Antisemitism in Columbia University

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Columbia University, New York City

Antisemitism in Columbia University was prevalent in the first half of the 20th century and resurged in the early 21st century. In 1920 Columbia University was the first American university to initiate quotas on Jews, halving the Jewish student population in two years. In the early 21st century and acutely after the October 7 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel, students and staff protests and commentary were criticized as antisemitic and scrutinized by the US Congress, which opened an investigation on Columbia University. In April 2024, Columbia University President Minouche Shafik condemned antisemitic acts by students and faculty in campus and said the university was in a "moral crisis". United States president Joe Biden and the mayor of New York, Eric Adams condemned the 2024 anti-Israel protests as antisemitic and condemned the calls for violence and harassment against Jews.  

20th century

During the 20th century American anti-Jewish sentiment was common in America, and American universities imposed quotas on Jews in order to restrict the number of Jews in universities. Such efforts first began in Columbia University. New York City, in which Columbia University is situated in the early 20th century had a population that was[clarification needed]. In 1920, Columbia University had a 40% Jewish enrollment rate according to Oliver Pollak.[1]

Since most Jewish students at the time were came from poor families they had to work night jobs in order to pay their tuition and also lived at home to save money. Therefore, Columbia required students to live in dormitories in campus as well as limiting scholarships in order to limit the number of Jewish students who could afford to study in the university. Columbia also began to conduct interviews in admissions process and according to Mark Oppenheimer university representatives detected accents or telling signs of Jewish origin if the name of the applicant wasn't clearly Jewish. According to Nadell, elite Protestants students began to abandon Columbia due to its changing culture, after the initiation of the program Columbia halved the number of Jewish students within two years (1920–22).[2]

In the early 20th century some school administrators held anti-Jewish beliefs which rationalized by them and that their sentiment was based on social reality. In 1903, dean of Columbia wrote that “What most people regard as a racial problem is really a social problem.”.[3]

21st century

Protests at Columbia University on April 22, 2024.

Following the October 7 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel, Joseph Massad a Columbia University professor in Middle Eastern, South Asian and African studies said that the attack on Israel, in which 1200 Israelis were killed including civilians, was a "resistance offensive" and "awesome".[4] President Shafik condemned his comment in April 2024 and said he was under investigation, also saying Massad no longer has a leadership role in the university. InsideHigherEd reported however that in the 2024-24 Academic year Massad chaired an academic review panel in the college of the arts and sciences.[4]

Following the October 7 attack, Mohamed Abdou, a visiting scholar who had said that he sides with Hamas and Islamic Jihad was hired by the university. In April 2024, President Minouche Shafik said Abdou was on his way out of the university.[4]

Katherine Franke a professor of law in Columbia said that all students who have served in the IDF are dangerous and shouldn't be allowed on campus.[4]

A task force on antisemitism was created by the university in late 2023.[5]  

The university was sued by Jewish students which said that in the university “mobs of pro-Hamas students and faculty march by the hundreds shouting vile antisemitic slogans, including calls to genocide.”[6]

In a hearing before Congress in April 2024, Columbia University president Minouche Shafik condemned antisemitism and said that "from the river to the sea" is antisemitic. Professors in the university were under investigation according to the president for antisemitic remarks.[6][4] Shafik said that dozens of students were disciplined and that Columbia University is in a "moral crisis".[5]

During anti-Israel protests, some students called for intifada and urged Hamas brigades to kill Israeli soldiers. Additionally, there were calls to burn Tel Aviv, a major Israeli city known for its liberal culture.[7][8] Anti-Israel activists sang songs in support of Hamas and chanted slogans expressing solidarity with the organization. The Palestine Solidarity Working Group defended militancy and praised Hamas's attacks against Israel.[7] Anti-Israel protestors also made derogatory remarks towards Jewish students, telling them to "Go back to Europe" and taunting them with calls of "Jews" and "Go back to Poland".[7]

