the Increased anti-Semitic hatred Across the country in the 14 months following Hamas' terrorist attack on Israel, it affected not only college students, but also children from kindergarten through high school.
Directorate of Education Office for Civil Rights It is responsible for resolving complaints of discrimination based on common descent, which include allegations of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, at schools that receive federal funds. A Department of Education spokesperson told Fox News Digital that OCR “opened 159 Cases of common descent “involves K-12 schools, colleges and universities for investigation” since October 7, 2023. In the previous four years, OCR opened a total of 28 shared assets cases.
In the face of rising K-12 anti-Semitism, Jewish Student Union National Director Devorah Simon told Fox News Digital that an additional 4,000 teenage students looking for “meaningful community and real connection” sought out JSU clubs at their schools, leading to the addition of of 125 JSU clubs nationwide during the 2023-2024 academic year.
This “unprecedented demand for Jewish participation reflects (the students’) deep desire to belong, to find strength in each other, and to explore their identity,” Simon said. JSU has provided a “safe space and unwavering support as (students) overcome these challenges and build a vibrant and supportive community,” she said.
Anti-Israel protests broke out at UCLA on Monday, May 6, 2024, as police arrested several people gathered in a campus parking garage. (Brian Van Der Brug/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Fox News Digital, speaking on the condition of anonymity for fear of being targeted, spoke to three Jewish teens involved in the group about how anti-Semitism affected their high school experiences. Teens also noted how anti-Semitism on college campuses changed their collective priorities.
Sarah, a current high school student, was president of her school's Jewish Student Union when the Hamas terrorist attack occurred on October 7, 2023. She saw the student group shrink from 15 to just six members because The hatred that attendees encountered At her high school. When Sarah and other Jewish students went to the school administration to express their concerns, Sarah said they “told us we were playing the victim.”
After Sarah and her friends took their concerns to local politicians, they began to get support. Today, Sarah University has approximately 30 members and a strong group of teachers who help Jewish students celebrate their faith and manage troubling incidents. “We built a whole family out of the terrible things that happened to us,” Sarah said.
But news of mass anti-Semitism worries Sarah. She expected her excellent grades would help her gain admission to an Ivy League school. “It's almost indescribable,” Sarah said. “My whole life, I was thinking maybe Columbia, or maybe Harvard.” Now, she said, “I'm not even applying to the Ivy's.”
Student demonstrators walk around their camp on the campus of Columbia University, April 29, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah)
“I can't even put into words how real what I'm seeing is,” Sarah explained. “You never would have thought that the things your ancestors warned you about would be faced now.”
Yael Levin, a mother of two, says her children have never faced any hatred inside their high school. She says it is “very disturbing” to know that her children will leave this “very protective place” and become adults “in a world that is very hostile to Jews.”
Levin's academic considerations took second place after finding universities with thriving organizations like Chabad and Hillel, organizations that provide support for Jewish students.
Anti-Israel protesters gather at the gates of Columbia University in New York City on April 30, 2024. (Reuters/David de Delgado)
Unfortunately, Levine says most of the schools in Virginia that Levine once hoped her children would attend college are no longer on the cards. “UVA has become a Hamas camp,” Levin claimed. She also said That Virginia TechGeorge Mason University and Virginia Commonwealth University are “not an option,” given the anti-Israel incidents that have occurred on their campuses.
“I don't have to worry about my child's safety because he's Jewish,” Levin said.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin's press secretary, Christian Martinez, responded to Levine's concerns, telling Fox News Digital, “Virginia's campuses are safe for Jewish students.” The governor “has consistently made clear that anti-Semitism has no place in Virginia, and that the safety of students on our college campuses is the highest priority,” Martinez said.
“From day one in office, Governor Youngkin has taken decisive action to protect all Virginians from discrimination, hate crimes, and anti-Semitism. This has included quickly addressing pro-Palestine protests that have threatened student safety on campus, as well as implementing statewide law enforcement training. “To better assess and respond to threats against Jewish communities.”
Anti-Israel protesters at the University of Virginia carry a Palestinian flag on campus, May 4, 2024, in Charlottesville, Virginia. (Izzy Amos/Getty Images)
Youngkin's efforts “led to investigations into members of George Mason University's Students for Justice in Palestine chapter, further demonstrating the Governor's commitment to protecting not only Jewish students but all Virginians,” Martinez added.
Rachel and Erica are sophomores at a school where student activism is a popular means of expression. Both teens separately described similar environments of pro-Palestinian fervor that made them feel ostracized, especially when older students with no cultural ties to Palestinians began wearing keffiyehs and accusing Israel of committing genocide in Gaza.
New York City public schools under fire for failing to address anti-Semitism: 'I see no action'
Anti-Israel protesters stand outside the Susan E. Wagner High School in Staten Island. (Ari Weiss/Staten Island Shomrim)
Teachers tried to respond to tensions at the school by promoting a two-week study on the history of the conflict. Rachel stated that the course “didn't provide any good context.”
Both Erica and Rachel told Fox News Digital about being bullied by students. Rachel says she has lost friends over her relationship with Israel, and even had to report an activist teacher who was promoting anti-Israel sentiment in class. She said it's especially painful to realize that while other students are allowed to be proud of their heritage, “I don't feel comfortable talking about Israel or saying I'm from Israel.”
It wasn't until Erica gathered with other Jewish students to talk with a guidance counselor about their experiences that she realized how deeply anti-Semitic hatred affected her fellow Jewish students. To respond to the hate, Erica reached out to JSU and helped start a club at her school. She now says that weekly events attended by Jewish and non-Jewish students have fostered “a sense of community and a sense of acceptance.”
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Both Erica and Rachel look fearfully at their college futures. Rachel said she is concerned about how colleges will respond to the activism for Israel that she plans to include in her application. “I'm definitely aiming For the Ivy LeagueBut she fears she “won't feel safe going” to the schools she once hoped to attend, she said.
Erica dreamed of going to college in Boston. “When I talk to my mom about this, I always say, 'We'll see,'” she said. “It's crazy to think that when you're applying to college, you can't just look at what the campus looks like, what the classes are like, what majors you like,” Erica said. “You also have to think about” anti-Semitism.
