Gay was asked if calling for the genocide of Jews was against Harvard’s code of conduct and her original response was that it depends on the context (she has since released a follow up statement).
Harvard has refused to call out anti-semitism because of “context”. Here, a blatant case of anti-semitism, and they still do not call it such even when given the chance in their statement.
Considering Harvard is currently being sued by students because of the rampant anti-semitism on campus, you’d think Harvard might want to step up and actually say they condemn anti-semitism in their statement (whether the case has merit or not).
This is happening across the country with professors spreading antisemitic tropes. If you have strong proof, you can file a complaint with the US Department of Education. Colleges can lose millions of dollars in federal funding.
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.
Hearing of universities not being inclusive or welcoming or thoughtful has made me rethink the value of prestigious or private universities.
Would want a university to create a culture of true welcoming and innovative thoughtfulness. If the top ones are not doing this, then I’m wondering why I feel so drawn towards them as “dream schools.”
There might also be trade-offs. S23 goes to a large school with a small Jewish presence. I appreciate that the admin had an appropriate response to 10/7 and that there hasn’t been any antisemitic or pro-Hamas activity on campus, however, Jewish parents just recently created their own FB page to see if they can increase the opportunities for Jewish life on campus. While there is a Hillel and Chabad, those are probably the only places you are going to see anything Jewish recognized on campus and maybe even in the surrounding community. It’s fine with my child who doesn’t do much to embrace his Jewish identity, but might feel very different for a student coming from a very active Jewish community.
I understand if you’re already enrolled, you have your friends and your routine, making a change unless you’re in grave danger seems unnecessary. I have a cousin in grad school at Columbia and he loves his classes and is staying put despite the fact that he has been harassed by a few kids who know he’s Jewish. Harassed as in, called a baby killer, a Nazi, a colonizer, all of the anti/Jewish tropes from generations past. This isn’t our first rodeo after all. He finds comfort in his friend group, which includes Jewish, Christian and Muslim friends.
As an applicant we are in a position to see these schools from the outside and I just can’t knowingly send my kid into a potential situation like that. The time to squash this racism was in October. The schools who stood strong right away are the ones who have been able to foster helpful dialog between both sides. I am all for it. These kids and the faculty for that matter need an appropriate outlet to talk about the conflict. When they don’t get it, it turns to violence.
Good point. My son doesn’t wear a kippah and he’s not religious but he is proudly Jewish and I’d expect him to go to a Hillel from time to time and he observes the high holidays by fasting and going to shul, etc. We noticed on the Brandeis study that many of the schools with the least measured antisemitism are in the south (I’m including the Florida schools which have been fantastic as I’m sure everyone is aware). Columbia which is one of the worst also has one of the highest Jewish percentage populations (a separate thread could be started on why this is the case).
Columbia was never on my son’s list and Harvard came off real quick. Obviously in the past you’d preen with pride like a peacock to tell people you had a kid at Harvard. Right now, I’d be embarrassed to look my Jewish community in the face and say I sent my kid to Harvard.
I’m not denigrating the whole school or the many fine, accomplished students who go there. It’s just our perspective based on our worldview.
I’m not sure if this is the best thread to post this, but I saw Eitan Hersh has been doing research on the attitudes of college students towards Israel and Jewish people and has written a few articles about it.
Here is the Twitter thread, where he talks about it: