4 | MAY 16 • 2024 
J
N

A 

few days ago, one of 
my closest friends 
called to talk about a 
scene that is unfolding in many 
families around the country. 
She noticed that 
her niece, a col-
lege student, had 
posted an image 
on Instagram 
that included 
Palestinian flags 
and asked people 
to donate money 
to a new “bail fund” that had 
been set up to pay for students 
who might get arrested protest-
ing against Israel on her campus.
My friend loves her niece 
dearly — and this is a girl who 
grew up with a strong Jewish 
identity, is active in her commu-
nity and has been to Israel more 
than once. But that post seemed 
to be taking sides with those who 
have spent decades violently tar-
geting Israel and Jews worldwide, 
massacred our people on Oct. 7, 
and have been more than clear 
in stating that they intend to do 
it again and again. 
It has been staggering to 
see the hate and vitriol wash-
ing over campuses across the 
country for the past six months. 
Although some label them as 
“Pro-Palestinian” protests, their 
character and messages are over-
whelmingly pro-Hamas and/
or anti-Israel. Jewish students, 
whether actively/outwardly sup-
porting Israel or not, have been 
demonized, harassed, threatened 
and attacked. 
A rabbi at Columbia recently 
told students they should go 
home, since he didn’t believe 
they would be safe on campus. 
USC canceled its main grad-
uation ceremony over safety 
concerns. Police at Northeastern 
University donned riot gear 
to remove students and make 

arrests after demonstrations 
included chants of “Kill the 
Jews.
” Also at Columbia, one of 
the primary organizers of these 
student events was banned from 
campus for proclaiming “I feel 
very comfortable calling for 
(Zionists) to die.
”
The latest iteration of these 
demonstrations are “encamp-
ments” springing up on campus 
after campus — students (and, 
often, non-student activists who 
are joining or leading these 
events) setting up tent villages 
and taking over campus proper-
ties. Most of these encampments 
violate school policies, and some 
are illegal. 
They have become launching 
pads for violent rhetoric, “exclu-
sion zones” where Zionists (read: 
almost all Jews) are not allowed, 
and places that encourage direct 
antisemitism (keeping Jewish 
students from accessing their 
own campuses or suggesting that 
Jews should go back to Poland). 
To be clear, there are certainly 
people out there (including on 
college campuses) who really 
are concerned about the grow-
ing death toll among innocent 
civilians or simply want to see 
the violence stop. But so much 
of what we continue to witness 
since Oct. 7 has been heavily 

tilted toward antisemitism and 
anti-Zionism.
Administrators are struggling 
to respond — in part because 
of their “commitment to free 
speech.
” We all know that free 
speech has limits, and that 
harassment or incitement or 
violent threats are not protected. 
But many university presidents 
are talking more about the ideal 
of free speech than the legal con-
cept. They recognize that their 
campuses are tinderboxes right 
now, ready to explode — and 
they seem to fear that if they 
enforce their own policies or take 
(appropriate) steps to counter the 
shocking harassment endured by 
Jewish students and others, they 
will ignite a greater firestorm.
It is frustrating and frighten-
ing to witness so many college 
leaders holding up the banner 
of free speech, when it is clear 
that if such vitriol and hate were 
publicly expressed toward other 
minorities or vulnerable popu-
lations, it would be shut down 
immediately.
Which brings us back to the 
question from my friend — 
What do we do when our own 
kids are drawn into this frenzy of 
Jew-hatred? When they believe 
that they are expressing compas-
sion and working toward justice, 

when they are sure they are 
doing the right thing?
Although it’s maddening, it 
shouldn’t be entirely surprising 
that some of our students are 
caught up in what has become a 
popular and enticing moment. 
The anti-Israel cause has spent 
years wrapping itself in the lan-
guage and imagery of goodness. 
Young Jews want to be included 
rather than excluded, they want 
to help people who are suffering, 
they want to see themselves as 
part of the solution.
As a result, we risk alienating 
them even further if we push 
too hard right now. Over time, 
our job is to help them under-
stand the reality of Israel. No, 
it’s not a colonialist project. No, 
it isn’t apartheid. No, there is no 
genocide happening. Yes, what’s 
occurring in Gaza right now is 
tragic. Yes, Hamas is 100% to 
blame. Israel is not the aggressor 
in this war, and Israel is not the 
bad actor on the world stage. 
None of these concepts are sim-
ple, and it is going to take time 
for us to win over their hearts 
and minds.
As painful as it is right now, I 
hope we can find the deep well 
of patience that is going to be 
necessary for us to (1) continue 
battling the misinformation and 
hate that continues to spread, 
(2) expand our support for the 
many Jewish youth who are on 
the front lines, responding with 
passion and smarts to all this 
madness, and (3) find creative 
and respectful ways to approach 
those who seem lost right now, 
so that we ensure they have a 
path toward an active future in 
the Jewish community.
Pray for the peace of 
Jerusalem. 

Rabbi Mark Miller is the spiritual leader 

of Temple Beth El.

essay
Supporting Our Young People

Rabbi Mark 
Miller

PURELY COMMENTARY

WIKIPEDIA

George Washington 
University in Washington, 
D.C., pro-Palestinian 
encampment, April 28, 2024.

