At the dinner table, the excitement of college discussions is increasingly overshadowed by a harsh reality for many Jewish families. As seniors weigh their options, the conversation often shifts from dreams of academics and campus life to anxieties about safety.
CNN reports a 700 percent surge of antisemitism in the United States. Specifically, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) reported that at least 73 percent of Jewish college students experienced antisemitism in the fall of 2023. This data amounts to what the Biden administration has called an “alarming rise” in antisemitism, specifically on college campuses. This increase in antisemitic incidents can be traced back to the conflict between Israel and Hamas starting in October of last year. Reports of hate incidents and online forums brimming with personal accounts have turned the once thrilling process of choosing a school into a calculated search for security. For Jewish students, the question of where to go to college is no longer just about opportunity—it’s about protection.
For many Jews, the idea of attending an Ivy League or top 20 University seems out of the picture, for several factors, especially these schools’ antisemitism grades. These are selected letter grades that were assigned to schools based on weighted criteria, providing a comparative assessment for students, parents, and the public. According to annual data collected in 2024 from the Anti-Defamation League, no university received an A. Harvard, MIT, Northwestern and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) all received grades of F’s, with all other Ivy’s trailing closely behind with a letter grade of a D. Even schools with large jewish undergraduate populations have received shockingly low letter grades. The most shocking of all, the University of Michigan received an F. Compared to the total number of Jewish undergraduates being 9 percent, the The University of Michigan has a Jewish undergraduate population of 15 percent and received an F. Similarly, Tulane University, which has a Jewish undergraduate rate of 40 percent, received a C. So, what does this mean for Jewish students? How are they picking where to attend college, while prioritizing their safety and education?
Class of 2025
Hannah Gould is a Jewish senior who takes pride in her identity and looks to continue practicing her religion as she heads to college.
“I want to go somewhere where I don’t have to hide who I am. Where I can truly be who I am,” Gould said. Living in Marin her whole life has led Gould to look for schools where she can find a community and find others who have had similar experiences.
“Growing up in Marin, with not many Jews, I definitely am going to want to meet and connect with other people who are like me; that’s why I am applying to schools with large Jewish communities like Wisconsin, Tulane and Washington,” Gould said.
Gould’s desire for a safe vibrant Jewish community also led to her not applying to schools she was interested in.
“I’m definitely rethinking certain schools, depending on how they handle acts of antisemitism. UC Berkeley has not handled antisemitism so well. UC Davis has been one of the most antisemitic schools, so I took that off my list,” Gould said.
Senior Sophia Rubel is a Jewish student who said being Jewish plays a significant role in her identity. Unfortunately, like many other Jewish people, Rubel feels that due to antisemitism, she can’t fully express her Jewish identity for fear of experiencing hate and prejudice.
“I would say [being Jewish has] definitely made me a more overall conscious person of the world around me,” Rubel said.
Due to Rubel’s fear of facing antisemitism in college, she is searching for schools where this is avoidable.
“I don’t want to go to a school where I am going to feel unsafe, so I am looking at a lot of small private liberal arts schools,” Rubel said.
Liberal arts schools are generally found to be the safest for Jewish Students. According to Forward, a Jewish independent nonprofit news site, liberal arts schools like Wellesley College, Amherst College and Hamilton College are in the top 30 least antisemitic schools.
Because of the increase of antisemitic incidents at colleges, Jewish students are taking extra precautions before even considering applying to schools.
“I’ve talked to a lot of people at the schools I am applying to to make sure it’s a safe place,” Rubel said.
At Redwood, Rubel has been able to find a safe community where she can discuss and celebrate her religion with other Jewish students.
“Being part of the Jewish cultural club is a great way to talk about Judaism and the different traditions celebrated within the religion,” Rubel said.
President of the Jewish Heritage Club at Redwood, senior Simon Leonard is committed to Panoma Pitzer to play on their basketball team. While choosing where to attend, he was very conscious of the antisemitism that had occurred on their campus.
