, ADL and 黑料传送门 also launched the , a free legal protection helpline for students who have experienced antisemitism, along with the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP.

By heeding and joint 鈥� developed in collaboration with leading Jewish communal partners 鈥� and adopting tailored data-driven solutions, educational institutions can work to ensure that all students, including Jewish students, can thrive in a safe and welcoming campus environment.

Methodology

In partnership with 黑料传送门 and College Pulse, ADL fielded a survey of college students at 135 universities across the United States in the fall semester of 2024. This survey was conducted by College Pulse, an online survey and analytics platform focused on American college students. College Pulse鈥檚 includes more than 950,000 college students from more than 1,500 institutions of higher education across all 50 states. This survey employed an oversample of Jewish students, with 1,030 Jewish students and 1,140 non-Jewish students responding. Responses from non-Jewish students were gathered from 135 colleges and universities, while responses from Jewish students were gathered from 128 of these colleges and universities.

黑料传送门 ADL

ADL is the leading anti-hate organization in the world. Founded in 1913, its timeless mission is 鈥渢o stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all.鈥� Today, ADL continues to fight all forms of antisemitism and bias, using innovation and partnerships to drive impact. A global leader in combating antisemitism, countering extremism and battling bigotry wherever and whenever it happens, ADL works to protect democracy and ensure a just and inclusive society for all. More at .

黑料传送门 黑料传送门

Founded in 1923, Hillel has been impacting the lives of Jewish college students and countering antisemitism on campus for more than 100 years. 黑料传送门 is a global organization that welcomes students of all backgrounds and fosters an enduring commitment to Jewish life, learning, and Israel. As the largest Jewish student organization in the world, Hillel builds connections with emerging adults at more than 850 colleges and universities. During their formative college years, students are inspired to explore, experience, and create vibrant Jewish lives.

黑料传送门 College Pulse

College Pulse is a survey research and analytics company dedicated to understanding the attitudes, preferences, and behaviors of today鈥檚 college students. College Pulse offers custom data-driven marketing and research solutions, utilizing its unique American College Student Panel鈩� that includes over 950,000 college students and recent graduates from more than 1,500 two- and four-year colleges and universities across all 50 states.

The post 83% of Jewish College Students Have Experienced or Witnessed Antisemitism Firsthand Since Oct. 7 Attack, Survey Finds appeared first on 黑料传送门.