News

Get the Expert Advice: Considering Campus Antisemitism in Your College Search

Author

Hillel International

Date

May 5, 2025

To help Jewish parents and families get the information they need about what antisemitism and Jewish life on campus are truly like right now, the latest session in Hillel’s Virtual College Prep Series focused on what campus climates really look like today, how prospective students can get an honest picture of what’s going on at their potential schools, and how Hillel is there to support Jewish students in every aspect of their college experience.

Here are some of our top takeaways on how Hillel is making a difference on over 850 college and university campuses, and which tips to keep in mind for choosing a college in today’s complex environment:

Hillel’s advocacy for Jewish students takes many forms, and makes a difference every single day.

Hillel doesn’t just support students; we also work with administrators to make long-term changes on campus when it comes to antisemitism. Jon Falk, vice president of Hillel International’s Israel engagement and confronting antisemitism program, in discussion with Hillel International President and CEO Adam Lehman, emphasized the importance of Hillel’s work with administrators to prepare policies and enforcement for those policies to help support Jewish students.  They cited the Hillel International Campus Climate Initiative (CCI), a flagship program that helps college and university presidents and campus administrators counter antisemitism, which has been key in helping administrators understand how to implement changes that reduce antisemitism on campus.

More than 100 colleges and universities participate in CCI, engaging in campus-specific work to foster a positive, inclusive, and welcoming campus for Jewish students and all students. “Where we’ve seen a huge change is when penalties [for policy violations] are really enforced, and… students understand that there is a penalty for hate and a penalty for hatred of Jews,” Falk said.

Lehman highlighted that, in addition to CCI, Hillel International operates Campus for All, “a resource for any Jewish student who wants to learn more about the nature of contemporary antisemitism, learn more about all the misinformation about Jews, Judaism, [and] Israel that [has] been twisted into antisemitic tropes and actions.”  Additionally, Lehman shared more information about the Campus Teach-in Tour, which has educated thousands of students about issues related to Israel and the Middle East, and the Campus Impact Advisors initiative, which ​​empowers campus professionals to prevent and respond to antisemitism.

Taking a campus tour is more important than ever.

Touring a college campus can be one of the most fun parts of the college search process, but it’s also critical to getting an accurate picture of the campus environment. 

“What you see in the news is not necessarily reflective of what’s happening on campus,” said Evan Cohen, vice chair of the Israel Leadership Network and a Hillel student leader at the University of Michigan. “Really checking in on that campus, talking to students who are there, talking to Hillel professionals, understanding what the experience is truly like, is critically important.”

Moreover, Falk encouraged students to not be afraid of asking questions about  what the campus environment is like and whether there have been antisemitic incidents on campus. Issues of antisemitism on campus can give you real insight into the reality of the campus environment. 

The safety of Jewish students will always be Hillel’s number one priority.

Hillel’s mission is to enrich the lives of Jewish students so that they may enrich the Jewish people and the world. But that work includes another critical mission: keeping Jewish students safe. While many campus Hillels had existing relationships with campus safety officers, local police, and even private security companies before the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023, the past 18 months have led to new investments in safety and security processes and protocols to ensure that Jewish students are safe on campus.

“Our commitment to safety… was always important, and we’ve taken much more of a priority in communicating that, certainly to parents, to students, to our student leaders, so they understand a little more of our inner workings, and even to our broader community,” said Debbie Yunker Kail, executive director at Hillel at Arizona State University. “If we don’t have that foundational safety and security, the rest of the growth that we’re all here to do and that students… came to college to receive, that can’t happen.”

Building confidence in your Jewish identity can make all the difference.

Being Jewish on campus can be difficult, even when there is a vibrant and thriving Jewish community. But all of our experts agree that building confidence — in yourself, your values, and your Jewish identity — can help you navigate even the most challenging situations.

“Even if we weren’t living in such a complicated Jewish moment… part of the spiritual journey of the university setting is encountering ideas that are different from the ones that you grew up around, encountering ideas  that you might disagree with, and having to hold your space to grow but also to remain confident in your perspectives on the world,” said Rabbi Josh Bolton, executive director of Brown & RISD Hillel. 

Some of the campuses with the highest level of antisemitism also have some of the most vibrant Jewish life.

There’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all approach to finding the right school, but one important thing to remember in your search is that when it comes to evaluating the Jewish environment on campus, it’s important to take a full-circle look.

“There are campuses that have had, sadly, multiple antisemitic incidents, but there were  10 different [Passover] seders being held on that campus,” said Falk. “So it’s not a zero-sum game. That, to me, is so important in understanding the full picture of the campus environment, both some of the troubling pieces around antisemitism and then really grasping vibrant Jewish life.”

“There’s so many ways that we find joy on campus,” Cohen said. “From attending Shabbat dinners, where we… sometimes have hundreds of students, to growing my circle of Jewish friends.” 

Even during challenging moments, Cohen underscored that Hillel finds ways to bring Jewish students together, showing and building their resilience.

Catch the full recording to hear all the tips and resources we couldn’t fit into just one blog post.

