C

onsider these quotes: 
“The atmosphere 
on the University of 
Michigan campus is beginning 
to scare some Jewish students.
” 
“Students and faculty mem-
bers at Michigan State University 
have mustered forces to com-
bat what they fear is a wave of 
antisemitism on campus.” 
“You sort of feel sometimes, 
in certain situations around 
Wayne State University’s cam-
pus and in certain areas of the 
campus, that you want to hide 
your identity as a Jew — and 
that’s sad.
”
These are not recent quotes. 
They’re from JN stories pub-
lished in 1988 and 1990. 
The scourge of antisemitism 
on college campuses is sadly 
nothing new. Search through 
the JN archives and you can 
find stories highlighting the 
issue from a half-century ago 
or just a half-decade ago. 
But now, a new generation of 
Jewish college students are the 
direct targets of historic levels 
of antisemitism. 
This new wave began after 
Oct. 7, when Hamas murdered 
around 1,200 Israelis, wound-
ed thousands more, and took 
hundreds of hostages, many 
of whom are still being held 
captive. 
The attack prompted Israel to 
launch air and ground strikes 
in Gaza, which are still ongo-
ing. As of Dec. 1, the Hamas-
run Gaza Health Ministry says 
more than 15,000 Palestinians 
have been killed in the war. 
Israel’s military response has 
caused outcry on campuses 
across the nation, highlighted 
by rallies, protests and Boycott, 
Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) 
resolutions being brought forth 
to student councils. 
Anti-Israel rhetoric on cam-
puses has called the Israeli 
response a genocide, a holo-

caust, an ethnic cleansing and 
more. Jewish college students 
who have been raised in pro- 
Israel households and com-
munities range from “upset” to 
“confused.
” 
Jewish students are left 
feeling unwelcome, unsafe 
and filled with anxiety. Some 
students think twice about dis-
playing their Jewish pride. The 
environment has also led to 
blatant acts of antisemitism. 
Jewish college students are 
struggling; they’re in great 
pain. Although this is a level of 
antisemitic fervor this genera-
tion has never felt before, the 
past two months have also led 
Jewish college students to grow 
closer to each other — and to 
their Jewish pride and faith —
than ever before. 

WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY
On the campus of Wayne State 
University (WSU) on Nov. 2, 
a rally and march organized 
by WSU’s Students for Justice 
in Palestine (SJP) chapter took 
place right outside Hillel of 
Metro Detroit’s (HMD) head-
quarters. “From the river to the 
sea, Palestine will be free” was 
among the chants heard. 
Later that day, a two-plus 
hour WSU Student Senate 
meeting was held where, by 

majority vote via a secret ballot, 
the Student Senate passed a 
resolution encouraging WSU’s 
Board of Governors to adopt a 
BDS approach toward compa-
nies with ties to Israel.
In advance of the vote, stu-
dents from the pro-Israel and 
anti-Israel sides were given 
time for speeches. Their voices 
were filled with passion. 
Laughs could be heard 
coming from members of the 
anti-Israel side as a Jewish stu-
dent described their negative 
experiences and anxiety about 
their safety as a Jew on campus. 

Separately, one of the speak-
ers in support of the anti-Israel 
BDS resolution ended their 
speech wanting to make a dis-
tinction by saying, “divesting 
from Israeli companies is a 
consequence of their heinous 
war crimes, a direct conse-
quence of the state’s actions, 
rather than the religion of the 
state. It is not associated in any 

DECEMBER 14 • 2023 | 13
J
N

continued on page 14

Jewish college students 
Matthew Zivian (right), Mia 
Hirsch, Emily Goldvekht 
and Sammy Caruso (above) 
participated in a “Jewish 
Life on Campus” panel at 
Congregation Shaarey Zedek 
on Nov. 13. HMD executive 
director Miriam Starkman (top)
hosted the event. 

