As a rising high school senior, most of my free time is spent working on my personal statement for college applications, writing supplemental essays, or studying for the ACT.
The college application process and my imminent journey out of the house loom large in my mind. I have a detailed spreadsheet that houses every college I am applying to, with different columns that range from atmosphere to academics.
In my column for concerns, almost every single institution has the same word: antisemitism.
Antisemitism May be Sticking Around Longer than Expected
Two years ago, when protests first started ramping up on college campuses, my parents and I crossed our fingers that by the time I was heading off to college, things would have ended.
That has proven not to be the case.
While the initial uproar after October 7th may have diminished, it still seems Jewish students everywhere have to keep their guard up and ears open for hate speech.
In March, I went on a week-long trip with my mom where we toured ten different colleges back-to-back. While these schools varied in size, location, and culture, many made us feel slightly unwelcome through the small and mundane.
Things like anti-Israel stickers on the Jewish frat that someone obviously tried to scrape off but couldn’t quite remove embodied the microaggressions still felt throughout our tours.
The Fine Line Between Free Speech and Hate Speech
In a time of political polarization and severe crackdowns on free speech by the Trump administration, it is more important than ever to support students’ right to assemble peacefully.
Colleges should be places where students feel empowered to voice dissent, push for change, and advocate for what they believe in.
When peaceful assembly turns into something darker, however, it is a hard line to identify, and it’s different for everyone.
This conflicting view of when hate speech occurs often arises when I am discussing college antisemitism with my parents. I am lucky that my parents have been so supportive of my collegiate endeavors, but we don’t always agree about my level of safety at these schools, and I understand their hesitance.
Their understanding of antisemitism is more fully formed than mine; I am still trying to find the balance of staying true to who I am and not letting fear dictate my future.
This tension between believing in the ideals of free speech and reckoning with the realities of rising hate is one I know I’ll keep grappling with, not just during the college search, but for years to come. Still, from this experience, my family has learned that it is essential to use our views of antisemitism in tandem to get the complete picture of an institution.
Safety Versus Comfort
When I first began this process, I thought the hardest part of applying to college would be writing my essay or choosing between schools.
I didn’t expect to spend hours researching different universities’ responses to antisemitism. I didn’t expect my Jewish college friends to advise me not to wear my Star of David openly once I enter college.
And yet, this unease has only made me more deeply committed to proudly expressing my Jewish identity in college.
What I’m looking for is an institution that will make me feel safe as a Jewish student; that doesn’t mean I want to be comfortable. In fact, I hope wherever I go, I have the chance to encounter discomfort often so that I can learn how to discuss it with others.
I am not looking for a sheltered environment, but rather somewhere that encourages peaceful civil discourse instead of polarization, and I don’t think I would have come to that conclusion without reflecting on antisemitism on college campuses first.
