This past month, the Secure Community Network (SCN) logged 94 incidents of antisemitism at colleges and universities in the US, making October 2023 the month with the highest number of such incidents ever recorded. Some faculty and staff members from prominent US universities noted that already in the three days after the October 7 Hamas attack, there were “very clear instances of antisemitism.”
The goal of those committing antisemitic acts on campus is to weaken Jewish students, families, and institutions on campus. Instead of pandering to this pressure, now is the time, especially given the support of many university leaders, to make a Jewish presence on these campuses felt even more strongly, both through Jewish student enrollment and increased investment in Jewish institutions and Israel centers on campus. This will be the best way to ensure not only that Jewish students feel safe on campus, but also to guarantee viable Jewish life at American universities in the future.
This past month, the Secure Community Network (SCN) logged 94 incidents of antisemitism at colleges and universities in the US, making October 2023 the month with the highest number of such incidents ever recorded. Some faculty and staff members from prominent US universities noted that already in the three days after the October 7 Hamas attack, there were “very clear instances of antisemitism.”
The goal of those committing antisemitic acts on campus is to weaken Jewish students, families, and institutions on campus. Instead of pandering to this pressure, now is the time, especially given the support of many university leaders, to make a Jewish presence on these campuses felt even more strongly, both through Jewish student enrollment and increased investment in Jewish institutions and Israel centers on campus. This will be the best way to ensure not only that Jewish students feel safe on campus, but also to guarantee viable Jewish life at American universities in the future.