JEWISH STUDENTS ARE NO LONGER SAFE AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY

Jewish Students Are No Longer Safe at Columbia University

Fellow students proudly tell me they're 'with Hamas.' A Pro-Palestinian protester near campus pinned me to a wall. Being visibly Jewish at Columbia if you're pro-Israel means you're unprotected, abandoned and with no expectation of accountability from the university itself

April 25th, 16PM April 25th, 16PM

Last Wednesday night I was on a bus heading into Manhattan from Washington D.C. where I had traveled as part of a delegation of Jewish students attending a Congressional hearing on antisemitism at Columbia University.

I was in a good mood - encouraged by the testimonies I heard during the hearing, specifically that of President Minouche Shafik's promise that Columbia "will not tolerate antisemitic threats, images and other violations." It seemed that after months of witnessing a rise of hostility and antisemitism against Jewish students, things were going to change.

But as we approached Columbia's campus we could see the streets were packed with protestors. Those of us on the bus were petrified with fear, the anxiety palpable as we spoke to one another. As a student in the joint program with the Jewish Theological Seminary and Columbia, I live in a dorm building on 122nd street, two blocks north on the other side of campus. I had no idea how I was going to get back to my dorm since it had become clear that Columbia University Public Safety and even the New York Police Department cannot guarantee Jewish students' safety.

Once I was off the bus and headed to campus I heard chants, some of them familiar to me by now, like "We don't want no Zionists here" and a new one, "We are Hamas."

The next day, I joined a group of fellow Jewish students on the main campus lawn, proudly waving American and Israeli flags. There were several dozen of us, the largest Jewish student gathering I'd seen in months.

I was approached by a masked student who took out his phone and pulled up the Hamas insignia on it – two crossed swords in front of the Dome of the Rock mosque. He shoved it in my face and pointed at it saying "I am with them." We asked him why he was even there, and he said, "For you!" pointing at us.

Minutes later, another masked student approached me that I recognized as a fellow student from a class we had together that had been cancelled because of the protests. She said to me, "I can't believe you're here" – as in, she was disappointed to see me supporting Israel. When I attempted to respectfully engage with her, she interrupted and said, "I am sad to know we were once acquaintances."

These two interactions demonstrate to me the scariest parts of the conflict on my campus – total polarization and unwillingness on the part of so many of the pro-Palestinian protesters to even try to engage in civil discourse.

Unfortunately, this is not a new experience for me as a Jewish, pro-Israel student at Columbia University.

One Friday evening, back in early February, I found myself in a harrowing situation while returning home to prepare for Shabbat. I had been at a counter-protest to a pro-Palestinian demonstration that took place near campus. After walking away from where the protesters had been marching, I was surprised to encounter another group of protesters coming towards me. When one of them noticed my t-shirt imprinted with an Israeli flag, he indicated for his fellow protesters to block my path and then he pinned me against the wall.

I broke free and ran towards some police officers stationed down the street, chased by some of the protesters who yelled at me, "Keep running!"

This was my own wake-up call as to how unsafe it was becoming to be visibly Jewish at Columbia. Recently, university students have joined with others outside the campus community in larger demonstrations that have become bolder. They are less afraid to express their anti-Israel views, which often bleed into blatant antisemitism and rage.

Out of genuine curiosity, I attempted to enter the encampment on Tuesday – I had heard so much about it, but wanted to see what it was like for myself. When walking over, I folded up my Israeli flag and put it in my jacket pocket so as not to agitate those in the encampment.

Certainly, I was not trying to altogether hide my pro-Israel affiliations. I still wore my yellow pin for the release of the hostages and blue square pin against antisemitism, but I was trying to be respectful. A student who saw me put my flag in my pocket ran over to the "guards" of the encampment and in a panicked voice accused me of attempting to "infiltrate" the encampment. At this point the "guards" became tense and it was clear that I was not welcome, so I left.

During a second attempt to enter the encampment a few hours later, I was told that in order to enter I had to, among other stipulations, pledge my support for the liberation of Palestine. When I said that I may be willing to pledge support for the Palestinian people, but not liberation without better understanding what they mean by "liberation", I was given a dirty look and told "These are the rules. If you want to enter, you have to agree to them." In the end, the students capitulated and allowed me in once I affirmed an "understanding" of the guidelines. Walking through the encampment, I felt stares from all directions – it was clear to everyone there that I was an outsider, and I certainly felt like one.

Considering that the activists argue their encampment should be allowed to stay up, in part because they are tuition paying students, it seemed ridiculous that they would attempt to keep other students out who refuse to pledge support for the liberation of Palestine.

Speaking out for Palestinians is something I welcome and support - intimidating, harassing and attacking Jewish students is not. However, the climate on campus has been allowed to deteriorate to a point that it has become possible for demonstrators to feel they are untouchable, despite the arrests of over 100 students last week when the police tried to clear the encampment.

Earlier this week, an email was sent out saying that classes will be hybrid (giving students a Zoom option), but it is unfair that Jewish students who pay the same tuition as the protestors may feel they have to attend class remotely out of concern for their safety.

It has become clear that the university is not willing to clear out the second encampment, even after a number of those among them have made antisemitic remarks and harassed Jewish students. Instead, the message is that Jewish students should just stay away.

Why should I have to go to class by Zoom because the university refuses to protect me, while the pro-Palestinian protesters get to go to class in person?

I want accountability from the university. Jewish students are no longer safe at Columbia University. The university needs to act upon their promise that antisemitism will not be tolerated. Otherwise their words are nothing but empty promises, ones that send a sinister message to Jewish students - a message that we have been abandoned.

Noah Lederman is from Orange County, California and is a first-year student at Columbia University, and enrolled in the Joint Degree program with the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. He is active in Hillel, Students Supporting Israel, and is president of Meor, a campus group that fosters Jewish learning.

2024-04-25T13:11:48Z dg43tfdfdgfd