An Open Letter to Jewish College Students
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6 min read
I was a Jewish activist on campus who stood up to anti-Israel protesters. Here are a few essential points Jewish students should keep in mind.
In the past two weeks, university campuses all over the U.S. have seen the rise of anti-Israel protests and “encampments” by students. Unfortunately, many of these protests have involved antisemitic chants, flags, outspoken support of Hamas, Hezbollah and other radical terrorist groups, and sometimes even violence against Jewish students.
I graduated from New York University last semester in the winter of 2024. I was involved with several Jewish and pro-Israel organizations on campus and saw the outbreak of these anti-Israel protests when the Israel-Hamas war started after October 7th. I was appalled by my school’s lack of response to the antisemitism at these protests and tried to stand up to it on my own. Protestors spat on me, called me Jewish slurs and other names, and attempted to assault me. I was forced to defend myself against a protester who tried to steal my Israeli flag. They falsely accused me of intimidation and harassment, and as a result I had to attend student conduct meetings and faced potential sanctions from the school, until video evidence clearly proved I had done nothing wrong.
A calm moment at NYU
I am very fortunate to now be in Israel and away from all of that. But reading the news about the current situation on university campuses in the U.S. makes me worried that many Jewish students are currently experiencing what I went through or worse. Here are a few essential points Jewish students should keep in mind as the college semester wraps up:
Find a Community
It’s easy to feel like you are alone and unwelcome when facing such an environment on campus, but you are not. Finding and getting involved with Jewish and pro-Israel communities on campus such as SSI (Students Supporting Israel), Olami, Meor, Hillel, etc. will give you social and emotional support during difficult times. These programs have chapters in schools all over the country. They run events discussing the current political situation and providing opportunities to help support Israel through fundraisers, volunteering, outreach, and other means. If you are interested in counter-protesting the antisemitism on your campus, doing so in an organized group through these communities is a much safer and more productive way to do so.
Do Not Concede the Narrative
With the crisis at Columbia that has taken over the news in recent weeks, some Jewish leaders have come out urging all Jewish students to stay off the campus. I disagree. I believe cowering to extremists and conceding control of the narrative is how we have gotten to this point. Continuing to do so will only embolden them further.
It may be hard to believe, but the majority of students do not oppose the existence of Israel. The perception exists because the extreme minority is the most vocal. We need to have those of us on the side of humanity pushing back against them to prevent the window from shifting further. Of course, all Jewish students should protect their own safety and not put themselves in situations where they can be harmed. At the same time, I would argue for all Jewish students to do whatever they can to speak out publicly in support of Israel. This can be through social media, participating in volunteering and fundraisers, or attending organized counter-protests.
Fight Darkness with Light
In my experiences participating in counter-protests, I’ve seen Jewish students be verbally abused and taunted by their classmates and outside agitators. Seeing this, it’s easy to let anger control you and pull you into shouting matches and name-calling, or even situations that can escalate into violence. These types of encounters only serve to help the antisemites who would love nothing more than to shout insults without having to ponder their own indefensible ideology.
Instead, we should fight darkness with light. One of my favorite moments was when we played songs of peace and unity over the shouts from the anti-Israel crowd. You will never change the mind of those extreme enough to attend protests with chants calling for Israel’s complete destruction, but those watching from a third-person perspective can see the difference between those guided by humanity and those by hate.
Protect Yourself and Limit Your Consumption of the News
Ari Joseph Khaytser
During the start of the Israel-Hamas war, after seeing the rise of anti-Israel protests at my school, I found myself constantly reading the news about it and engaging with antisemitic activists on social media and in person at my campus. While it may be disheartening to see antisemitism spreading on your campus, it’s important to not let this deteriorate your mental and emotional well-being. This is not to say you shouldn’t be informed on the matters happening at your campus, as resigning in the fight for student life is not an option. However, there are often more productive ways to stand up to antisemitism with less exposure to it which can leave you feeling overwhelmed or powerless. A lot of Jews disconnect from the craziness of the external world every Shabbat and let God run the world for a day. I suggest keeping this principle in mind next time you feel the need to read about the latest developments.
Compile Evidence of Any Antisemitism
Keep a record of any antisemitic activity on your campus. Take videos when you see an incident and try to identify anyone in the videos who is participating in the activity. For university administrations to take allegations of antisemitism on their campuses seriously, we need a compilation of evidence to show a repeated pattern of student actions targeting Jewish students. Report any incidents to the anti-bias or student conduct lines at your school. If the event crosses into any potential criminal activity like battery, theft, or harassment, report the incident to law enforcement as well.
It may feel useless, but administrations do respond to pressure. Working to document and report antisemitic behavior with a pro-Israel group at my school, we were able to create cases against dozens of students who faced sanctions, including multiple who were suspended from the university.
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