48 | NOVEMBER 17 • 2022 

O

n many college 
campuses big 
and small in the 
United States, antisemitism 
is growing. This kind of 
hate affects a large swath 
of people, from students to 
staff to faculty members. 
A few weeks ago, during 
Judaism’s most holy of days, 
three antisemitic incidents 
happened at the University of 
Michigan, Rutgers University 
and American University. 
Antisemitism is clearly alive 
and well on campuses.
According to some reports, 
antisemitism is the most high-
ly reported hate crime on col-
lege campuses. Antisemitism 
is not a single-school out-
break, but a pandemic of sorts 
that is slowly festering in all 
school spaces, organizations 
and even classrooms across 
America. 
No matter how “diverse and 
inclusive” our school spaces 
may be, the Jewish people are 
often given a sorry welcome, 
especially as our identity is 
intertwined with the actions of 
a Middle Eastern state so close 
to our hearts yet viewed so 
often as problematic.
It’s funny, really, I went to a 
Jewish high school that made 
sure we were ready to take 
charge during an antisemitic 

incident. Our version of 
“college prep” was being told 
stories about antisemitism 
on college campuses and 
how to directly address it. I 
never really thought it would 
happen to me in a small 
Midwestern liberal arts col-
lege. I don’t fit the stereotyp-
ical Jewish “look.” I consider 
myself open-minded and I am 
not overly religious.
I was very wrong. From 
the start, in the middle of my 
freshman year, I experienced 
antisemitism directly. At 
that time, I became heavily 
involved in a student organiza-
tion that worked on benefiting 
refugees across the country. I 
had previously done volunteer 
work with refugees in high 
school, so I thought I was an 
ideal member for the club. 
However, someone in the 
leadership of the club did not 
think so. I had expressed my 
support of Zionism on my 
social media accounts, leading 
this student leader to ask if 
they could dig deeper into my 
“political alignments.” 
As a Jew who explicitly 
defined Zionism as support 
for Jews to self-determination 
in their native homeland, but 
who holds a lot of sentiments 
critical of Israel, I thought I 
was in the clear. After several 

heated conversations with 
this person trying to prove to 
them that I was a “good Jew” 
and not some evil person, 
they finally called me what 
other Jews are being called on 
campuses nationwide, a geno-
cide supporter. I was being 
equated to a supporter of the 
murder and imprisonment 
of Palestinians, going so far 
as to say that I am akin to an 
American Confederate sup-
porter.
It did not matter how pro-
gressive I was, how critical of 
Israel I was or even how the 
Jewish people have historically 
been persecuted, I was being 
painted as an “evil Zionist.” I 
didn’t know what to do as my 
possible leadership position in 
the organization, my relations 
with other members and my 
mental health were all at stake. 
I went through every outlet I 
could find, including school 
administration and filing a 
discrimination case, both to 
no avail. I found support from 
other Jewish students who had 
experienced similar incidents.
In serving on the executive 

board of my campus Hillel, I 
know that support for Jewish 
students is deeply needed 
and, at the same time, I am 
fed up with the lack of pro-
tection of Jewish students in 
academia. American colleges 
of all sizes and locations are 
starting to pride themselves 
on diversity and inclusion 
where all opinions can be 
heard and appreciated. 
 However, when students 
disregard and dismiss a belief 
such as Zionism, which many 
argue is inextricably tied to 
Judaism, and according to 
many estimates, a significant 
majority of Jews in the U.S. 
believe, many are discrimi-
nating by default. 
When campuses welcome a 
group, a religion or a culture, 
they are not taking in an indi-
vidual person who “aligns” 
with general beliefs, they take 
in a whole people. This should 
not be a consideration made 
just for Jews, but a tenet of 
common human decency. @

Joseph Shumunov is a second-
year student at Kalamazoo College.

for college students 
by college students

How one student was accused of 
being a “genocide supporter.”

Antisemitism 
on Campus

Joseph Shumunov } jewish@edu writer

Pictured at a Campus Reflection program are Alexandra Chafetz of 
Royal Oak, Joseph Shumunov of Farmington Hills, Grace Leahey of 
Royal Oak, Sofia Klein and Stefan Nielsen, both of Farmington Hills.