“It was something I talked about with the coaches there, because there was a big incident at Pomona on Oct. 7 this year. There’s definitely antisemitism present on the campus but for me, part of the comfort of going to college is being on a basketball team,” Leonard said. “[antisemitism] is something I anticipate encountering at some point [at Pomona].”
Leonard believes that the main reason for the surge of antisemitism on college campuses can be accredited to the diffusion of misinformation on social media.
“People always try to relate what’s happening right now to historical events. I think it’s kind of tough to do that just because there’s so much complex history behind it. But what makes [this conflict] unique is that there is social media,” Leonard said. “I think a lot of the problem is that people only get fed one side of the story on social media, and you just get really sharp radicalization on both sides.”
Parents and Adults
Jamie Gersch is the mother of Redwood senior and Middlebury baseball commit, Sam Gersch. Jamie Gersch said that there were certain schools they steered away from because of heavy antisemitism, but Middlebury was not one of them.
“It was nice to see a Hillel on campus and when we were [at Middlebury] they had posters up to join Rosh Hashanah High Holidays events, which made me feel comfortable sending my Jewish son there,” Jamie Gersch said.
Sam Gersch’s grandparents were holocaust survivors resulting in lots of conversations within the family about their Jewish identities. Since the conflict in Israel began, Jamie Gersch feels the surge in antisemitism is especially important to talk about.
“We talk about [antisemitism] with all the kids because of what’s going on and making sure they have a strong understanding of what’s happening in the world related to how people are feeling in general about Jewish people,” Jamie Gersch said. “The phrase ‘never forget’ exists for a reason.”
The unfortunate reality for many parents sending their children to college is having to worry about their safety. Due to colleges lacking the initiative to solve these issues of campus antisemitism, parents are left to ask the difficult questions that no one should have to.
“The reality is, antisemitism exists everywhere. The important question to ask is ‘how is a school helping Jewish students feel safe and feel empowered with their religion on those campuses?’. Making sure that you’re sending your child to a place that is responding to it the right way is important,” Jamie Gersch said.
Chabad is a movement within Orthodox Judaism known for outreach, community, and religious services and meals. Chabad centers are on over 200 college campuses in America helping students find a Jewish community.
Mendel Mishlovin, Rabbi of Chabad of Marin, comments on why having a Jewish community in college is important.
“I find that Jewish students really, regardless of how they grew up and what they are currently interested in, always love and grow and benefit from being in a college with a very sizable Jewish presence and very active Jewish student body,” Rabbi Mishlovin said. “Chabad gives them this feeling that [it] is not a challenge to be Jewish. It’s actually exciting. It gives us that confidence and that upbringing in a supportive, loving environment which is super important to have,” Mendel said. Having a strong Jewish identity in college where you feel safe is one tip Rabbi Mendel has for students looking at colleges.
“Instead of being the only Jew on campus and having to really exercise your Jewish pride on your own. We should allow ourselves to be with as many Jews as possible, where we all have our opportunity to go out into the world and exercise that strength and community we have found.” Mendel said.
While the college search process can be daunting and difficult at times, using resources and community can be very helpful in finding a safe college environment.
“Speak to other Jewish students who you have somewhat of a communication with who are ready in the schools, get real-time on the ground information. Reach out to students you know and find out from students in real time what it’s like,” Mendel said.
Joe Stewert is a Sustainable Agriculture teacher at Redwood and part of the Jewish community. He also has a daughter who recently graduated from the University of California Los Angeles.
“I have heard all kinds of examples [of antisemitism on college campuses] like at protests there would be epithets being yelled out and swastikas drawn or antisemitic tropes being drawn or put on posters,” Stewart said.
While antisemitism is not a new issue, Stewert feels that people have recently been using the ongoing war in Israel as a justification for their antisemitism.
“The bottom line is it’s become okay for people to be antisemitic because people disagree with the politics of the Israeli government,” Stewart said.
Social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok and Twitter are the fastest way information is spread, especially among young adults and college students. Social media poses a huge issue because it results in lots of false or out-of-context information being spread.
