How are your kids navigating the rising anti-Semitisim on campus?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DC went to a school with a relatively large Jewish population and did not experience anti-semitism (at least anything overt). If you are worried about it you may want to explore colleges with larger populations of Jews and/or more diversity generally.

I think you're being naive. Look at how often the Hasidic Jews in Brooklyn are targeted. Being among many Jews is no real protection against anti-Semitism.

The Hasidic community is a cult that happens to be Jewish. I think pp’s advice about attending a school with a significant Jewish population is valid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FWIW I discuss with Jews in other places outside of DCUM. I don't find this to be a good place to discuss my concerns.

Op here: I thought about that, but I feel that there's no reason to hide what's going on or our concerns as Jews. This discussion should be out in the open and not just among MOT. Many issues are discussed in this forum from kids being depressed, kids with learning disabilities, kids using drugs, kids failing out of school, racism. Just add this to the list.

There is a lot of anti-Jewish and anti-Israel sentiment on this board— much of it identical to what kids face on their college campuses. This thread will go bad very shortly. It really is the last place to ask for this type of advice.

Perhaps, but does that mean we should not ask these questions on DCUM? That we should be scared to ask the same types of questions that other parents ask about the issues that their kids are facing at college?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So being against Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians is anti-Semitic? Wow...ok.

I think eliminating Kosher meal options as a protest against Israel’s politics is anti-Semitic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Faulty premise. There is no rising anti-semitism.

Ehh. There's a growing nuisance of left-wing antisemitism among the progressive left. See Britain's Jeremy Corbyn and the shell of the Labour Party. Having lived in London it is astonishing the degree to which otherwise intelligent progressive people will trap themselves by failing to distinguish between a political issue, Israel-Palestinian relations, and the greater Jewish faith and identity. As if Jews are not allowed to be anything other than hardcore Israel supporting Zionists who murder Palestinians every day of the week.

For some reason, right-wing antisemitism gets a lot more press and while I don't want to seem to be downplaying it, the left wing antisemitism is more pervasive because it's hidden behind the walls of "progressive causes" and Palestinian rights activists. At least right wing antisemitism is more honest in viewing all Jews = bad whereas left wing antisemitism hides behind the Palestinian / Israel mess as their excuse.

That aside, at least on American campuses, I don't think this will be a particular problem. Every school has its wackos.

Op here. I'm not sure why you think the "left wing" anti-semitism is not an issue here. That's exactly what I shared in my original post. The articles talk about the insidiousness of the left wing anti-semitism and how it's affecting campuses here. I'm looking for some advice from parents of Jewish college students on how to deal with this.

Exactly. Also, I wouldn't be so sure that it won't be a problem. I went to Georgetown from 05-09. Every single year our menorah--which Hillel put up on campus--was vandalized. Someone spray painted swastikas on the walls of dorms.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DC went to a school with a relatively large Jewish population and did not experience anti-semitism (at least anything overt). If you are worried about it you may want to explore colleges with larger populations of Jews and/or more diversity generally.

I think you're being naive. Look at how often the Hasidic Jews in Brooklyn are targeted. Being among many Jews is no real protection against anti-Semitism.

The Hasidic community is a cult that happens to be Jewish. I think pp’s advice about attending a school with a significant Jewish population is valid.

I don't care what you think about the Hasidic community. My point is Jews living with a lot of other Jews are still attacked. I went to a school with a significant Jewish population and there were absolutely problems with anti-Semitism.

[Anonymous]

OP, I'm pretty darn secular, but here's what advice I'm giving my own HS senior, applicable to everything:

Don't operate in a vacuum. Find community, and if you can't find it, build it. We're not the first group of people to be on the wrong end of hate/discrimination/etc. Not by a longshot. And frankly some of our friends have been dealing with worse in more recent history for longer. Be an ally. Learn what that means. Show up for people. Do that, and they show up for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So being against Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians is anti-Semitic? Wow...ok.

I think eliminating Kosher meal options as a protest against Israel’s politics is anti-Semitic.

I am absolutely not a fan of Israel's policies, joined Bend the Arc, etc., and I agree with this statement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, I'm pretty darn secular, but here's what advice I'm giving my own HS senior, applicable to everything:

Don't operate in a vacuum. Find community, and if you can't find it, build it. We're not the first group of people to be on the wrong end of hate/discrimination/etc. Not by a longshot. And frankly some of our friends have been dealing with worse in more recent history for longer. Be an ally. Learn what that means. Show up for people. Do that, and they show up for you.

