Is there Antisemitism on Vanderbilt's Campus
These past few weeks have been trying times for many Jewish students on campus. It seems like antisemitism has hit Vanderbilt with a new intensity. There has been harassment, hurt, and astonishment; is there really antisemitism at Vanderbilt? Can it actually be called antisemitism? Does antisemitism still exist in our times and in our midst?
Yes. There has been a steady rise in hate crimes against Jews around the world. From American college campuses to European cafes to ethnic cleansing occurring in Yemen, Jews have been attacked, harassed, denied entry, and even killed, just because they are Jewish or under the guise of “hating Israel.” There has been a 14% increase in the number of occurrences from previous years. For example, just last week, on March 31, a Jewish family was brutally attacked by a passerby on the street in New York City. These regularly occurring attacks are widely underreported in the media. The statistics are horrifying, given that Jews are only 1.75% of the US population.
Recently, antisemitism has bubbled up from beneath the surface even in formerly-welcoming spaces on Vanderbilt’s campus. Harassed and made to feel deeply uncomfortable by their peers and professors, Jewish students have felt their identities targeted.
Some Jewish students have been called liars for saying that they felt antisemitism on campus. When Jewish students spoke out against the discrimination they felt, their harassers continued their onslaught saying that they were faking their hurt to use that identity as a weapon. Denying any person’s very real feelings and experiences is hateful; to deny the possibility for a Jewish student to feel antisemitism is in itself antisemitic.
Antisemitism is not a new phenomena. It is one of the oldest hates. Some of humanity's greatest atrocities and most appalling moments were against Jews. For thousands of years, nations, religions, and societies have persecuted and ostracized Jews. Such ingrained hatred doesn't easily disappear, it resurfaces with a new face.
A new form of "socially accepted" Jew hatred is demonizing and denying Jewish ethnic, historic, and religious connections to Israel, a safe haven for our people. For Jewish and Israeli students, this demonization has barred them from openly sharing their identity and nationality on campus and fully participating in all student organizations. Israel is regularly singled out and criticized with a gross double standard. I can't help but think that if Israel were not a Jewish country, it would be praised as a beacon of freedom and tolerance, instead of maligned.
This is why many Jews feel that rejecting Israel isn’t about hating policy or a country; it is about rejecting Jews, period.
Friends, it is important that we recognize these signs and initiate conversations. Realize that Jews have a unique minority experience. Talk, share your Jewish experiences, ask and listen to your friends and peers; mutual understanding will make all of us healthier. Before people hate, condemn, or fight the concerns of a Jewish peer, they should check themselves. If the entity they are against weren’t Jewish, how would they treat it or feel about it? If the complaints were coming from another minority group, would they take these concerns more seriously?
Treating Jews and Jewish things differently (especially negatively), just because they are Jewish, is antisemitism. Denying the Jewish experience as a marginalized group in America -- a group that accounts for 62% of all religious-based hate crimes, and that faces discrimination and violence from both sides of the political spectrum -- is definitely a form of antisemitism.
We must all strongly condemn all forms of antisemitism, even the subtle and unintentional kinds. It’s not enough for someone to say “I didn’t know” and “I didn’t mean it.... “ Encourage them to go and learn.
Vanderbilt Chabad continues to work closely with our campus partner, Vanderbilt Hillel, to ensure our students are supported and these issues are addressed. Please let us know if you ever experience or see something that might be antisemitic. We are here for you and want to help.
To conclude. I strongly believe that most people are good and want to do the right thing. I believe that not all of the perpetrators are aware of their own insensitivity towards their Jewish counterparts. I believe that one day all forms of hate will be a thing of the past. It is our duty and a G-d given challenge to make that happen now.
Best of luck and all the blessings on making this world a better place.
With esteem, respect, and prayers for strength and peace,
Rabbi Shlomo and Nechama Rothstein