“I think that a lot of antisemitism originates from social media and one of the reasons it’s become such a big issue on college campuses is because there is a lot of it on TikTok and it echoes through social media in that way,” Stewart said. “I think that it’s important that we have those conversations and ground the issues in reality as opposed to grounding them in the kind of propaganda on social media. I think when you actually look at the history there’s just a lot of important information that is not gained from a 15-second TikTok video.”
Another outlet where parents with Jewish children have found comfort with each other is the Mothers Against Campus Antisemitism (MACA) on Facebook. This national group contains about 61,000 parents nationwide. It was created on Oct. 7, 2023 right after the Hamas attacks. The group was originally created to discuss protests on campuses but now is used mainly to ask for advice about which campuses are safe for Jewish students as high school seniors are picking where to apply. This is a great outlet for parents who want to learn more about these issues and seek help from fellow Jewish peers.
Class of 2024
Redwood Class of 2024 graduate Gil Ladetzky is a freshman at the University of California Berkeley (Cal), a school that received a D grade and left many Jewish students feeling unsafe in the Spring of 2024. As a fervent member of the Jewish community, Ladetzky was nervous about attending the school after getting accepted.
“[Being Jewish] is such a big part of who I am as a person. So when I initially was searching for colleges and saw the protests going on at Berkeley, I didn’t think this was a place I wanted to be. I heard about Jewish students feeling unsafe in the community and experiencing harsh antisemitism,” Ladetzky said.
However, these initial qualms were eased once he visited the campus, finding a strong Jewish community and support system.
“Once I got into Cal and started doing more of my own research I realized this would be a place where I would feel safe. When I visited the Hillel with my mom and then met some of the guys in the Jewish fraternities, right away I knew I would be comfortable and not worry about my safety walking to class. I knew there was this support system in the Jewish community, and that made me comfortable coming to Cal,” Ladetzky.
Ian Rothbart is another Redwood Class of 2024 graduate attending Cal, and he feels welcomed as a Jewish student because of the support system surrounding him.
“At the beginning of the year, there was a group chat made with the Jewish freshmen at Cal, so that made me feel connected and safe,” Rothbart said. “There’s also a ton of opportunities at Chabad and the Hillel as well. Those spaces make me feel like I’m not threatened or an outlier in any way.”
Across the country at the University of Syracuse, freshman Jordan Kimball, another Redwood Class of 2024 graduate, has experienced a similarly strong Jewish community.
“I moved in a few days before everyone [other students] for an event called FreshFest. It was for Jewish kids to have fun events and build friendships with people in their community,” Kimball said. “Since then I’ve become friends with a lot of those people, and I’ve also attended services and dinners for Jewish holidays. I feel like the community here is so embracing and friendly.”
How to feel safe wherever you go
Many Jewish students around the country have taken advantage of the Hillel centers on university campuses. According to Hillel International, Hillel serves over 180,000 Jewish students. Hillel provides students with a welcoming community, offering programs like Shabbat dinners and cultural events to foster connection. Hillel also serves as an advocate, addressing antisemitism and supporting students in navigating their Jewish identity on campus.
For many, the idea of participating in Hillel does not seem appealing or of interest. Another way to connect with fellow Jewish people on college campuses is through Greek life. Especially in the Midwest, Jewish students who participate in Greek life have the option to join predominantly Jewish-identifying fraternities and sororities. AEPi and AEPhi are the most prominent Jewish Greek organizations, attracting a large number of Jewish students interested in Greek life. However, these are not exclusively Jewish and often welcome non-Jewish members who are supportive of Jewish culture and values.
Campus protests against the war in Gaza in the Spring of 2024 swept the nation by storm. A media frenzy ensued, violence erupted and Jewish students across the country felt targeted. In response, many looked within the Jewish community to find safety, support and reassurance. Groups like fraternities, Hillels, Chabads and temples helped Jewish students find their communities. However, the response from universities to said protests was not lost on students; many saw rising antisemitism and factored that into their college decisions. Others looked for schools with strong Jewish populations, hoping to find a strong community to combat this antisemitism. For Jewish seniors or juniors struggling to pick where to attend college next year, you are not alone.
