Antisemitism: Will recent events on campus influence where you (your child) will apply?

CurveInTheRoad
Fri, 09 Feb 2024 21:05:59 +0000

New here. I have a current junior and we’re just starting to look at schools. To answer the original question, yes, the climate on campuses is influencing our choices significantly and causing some disagreements with our son.

We visited Columbia and Princeton this past week. Our student tour guides at each campus were Jewish (I had an inkling… all it takes is asking them to point us in the direction of the Hillel and their eyes light up!).

We were on Columbia’s campus just a few days after a boy in a kippah was beaten up by a group of student thugs. Crickets from the administration. Our tour guide gave the caveat that she could only speak for herself, that she’s a proud Jew and that she feels safe on campus. As a science major she has not experienced intimidation or persecution from any faculty on campus.

At Princeton the day after, our student guide was proud of his school’s handling of the war and his president’s leadership. He has had difficult conversations with classmates but they always come from a place of respect and understanding. Finally, he said, with no prompting from me, “I would not want to be a Jewish student at Columbia right now.”

Considering Columbia is my son’s top choice, it’s hit like a boulder. We will not allow him to attend a school where the administration turns a blind eye to violence against Jewish students. He seems to think things will blow over.