Campus antisemitism challenges liberal Jewish identity, as 96% of Jewish students report harassment

Nearly all American Jewish college students report experiencing harassment, intimidation, or assault over their Jewish identity, half say they are distancing themselves from friends and peers, according to new survey.

By World Israel News Staff

A new survey of Diaspora Jewish college students has found that nearly all Jewish students on American college campuses report experiencing some form of harassment or intimidation targeting them as Jews, with nearly half saying the growing hostility towards Israel and Jews since the Hamas onslaught on Israel on October 7, 2023 has led them to distance themselves from their friends and peers.

The report was published on Monday by the Jerusalem-based Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI) think tank and compiles the findings drawn from focus groups held with young Diaspora Jews and questionnaires completed by over 100 respondents.

According to the report, testimonies collected in the discussion groups reveal a growing sense of estrangement among young Diaspora Jews, who increasingly say they feel threatened in spaces that once felt natural and safe to them.

The connection to Israel among young Diaspora Jews remains strong, the report added, while noting that the sense of alienation and loneliness is increasing in “the face of progressive discourse and hostility toward Israel and Zionism.”

One of the report’s most dramatic findings is the increasing sense of fear and personal insecurity.

About 28% of participants said they do not feel safe on campus, while 96% said they had experienced intimidation, harassment, or even assault — solely because of their Jewish identity or support for Israel.

Nearly half of respondents (47%) reported distancing themselves from friends, peers, or non-Jewish romantic partners due to recent events.

Some said they felt compelled to engage in self-censorship: hiding outward signs of their Jewish identity and even avoiding open discussion of it.

“I think twice about wearing a Star of David or a shirt from a Jewish organization,” said a student from New York.

The report also found that young Diaspora Jews, particularly those identifying as liberal, are now facing a serious identity crisis.

For many, the liberal Jewish identity built in recent decades now clashes directly with prevailing progressive ideologies on campus.

“Whereas Jews once saw themselves as part of the moral coalition of the Left — advocating equality, human rights, pluralism, and solidarity with minorities— they are now often forced to choose sides,” the authors of the report wrote.

Young participants report confusion, frustration, and a sense of betrayal by former allies in social struggles.

“I need to do serious soul-searching about my identity — as both a progressive and a Zionist,” said one participant.

While many students distinguished between the State of Israel and the policies of the Israeli government, highlighting the complicated relationship they have with the Jewish state, most respondents said Israel was important to them as Jews.

Nearly two-thirds (65%) of respondents said they have a deep emotional connection to Israel, calling it a “very central part” of their Jewish identity, compared to just 8.5% who said it is not central to their identity at all.

“This is a sobering and disturbing report,” said JPPI President Prof. Yedidia Stern.”Young Jews are struggling to find their place amid the rift between progressive ideology and their Jewish identity — which until recently was deeply intertwined with those same progressive ideals.”

“Progressive activism now sees Jews as a white, privileged, and oppressive group, and this dynamic has long since spilled out of academia into young Jews’ daily lives.”

“The report raises difficult questions that require us — as a people and a community — to confront the new reality with both courage and sensitivity.”