Jewish at Boston College

[Anonymous]

We’d love to hear from anyone with direct experience about what it’s like to be a Jewish student at BC.

We know there’s an active Hillel on campus, and we know the religious studies requirement can be satisfied via many different types of classes. Not just heavy Catholic courses. 👍 b

At this point, we’re most eager to hear from those with recent experience. How has it felt since 10/7/23 to be Jewish at bc?

[Anonymous]

Comedian Gary Gullman went to BC. He has a good joke about what the other students called him when he went there. Jew.

Maybe times have changed.

[Anonymous]

BC is a very welcoming place - not super diverse admittedly (neither are most towns in metro Boston, by the way). The community and camaraderie are excellent. Jesuit education is great for lifelong learners and they care about fostering students to become good people who will graduate and live a life that is compassionate to others and helps others. Lots of school spirit for sports. Non-Catholic alum.

[Anonymous]

https://www.hillel.org/college/boston-college/

It looks to be about 5% Jewish. Why not look at Brandeis too? But I think post 10/7 Jesuit colleges may be a good fit for Jewish students, even if there aren't many Jews on campus. Students tend to lean politically moderate and I doubt your kid will experience as much blatant anti-semitism as at some other schools.

[Anonymous]

Because it's hard enough being in a minority (Jewish), why send your child to a school where they will be a super-minority when there are so many other excellent options? Would never send our Jewish kids to BC, ND and the like

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because it's hard enough being in a minority (Jewish), why send your child to a school where they will be a super-minority when there are so many other excellent options? Would never send our Jewish kids to BC, ND and the like

Parents are not "sending", child is "applying". I think it just depends on the student. How religious is he? Does he only date Jewish people?

--Jewish person who was fine at Georgetown. Yes I saw crosses. Yes I was part of an inclusive campus with many close friends. I was not seeking a very Jewish experience so I was not disappointed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because it's hard enough being in a minority (Jewish), why send your child to a school where they will be a super-minority when there are so many other excellent options? Would never send our Jewish kids to BC, ND and the like

Parents are not "sending", child is "applying". I think it just depends on the student. How religious is he? Does he only date Jewish people?

--Jewish person who was fine at Georgetown. Yes I saw crosses. Yes I was part of an inclusive campus with many close friends. I was not seeking a very Jewish experience so I was not disappointed.

Jewish person here - I think Georgetown has a bit of a different vibe than some of the other Catholic schools. I wouldn’t be all that worried about antisemitism at BC per se - a lot of the issues right now are at more liberal schools (and I’m liberal) but I’d be worried that as a Jew my child would be sort of out of the loop at BC, Villanova and the like - not everyone but a large number of students will be sort of culturally Catholic even if not super religious and you child may feel sort of left out. I’m thinking a lot Catholic geography instead of Jewish geography you know?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We’d love to hear from anyone with direct experience about what it’s like to be a Jewish student at BC.

We know there’s an active Hillel on campus, and we know the religious studies requirement can be satisfied via many different types of classes. Not just heavy Catholic courses. 👍 b

At this point, we’re most eager to hear from those with recent experience. How has it felt since 10/7/23 to be Jewish at bc?

If you don't want other people to project their identity issues onto your kid, you need to explain what Jewish means to your kid. There is a wide range

[Anonymous]

Catholic schools are often excellent options for people of faith of other religions - your Jewish faith will be respected and appreciated more there than at many public schools. (Not saying it would be a problem at many public schools, just that it would simply be ignored by the school and most students vs at a place like BC where it will be actively respected)

[Anonymous]

We visited in fall 2023 and it felt very religious. The student panel reflected that, as did our pass through a building that was open.

[Anonymous]

There are quite a few Jewish professors at BC, & the area surrounding the campus is heavily Jewish. It’s just not the type of place where antisemitism would be condoned.

Many of the Catholic students there come from ancestry (Irish, Italian, Polish, Hispanic etc) which was harassed. It would be considered very very uncool to turn on Jews there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are quite a few Jewish professors at BC, & the area surrounding the campus is heavily Jewish. It’s just not the type of place where antisemitism would be condoned.

Many of the Catholic students there come from ancestry (Irish, Italian, Polish, Hispanic etc) which was harassed. It would be considered very very uncool to turn on Jews there.

No way, Irish-Italian bro culture can be pretty ignorant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:BC is a very welcoming place - not super diverse admittedly (neither are most towns in metro Boston, by the way). The community and camaraderie are excellent. Jesuit education is great for lifelong learners and they care about fostering students to become good people who will graduate and live a life that is compassionate to others and helps others. Lots of school spirit for sports. Non-Catholic alum.

Will add here that political or social activism is not part of the school culture at BC. Never a single protest or rally in the time I was there. The student body is predominantly (and selected to be) outgoing, well rounded, open minded kids who do well in school but also have other interests.

Yes - I believe there were crucifixes in classes. They are not huge, they are not revered...they are just there. I didn't feel impacted by them any more than I would feel affected by a mezuzah at every entrance. To me these are no different than having churches, mosques, synagogues in my community.

Via education and my career, I have been part of several college communities. The Jesuit ones at BC and Georgetown were the most explicitly open and welcoming - facing head on the acceptance of all (and with no religious rhetoric - the Jesuits are all about education and learning and caring for each other and the world). At other secular institutions, there was far less care for community and acceptance - only reactionary (and sometimes lack of) responses to "incidents". Little guidance on having students leave with a moral compass.

OP - if your DC loves BC - please let them consider it.

The most salient point made of any of the PPs is how you (and your child) feel about dating outside of your faith and how religious they will want to be. If attending regular services is important, Brighton and Brookline will provide a selection of synagogues and congregations that should be easy to attend using the shuttle, T, or even walking. Newton Campus also has multiple within walking distance. Your child will not be surrounded by many Jewish students but I'm sure they will find them via Hillel.

On that point - reach out to BC Hillel and find some students to talk to. I guarantee you will find students willing to share and gush about their school. It's that sort of place.

[Anonymous]

If you can't fathom a world where everyone isn't out to get you, then it's better to stay in your own safe bubble. Why even think about going to a place where you think you're going to be unwelcome, especially since there are dozens of similar schools that exist?

[Anonymous]

There is zero anti-semitism at BC, pretty much because the student body isn't composed of rabid social justice types.

But BC is known first and foremost as a Catholic school. Religous affiliation is considered in admissions and it is considered to be an important part of one's application.

If BC is your dream school, no reason not to enroll no matter your religion.

This is assuming since the poster asked about being Jewish and applying to BC that being Jewish is a big part of their identity. If it is, there might be other universities like BU and NEU that will have a larger contingent of Jewish students.