I don't think you understand what the OP is asking. It almost sounds like you're diminishing the discrimination Jews have faced, which really is pretty insensitive. We're not talking about allyship here; we're talking about what it's like being part of a discriminated minority.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I'm pretty darn secular, but here's what advice I'm giving my own HS senior, applicable to everything:

Don't operate in a vacuum. Find community, and if you can't find it, build it. We're not the first group of people to be on the wrong end of hate/discrimination/etc. Not by a longshot. And frankly some of our friends have been dealing with worse in more recent history for longer. Be an ally. Learn what that means. Show up for people. Do that, and they show up for you.

I don't think you understand what the OP is asking. It almost sounds like you're diminishing the discrimination Jews have faced, which really is pretty insensitive. We're not talking about allyship here; we're talking about what it's like being part of a discriminated minority.

Hi. I did not intend to diminish the discrimination. I'm sorry that's how it came across. It is the furthest thing from my intention. I'm saying that LOTS of folks besides us (ME) have experienced this. And fostering allyship is a concrete way to combat it. I mean that. Not as a feel-good platitude. I mean it because I've personally found it to give me a sense of hope and community, opportunities for productive discussion, and feeling like we're actually doing something about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I'm pretty darn secular, but here's what advice I'm giving my own HS senior, applicable to everything:

Don't operate in a vacuum. Find community, and if you can't find it, build it. We're not the first group of people to be on the wrong end of hate/discrimination/etc. Not by a longshot. And frankly some of our friends have been dealing with worse in more recent history for longer. Be an ally. Learn what that means. Show up for people. Do that, and they show up for you.

I don't think you understand what the OP is asking. It almost sounds like you're diminishing the discrimination Jews have faced, which really is pretty insensitive. We're not talking about allyship here; we're talking about what it's like being part of a discriminated minority.

Hi. I did not intend to diminish the discrimination. I'm sorry that's how it came across. It is the furthest thing from my intention. I'm saying that LOTS of folks besides us (ME) have experienced this. And fostering allyship is a concrete way to combat it. I mean that. Not as a feel-good platitude. I mean it because I've personally found it to give me a sense of hope and community, opportunities for productive discussion, and feeling like we're actually doing something about it.

Ok. But OP is asking about how to advise Jews. In this case, non-Jews would be the allies, not Jews ourselves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So being against Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians is anti-Semitic? Wow...ok.

I think it’s anti-Semitic if you don’t address the fact the Hamas charter commands the killing of all Jews everywhere in the world. If you address that as bad and still have other suggestions on what Israel should do differently then I don’t think it’s anti Semitic. Where it’s anti Semitic for me is when people don’t consider that a problem and just see Israel as the problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I'm pretty darn secular, but here's what advice I'm giving my own HS senior, applicable to everything:

Don't operate in a vacuum. Find community, and if you can't find it, build it. We're not the first group of people to be on the wrong end of hate/discrimination/etc. Not by a longshot. And frankly some of our friends have been dealing with worse in more recent history for longer. Be an ally. Learn what that means. Show up for people. Do that, and they show up for you.

I don't think you understand what the OP is asking. It almost sounds like you're diminishing the discrimination Jews have faced, which really is pretty insensitive. We're not talking about allyship here; we're talking about what it's like being part of a discriminated minority.

Hi. I did not intend to diminish the discrimination. I'm sorry that's how it came across. It is the furthest thing from my intention. I'm saying that LOTS of folks besides us (ME) have experienced this. And fostering allyship is a concrete way to combat it. I mean that. Not as a feel-good platitude. I mean it because I've personally found it to give me a sense of hope and community, opportunities for productive discussion, and feeling like we're actually doing something about it.

Ok. But OP is asking about how to advise Jews. In this case, non-Jews would be the allies, not Jews ourselves.

I hear you. This is my advice to my very Jewish kid. Don't simmer in it alone. Find folks, Jews, non-Jews, with whom you have a sense of community, and foster that community.

[Anonymous]

Anecdotally (because my child is not college-aged yet) I've heard one parent say that their child was pushed in an alt-rightish direction because of the anti-semitism on campus. Doesn't make a ton of sense (given anti-semitism on the right) but I think this is a real phenomenon. Not so much that the kids become Ben Shapiros and Steven Millers, but that they create an identity out of rejecting identity politics/PC culture/cancel culture.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Faulty premise. There is no rising anti-semitism.

I think that's partially right. I think people are more willing to be public in their antisemitism, but it was that was already there. And the recipients are more willing to call them out on it. So the public incidences are on the rise. Antisemitism itself has been around for a pretty long time.

[Anonymous]

Exactly. Also, I wouldn't be so sure that it won't be a problem. I went to Georgetown from 05-09. Every single year our menorah--which Hillel put up on campus--was vandalized. Someone spray painted swastikas on the walls of dorms.

Probably a hoax just like at GWU.