The post Get the Expert Advice: Considering Campus Antisemitism in Your College Search appeared first on Hillel International.

News

Selecting the Right School for You: Advice for Jewish High School Students and Families

Author

Adam Lehman

Date

April 22, 2025

It’s that time of year again. And I don’t mean tax season, Passover, or the NFL draft. I’m referring to college decision time. Millions of prospective college students and their families will be making a final decision on where to attend school ahead of College Decision Day on May 1st, as part of the “regular decision” admissions process. 

While students and their families always need to consider a multitude of factors in making their decisions, for prospective Jewish students, this period has required the additional and often sensitive consideration of where they will feel welcomed and free to express their Jewish identities.  

As the world’s largest Jewish college organization, we have more than 100 years of unmatched expertise when it comes to understanding, supporting, and growing Jewish life on campus. With that expertise, I want to offer the following framework for prospective Jewish students and their families as they make their college decisions.

Find the Fit – Beware of any resource advocating a “one-size-fits-all” assessment of what Jewish life and experience will be like at a given campus. As with the many other factors you’ll consider in choosing a college or university, you’ll want to find a school that fits your Jewish life needs, interests, and personality. Finding this fit has always been a priority for traditionally observant Jewish students looking for schools offering kosher food and regular prayer services.  Applying this “fit filter” is equally important when evaluating the campus climate for Jewish students, even in (and especially in) this sometimes fraught period.

Fortunately, even the campuses with the highest volume and intensity of antisemitic incidents and issues impacting Jewish students often offer robust Jewish life opportunities. Even at schools like Columbia and Barnard with very public and well-documented instances of antisemitism, many Jewish students speak to the incredibly strong, well-resourced Hillel serving more than 1,200 Jewish undergraduates students there, complemented by extensive Jewish and Israel clubs and academic offerings. This very prominent example underscores that you need to look at the complete Jewish life offerings and experiences on a campus and honestly assess how you’ll both draw on the positives and navigate any negatives.

Factor in the Full Story – At Hillel, we have addressed thousands of issues of discrimination, bias, harassment and worse directed toward Jewish students across hundreds of campuses during the past 18 months. We are working tirelessly to both support individual students impacted by these issues and to improve the underlying campus climate for Jewish students at the schools involved. 

While it’s of course relevant to consider specific incidents that have occurred at a school you’re considering, it’s unwise to just factor in the “headline” (especially as headlines grow in relation to government actions being pursued in the name of addressing campus antisemitism). Instead, critical questions should be considered: Was the issue in question an isolated incident involving one or a small group of students violating campus policies, or is there a pervasive culture of intimidation translating into repeated incidents? How has the university responded to issues — with clear enforcement of their policies in a way that ensures a safe environment for Jewish students and all students, or with equivocation and inaction? And, what has the actual student experience been in relation to incidents on the campus? 

Often the best, and only, way to really evaluate that experience is by talking to Jewish students at the campus, or with Hillel or other Jewish life professionals who are interacting with a broad cross-section of Jewish students there. As a case in point, I recently attended a beautiful “Shabbat at the Shoe” celebration at The Ohio State University (OSU). Hundreds of Jewish students were joined by senior members of the OSU administration, including President Ted Carter, Administrators Chris Kabourek, Dr. Melissa Shrivers and Dr. Rabi Bellamkonda, Jewish faculty, and supportive community members. Our Hillel at OSU is excellent, and Jewish students who regularly participate in Hillel programs shared with me the great experiences they’ve had on campus, even during the past 18 months. 

Has OSU been free from issues impacting Jewish students? Absolutely not. At the same time, the university has been fast, firm, and fair in addressing those issues, ranging from removing encampments that violated university rules to addressing cases of individual student misconduct, and in fostering an overall healthy campus climate for Jewish students, and all students.

Forecast the Future – Four years ago, none of us could have imagined what the state of Jewish life on campus would be today. And there’s no reason to believe Jewish life on campus will look the same four years from now. If you’re a big college football fan, you could look at the commitment of the school to their football program and their success in recruiting to assess the likely trajectory of the football team over the following four years. And you can apply a similar approach to predicting the trajectory for Jewish life. Is the school investing resources to address issues impacting Jewish students (like Title VI compliance officers)? Does the school value having faith-based organizations, such as Hillel, serving students? Does the leadership of the school articulate and act on these values? 

Arizona State University was not always considered a leading destination for Jewish students. Flash forward to 2025 and ASU features a large and growing Jewish student population; a university administration that stands up and shows up for the Jewish student community; and a great Hillel known for its success in student engagement and programmatic innovation. 

By applying the guidance above, we’re confident that all prospective Jewish students can find schools that will fit their needs and interests, including when it comes to engaging in joyful, meaningful, and positive Jewish life experiences and communities. At the same time, Hillel remains deeply committed to ensuring that all colleges and universities return to and remain places where Jewish students and all students can thrive, learn, and express their identities free of fear or discrimination. 

Adam Lehman is the President and CEO of Hillel International

The post Selecting the Right School for You: Advice for Jewish High School Students and Families appeared first on Hillel International.