Why Rutgers Needs to Publicly Support Its Jewish Students
By: Julianna Margolin
The silence is deafening. Rutgers University boasts of being one of the most diverse, inclusive, and welcoming institutions of higher education in the nation, a haven for students of all different backgrounds, religions, cultures, and ethnicities. So why is it that Jewish students are continually victims of antisemitic violence and hate speech at Rutgers? And why has the University failed to condemn these incidents?
The answer is simple. The administration does not want to ruffle any figurative feathers. In the midst of the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, people and organizations are hesitant to take sides that could appear to show their support for one of the causes. But back home in New Brunswick, the failure to take any action to end rampant antisemitism on campus has made Jewish students feel unsafe and ostracized.
The Rutgers University Hillel, one of the largest chapters of the leading Jewish student organization in the country, reported over 516 hate incidents targeted at Jewish students in 2021. This number is alarming. Yet, most students have never even heard of these situations as Rutgers officials fail to condemn the conduct, take appropriate action against the perpetrators, and work to deter future incidents.
On Rosh Hashana and Holocaust Remembrance Day this past year, the traditionally Jewish fraternity Alpha Epsilon Pi’s chapter house was egged. Following a pro-Palestine rally led by the on-campus organization Rutgers Students for Justice in Palestine, the house was then targeted with the organization harassing the fraternity brothers.
This type of antisemitic behavior should not be accepted. Beyond that, this conduct must be explicitly condemned. However, Rutgers officials fail time and again to address these antisemitic hate crimes without attempting to show support for Palestinian students as well. But these are two separate issues.
It is possible to oppose antisemitic violence without becoming political. The mainstream media has even picked up on the University’s failure to boldly and aggressively support Jewish students on campus. In May 2021, Rutgers officials released a statement condemning antisemitism that was shortly followed by an apology to Palestinian students, with then Chancellor Christopher J. Molloy promising to be more “balanced” in his approach to issues surrounding Jewish and Palestinian students. News organizations like the Times of Israel picked up on the story, drawing international attention to the injustices occurring at Rutgers-New Brunswick.
It is a fact that Rutgers needs to be doing more to protect their Jewish students. In response to the University’s failure to take action, Jewish students have banded together to form their own club, Fighting Antisemitism on Campus. This organization calls on President Holloway and other officials to take a stand and show their solidarity for their community of Jewish students.
Silence is complicity. Antisemitic and hateful students and campus organizations have become emboldened by the lack of university action. Rutgers New Brunswick needs to be on the right side of history, the right side of current events, and the right side of support for its students and those who have done nothing wrong. The University needs to loudly and clearly denounce antisemitism. It needs to put an end to this abominable violence and hate speech. Rutgers leaders should advocate for the peace and freedom of all people because that is what a leading university does. But Rutgers officials need to realize that refusing to speak up is a statement. They need to make Rutgers University a safe haven for Jewish students, just as they promise for students of all religions.
