STL students cope with antisemitism on campus as Gaza war rages on

An ocean away from the atrocities occurring in Gaza, college campuses across the United States act as a hotspot for debate, protest and to many Jewish students’ dismay, antisemitism.

After the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, outrage and concern spread throughout the globe. With this came several forms of advocacy, such as rallies and demonstrations, many of which have occurred on college campuses. While some remained peaceful, others did not, tainting campus environments with antisemitism.

Noah Kleinlehrer, a sophomore at George Washington University and a member of Temple Emanuel, has noticed pockets of antisemitism on his college campus.

“It’s almost as if there is an underlying tone of antisemitism,” he said. “It’s these small instances that promote this terrible, destructive vibe on campus that is very hateful toward Jews.”

On Oct. 24, as Kleinlehrer walked through campus, he witnessed antisemitic messages being projected onto the Gelman Library. Phrases such as “Glory to Our Martyrs” and “Free Palestine From the River to the Sea” were displayed in large white letters across the side of the building.

“That was the first time I felt scared,” he said. “I was taken aback. Seeing that was quite frightening.”

Kleinlehrer was not alone in this feeling. Other Jewish college students from St. Louis also voiced concern about antisemitic backlash on their campuses.

Jewish college students and antisemitism

“So many different students, along with myself, [are] not feeling quite as safe as we did the first day we stepped on campus,” said Rylie Fine, a freshman at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a member of Congregation B’nai Amoona.

Fine said that since arriving in September, a handful of antisemitic occurrences have plagued the UW-Madison campus. She said one instance took place inside the UW Hillel, where two students entered the building during a Hanukkah celebration, shouted political slogans and obscenities and were then removed. Another instance involved a neo-Nazi group that marched from areas near campus to the state Capitol while waving swastika flags and chanting Nazi propaganda.

“I think a lot of Jews have felt less safe walking around campus because of people that were marching down our street,” Fine said. “I think at that point it starts to become a safety issue.”

For Jewish college students on the West Coast, safety has also been a major concern. Alexis Baumgarten, a junior at Oregon State and a member of United Hebrew Congregation, has taken measures to ensure her well-being on campus.

“I feel like as long as my Jewish identity remains quiet on campus, I feel safe,” she said.

Baumgarten has deleted all social media posts referring to her religious background, including photos of her 2019 trip to Israel and her NFTY youth group.

As a result of these actions, Baumgarten said, she has been able to avoid antisemitic remarks and comments from peers. But she also said that there is such a small Jewish population at her school, antisemitism isn’t on most students’ radar.

“I think [the lack of antisemitism] is because there are so few Jewish voices on our campus that there is not enough to have a group to speak out [against Jews],” she said.

While some Jewish college students worry about antisemitism and their safety, others do not share that concern.

Although Jordan Eisen, a sophomore at Northwestern University in suburban Chicago and a member of Congregation Shaare Emeth, has noticed antisemitism on campus, he has felt safe living and learning among many other Jewish individuals.

“[Northwestern] has a pretty vibrant Jewish community,” Eisen said. “There are Jews everywhere at Northwestern.”

Even with such a lively Jewish community, antisemitism has appeared on Northwestern’s campus. After a group on campus printed fake copies of The Daily Northwestern, Eisen, along with many other students, became frustrated. Printed on the front page was a QR code linking to a website criticizing Israel. From classrooms to dormitories, copies were found scattered across campus.

“I was upset about it but not really fearful or anything,” Eisen said. “I agree with taking it too far, but I don’t think it was harmful to my mental well-being.”

Like Eisen, Evan Canis, a freshman at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and member of Congregation B’nai Amoona, has felt safe while on campus. Similar to Northwestern University, many Jewish students at UPenn have found comfort in the university’s large Jewish community.

“Have I ever felt explicitly unsafe on campus? I wouldn’t say so just because there’s enough community here,” Canis said. “Penn has had a strong Jewish community forever. It’s notoriously Jewish in a very positive way.”

Even though Canis has not experienced antisemitism on campus, he has witnessed an overall lack of support for Jewish students by former UPenn President Liz Magill. When asked during a congressional hearing whether students who “called for the genocide of Jews” should face punishment, Magill avoided a direct answer.

“It’s obviously very disappointing,” Canis said. “You would hope your entire university would be supportive [of Jewish students].”

As a result of the hearing, Magill resigned in December. Canis hopes the next campus leader will be more empathetic when it comes to the university’s Jewish students.

“I’m at least hoping that, going forward, we’ll have a president who will try to make an environment where everyone feels safe and supported,” Canis said.

For the time being, however, many Jewish students have come together to raise support for Israel by organizing fundraisers and attending vigils.

“It kind of sounds like an oxymoron, but I have felt a stronger sense of pride in my Jewish community since these events have happened,” Fine said. “As these awful things are happening, I feel like it’s pushing us to grow stronger … and I think that’s a really special thing.”

Molly Levine graduated from Marquette High School and attends United Hebrew Congregation. She is a freshman at the University of Missouri.