Jewish students reported feeling unsafe, being spat on, and expressed relief at leaving the university. They felt their grievances were not adequately represented by student representatives. One protestor threatened Jewish students, stating, "The 7th of October is going to be every day for you!".[9] Some of the anti-Israel protestors also chanted "From the water to the war (a reference to the Jordan river and the Mediterranean), Palestine is Arab" which is considered a call for the cleansing of the region from Jews and the denial of Jewish rights for self sovereignty in their ancestral homeland.[7][10][11]

Journalist Seth Mandel argued that universities were promoting the idea that Jews should be displaced from their homes because they belong to a race that supposedly belongs elsewhere, citing incidents at Columbia University as an example.[12] The Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and the Workers Organizing for Liberation (WOL) both advocated for the destruction of Israel and the targeting of Jewish Israelis, and played a role in organizing the protests at Columbia University.[9]

The President of the United States, Joe Biden condemned the protests saying “Even in recent days, we’ve seen harassment and calls for violence against Jews. This blatant antisemitism is reprehensible and dangerous – and it has absolutely no place on college campuses, or anywhere in our country.”[13]

The protestors responded by saying they were peaceful and distanced themselves from non student protestors.[14] The mayor of New York said he was “horrified and disgusted with the antisemitism being spewed at and around the Columbia University campus.” And increased police presence around campus.[14]

Following the incident, Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots football team said he would stop donating to the university due to its inability to keep Jewish students safe and was saddened by the hatred growing in campus and the country.[15]

Due to the intensity of anti-Israel protests, Columbia University allowed students to take classes and exams virtually.[14] Rep. Virginia Foxx, chair of the United States House Committee on Education and the Workforce, warned Columbia University that the failure of Columbia to ensure safety was In violation of the university's Title VI obligations, on which is conditioned federal assistance to the university.[14] 

Rabbi Elie Buechler, who is linked to Columbia University's Orthodox Union Jewish Learning Initiative, urged Jewish students to remain home or return home due to safety concerns.[14]

See also

References

  1. ^ Pollak, Oliver B. (1983). "Antisemitism, the Harvard Plan, and the Roots of Reverse Discrimination". Jewish Social Studies. 45 (2): 113–122. ISSN 0021-6704. JSTOR 4467214.
  2. ^ Strauss, Valerie (13 November 2023). "A brief history of antisemitism in U.S. higher education". Washington Post.
  3. ^ "How Jewish Quotas Began". Commentary Magazine. 1971-09-01. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
  4. ^ a b c d e Knott, Blake, Katherine, Jessica. "Columbia President Weathers Grilling Over Campus Antisemitism". Inside Higher Ed.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. ^ a b https://www.npr.org/2024/04/17/1245168995/columbia-university-testimony-antisemitism
  6. ^ a b Blinder, Alan (2024-04-17). "4 Takeaways From the Hearing on Antisemitism at Columbia University". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
  7. ^ a b c d "'Burn Tel Aviv to the ground:' Calls for violence continue at Columbia". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 2024-04-21. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
  8. ^ "Tel Aviv – The Left Wing Liberal Heart of Israel". www.tel-aviv.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
  9. ^ a b Chait, Jonathan (2024-04-22). "Why Anti-Israel Protesters Won't Stop Harassing Jews". Intelligencer. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
  10. ^ Otterman, Sharon (2024-03-21). "What Is Antisemitism? A Columbia Task Force Would Rather Not Say". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
  11. ^ Goldman, David (2024-04-11). "ADL gives Harvard and a dozen other universities failing grades on campus antisemitism | CNN Business". CNN. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
  12. ^ "United States of Charlottesville". Commentary Magazine. 2024-04-22. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
  13. ^ Egan, Celina Tebor, Zoe Sottile, Matt (2024-04-21). "Columbia University faces full-blown crisis as rabbi calls for Jewish students to 'return home'". CNN. Retrieved 2024-04-25.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  14. ^ a b c d e Egan, Celina Tebor, Zoe Sottile, Matt (April 21, 2024). "Columbia University faces full-blown crisis as rabbi calls for Jewish students to 'return home'". CNN.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  15. ^ "Jewish professor barred from Columbia University campus as 'pro-Hamas mob' demonstrates". The Telegraph. 2024-04-23. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
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