Kulanu Blog

Why Campus Antisemitism Matters

Originally published Feb 2024
Studies and polls of American Jewish students reveal a startling degree of anxiety and fear.

“Context,” has become an ugly word. Used by a trio of college presidents to avoid agreement with a politically barbed question in a congressional hearing as to whether or not calling for genocide against Jews is acceptable student conduct, use of the term seemed morally obtuse. They failed to acknowledge their university’s responsibility to protect students from harassment. Two presidents later apologized and subsequently resigned; their testimony, however, has continued to inflame the already charged debate about antisemitism on campus.
In the case of antisemitism, “context” includes understanding how certain types of action and speech affect Jewish students. The moral obligation to speak out against calls for genocide notwithstanding, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act obligates a university to protect members of ethnic, racial, and religious groups from discrimination. Under a “disparate treatment” provision of the act, Jewish students must be treated in the same way as those who are members of other protected groups. Notably, the impact on the victim of prejudice—not only the intent of the source—governs assessment of discrimination.

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