By: Fern Sidman

In a powerful demonstration of solidarity and a plea for action, around 20 Jewish students from Columbia University and Barnard College gathered to voice their concerns on Monday about the  “inaction against anti-Semitism” within their academic institutions, as was reported by the New York Post. Wearing traditional yarmulkes, necklaces adorned with the Star of David, and blue and white wristbands with the message “you are not alone,” these students expressed their deep disappointment at what they see as a lack of a “meaningful” response from their universities to recent anti-Semitic incidents, the Post report added.

The protest, held at the Morningside Heights campus in Manhattan, came in the wake of troubling occurrences, including the attack on a Jewish student, online death threats, and hate graffiti found on the campuses of these prestigious institutions, the Post report said. For these students, these incidents have created an atmosphere of fear and discomfort that they believe the universities have not adequately addressed.

One of the most distressing incidents involved a second-year law student, Eli Shmidman, who was targeted with hateful language on October 19. According to the Post report, Shmidman was subjected to a derogatory slur, “f–k the Jews,” by another student. While the university has reportedly identified the responsible student, no decisive action has been taken to address the situation.

Shmidman emphasized that this incident was not isolated but represented a broader problem. He stressed, “‘F–k the Jews.’ Those words were not said here on Amsterdam, not on Broadway; those words were said in Jerome Greene Hall — Columbia’s law school building,” as was indicated in the Post report. He added, “I know this incident occurred because it happened to me. I was the one who the anti-Semite chose to direct that message to. But this was an attack on me; he said ‘f–k the Jews,’ it was an attack on all Jews.”

The students further pointed out the lack of response from the university administration to incidents such as this. The Post report said that they highlighted that after the brutal Hamas massacre in Israel on October 7, which left over 1400 dead and over 5000 seriously injured, more than 20 student groups signed a statement that placed the blame for the conflict squarely on the Israeli government, failing to condemn Hamas’ actions. The report in the Post said that they argued that the university’s silence in response to this statement amounted to a tacit approval of harmful rhetoric.

Additionally, the students expressed concern about chants on campus, such as “from the river to the sea, Palestine shall be free,” which they view as promoting the idea of ethnic cleansing of Jews from Israel, as was noted in the Post report.  They decried the absence of action from the Columbia administration against this blatant anti-Semitic rhetoric.

The students’ concerns go beyond the incidents themselves. They highlight the complicity of some faculty members in perpetuating a divisive atmosphere, the Post report said.  For example, some professors signed a letter defending students who supported the Hamas terror group’s “military action” Such actions have only deepened the students’ sense of insecurity and isolation.

The Post also reported that Jessica Brenner, 20, a Barnard College psychology student said she is now feeling anxious when attending classes.

“I feel walking on campus many people just want me to die,” Brenner told the Post. “I have to walk around and go to my class and see someone and think they might want me to not exist or not want my people to exist — I don’t take a step without thinking about that.  When I’m asked ‘do you feel safe at Columbia University?’, I say ‘no. I don’t feel safe,’” Brenner added.

Barnard and Columbia School of International and Public Affairs student Noah Fay, 22, agreed with Brenner and said egregious anti-Jewish propaganda is ubiquitous at Columbia, the Post report indicated.

Fay queried, “It was always hard for my generation to comprehend how the Nazis could have mobilized — how did the gentile bystanders fall victim to propaganda so effectively they quickly became the perpetrators themselves?”

“The saturation of propaganda on campus has convinced the majority of the student body of the same insidious theories through which the Holocaust was enacted. The student body at Columbia and our peer institutions has been so thoroughly propagandized they do not see and refuse to see the extent of their fear and hatred towards the Jewish people. This is anti-Semitism at its core,” Fay told the Post.

In a recent address to the Columbia University community, history student Yoni Kurtz, a 21-year-old undergraduate, openly called out the university’s president, Minouche Shafik, for what a lack of protection for Jewish students on campus, the Post reported. His passionate statement shed light on a concerning issue: the rise of anti-Semitic incidents at the university.

Kurtz described witnessing fellow students resorting to blatant bigotry, echoing vile anti-Semitic stereotypes, unfairly labeling visibly Muslim students as terrorists, and even endorsing calls for violence against civilians, according to the Post report.  He expressed his dismay at the university’s response, which he characterized as empty statements without concrete action, and implored the administration not to abandon its students but to take immediate steps to address this problem.

The gravity of the situation at Columbia is further underlined by Shmidman’s criticism of a recent faculty communication, which he perceives as a signal that the administration has allowed anti-Semitic rhetoric to flourish on campus, the Post report said.

Columbia University spokesperson Samantha Slater countered these allegations by pointing to President Shafik’s three messages of solidarity and tolerance to the student body. She emphasized that the university swiftly condemned the appearance of a swastika in the International Affairs Building, denouncing it as a symbol of anti-Semitism, hatred, and racial supremacy.

The Post also reported that Slater highlighted the administration’s unwavering stance against hate speech and anti-Semitism, emphasizing that such behaviors are antithetical to Columbia’s core values. She also emphasized that any speech that violates the law or university rules will not be tolerated. The university is allegedly committed to using every available means to ensure the safety of the campus community and protect Jewish students from discrimination and harassment.

One action that garnered significant attention was the cancellation of an on-campus student event last week, which stated that “Zionists” were not welcome, as was noted in the Post report.

Columbia University is not unique in facing challenges related to bigotry and discrimination, and campuses across the United States are grappling with similar issues.  Anti-Semitism, like all forms of hatred, must be met with a strong and decisive response, and it is the responsibility of universities to foster an atmosphere of inclusivity, respect, and diversity.