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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Huh? There is no world in which spray-painting a swastika is a hoax.

You need to stop trying to excuse discrimination against Jews. If someone spray-painted the word nig*er on the wall of a dorm, would you say it's a hoax?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

The Anti-Defamation League and the FBI put out reports saying anti-semitic attacks are on the rise. Jews are the most attacked group in the USA on a per capita basis.

Why you people are trying to diminish it is beyond me. I have a feeling you would never do this when it comes to attacks against African Americans. It's ok in this country to minimize the discrimination Jews face. It's disgusting.

[Anonymous]

Side comment: We just went to a panel of high schoolers, who spoke about their experiences in DC schools. Every Jewish child in a non-Jewish school had experienced anti-semitism, from having swastikas on their lockers to being told by teachers that the Jews made up to holocaust. I was shocked by how overt it was.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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

You clearly haven't been following this issue, so read about it before deciding that's what anyone meant.

There is a contingent of anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian people who have taken their anti-Israel sentiment to the level of being anti-Semitic. That does not mean that merely being anti-Israel means you are anti-Semitic.

You need to research this issue.

I disagree with that. I think the root cause on college campuses is the BDS movement and the reaction from the pro israel supporters. It has been over top and really soured a whole generation on Israel. The pro israel stands is anyone who disagree with Israel is anti Semitic. Calling people who want to boycott or not invest in Israel anti Semitic is just counterproductive. Forcing people to buy israel or invest in israel by rule of law or university administration policy after they have voted not to just piss people off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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

You clearly haven't been following this issue, so read about it before deciding that's what anyone meant.

There is a contingent of anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian people who have taken their anti-Israel sentiment to the level of being anti-Semitic. That does not mean that merely being anti-Israel means you are anti-Semitic.

You need to research this issue.

I disagree with that. I think the root cause on college campuses is the BDS movement and the reaction from the pro israel supporters. It has been over top and really soured a whole generation on Israel. The pro israel stands is anyone who disagree with Israel is anti Semitic. Calling people who want to boycott or not invest in Israel anti Semitic is just counterproductive. Forcing people to buy israel or invest in israel by rule of law or university administration policy after they have voted not to just piss people off.

You're not getting it. Above, someone talked about kids who are part of the BDS movement wanting to ban Kosher food because, in their minds, Kosher = Israel. That's what we mean.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Side comment: We just went to a panel of high schoolers, who spoke about their experiences in DC schools. Every Jewish child in a non-Jewish school had experienced anti-semitism, from having swastikas on their lockers to being told by teachers that the Jews made up to holocaust. I was shocked by how overt it was.

My own DCPS child was told that she killed Jesus when she was in middle school. She's smart enough to know that it was a stupid statement by an uninformed tween and brushed it off but still...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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

You clearly haven't been following this issue, so read about it before deciding that's what anyone meant.

There is a contingent of anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian people who have taken their anti-Israel sentiment to the level of being anti-Semitic. That does not mean that merely being anti-Israel means you are anti-Semitic.

You need to research this issue.

I disagree with that. I think the root cause on college campuses is the BDS movement and the reaction from the pro israel supporters. It has been over top and really soured a whole generation on Israel. The pro israel stands is anyone who disagree with Israel is anti Semitic. Calling people who want to boycott or not invest in Israel anti Semitic is just counterproductive. Forcing people to buy israel or invest in israel by rule of law or university administration policy after they have voted not to just piss people off.

This. You see accusations of anti-semitism on DCUM every time a poster is critical of Israeli policies.

[Anonymous]

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.

#wise

This forum is as anti-semitic as it is anti-catholic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Side comment: We just went to a panel of high schoolers, who spoke about their experiences in DC schools. Every Jewish child in a non-Jewish school had experienced anti-semitism, from having swastikas on their lockers to being told by teachers that the Jews made up to holocaust. I was shocked by how overt it was.

My own DCPS child was told that she killed Jesus when she was in middle school. She's smart enough to know that it was a stupid statement by an uninformed tween and brushed it off but still...

The same thing happened to me in what was known as a liberal area. It was actually in 2nd grade and someone wrote it on the back of my notebook.

I have also been told that:

- I'm going to hell because I haven't accepted Jesus
- My religion isn't authentic and real because it doesn't include Jesus
- Anti-Semitism isn't really a problem because, in one person's view, Jews are white. Essentially this person was saying we shouldn't be complaining.

Our JCC was the victim of a bomb threat. Our synagogue had a swastika spray painted on it. I'm also the poster who went to Georgetown, which had the anti-Semitic incidents I talked about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Huh? There is no world in which spray-painting a swastika is a hoax.

You need to stop trying to excuse discrimination against Jews. If someone spray-painted the word nig*er on the wall of a dorm, would you say it's a hoax?

seriously? Have you been living under a bubble for the past few years?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

The Anti-Defamation League and the FBI put out reports saying anti-semitic attacks are on the rise. Jews are the most attacked group in the USA on a per capita basis.

Why you people are trying to diminish it is beyond me. I have a feeling you would never do this when it comes to attacks against African Americans. It's ok in this country to minimize the discrimination Jews face. It's disgusting.

Maybe it's just my age but I am more comfortable being Jewish today than I was as a kid. This was still the era where Jews were not welcome in certain neighborhoods in this area (covenants having only recently been lifted), or country clubs, or schools. While there are clearly attacks on Jewish houses of worship, there are also attacks on churches, on schools, on gay bars, on Paris and Las Vegas concerts, on airports, on random people on the street. So I may feel less safe, but it's not because I am Jewish. I totally get that others may feel differently.

[Anonymous]

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

Yep, how could you not know this. Are you living under a rock?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Huh? There is no world in which spray-painting a swastika is a hoax.

You need to stop trying to excuse discrimination against Jews. If someone spray-painted the word nig*er on the wall of a dorm, would you say it's a hoax?

seriously? Have you been living under a bubble for the past few years?

Explain to me how spray painting a swastika anywhere is a hoax.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

The Anti-Defamation League and the FBI put out reports saying anti-semitic attacks are on the rise. Jews are the most attacked group in the USA on a per capita basis.

Why you people are trying to diminish it is beyond me. I have a feeling you would never do this when it comes to attacks against African Americans. It's ok in this country to minimize the discrimination Jews face. It's disgusting.

Maybe it's just my age but I am more comfortable being Jewish today than I was as a kid. This was still the era where Jews were not welcome in certain neighborhoods in this area (covenants having only recently been lifted), or country clubs, or schools. While there are clearly attacks on Jewish houses of worship, there are also attacks on churches, on schools, on gay bars, on Paris and Las Vegas concerts, on airports, on random people on the street. So I may feel less safe, but it's not because I am Jewish. I totally get that others may feel differently.

Anti-Semitic attacks have gone up. That’s a fact.

[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.

Seriously stop. You are worried about nothing and inciting garbage. My kids JEWISH went to six different campuses, not counting graduate school. All over the country, only issues any had were at a southern school. That was with the conservative right wing. No college is perfect, they will meet all kinds of people with all kinds of thoughts, that's why they go to college to grow and learn. Keep your kids in the bubble you clearly live in and keep them home from college.