Give us a voice.
The battling prevalence of antisemitism in higher education
By Alison Stecker and Dani Csaszar, Online Editorial Assistants
Content Warning: The themes discussed in this article pertain to hate, violence and prejudice toward those who identify as Jewish or practice Judaism.
Antisemitism is not new to the world. Traces from the beginning of Judaism infer that the Jewish people have always been subject to hate and ridicule, used as a scapegoat for political, economic and social reasons. After World War II, individuals claimed that history like this could never repeat itself—no one could ever be so evil as to repeat the actions of a genocide that killed over six million Jewish people (Bard, n.d.). Hostility toward Jews remains a relevant and rising issue around the world. With statistics in antisemitism skyrocketing, higher education falls victim to this prejudice, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison is no exception.
During the interwar period between 1924 and 1941, UW-Madison became a popular destination for Jewish students across the nation (Pollack, 2019). Part of this growth was due to the increased number of quotas East Coast colleges placed on Jews, the lively Jewish Greek Life on campus and the establishment of UW-Hillel. But there was a disastrous ticking time bomb ready to combust this thriving community of Jewish life, as this feeling of acceptance was quickly met by antisemitism.
Jewish students with radical political views faced opposition from their conservative peers, sparking the rise of antisemitism that would continue to persist over the next century. One of the earliest antisemitic instances occurred in 1929, when Mildred Gordon, UW Jewish student, was denied housing in a Langdon Street all-girls private dorm she already signed a lease for. The landlord told her she could not move in because Jewish students could only rent out rooms if they remained vacant. Gordon filed a $10,000 lawsuit against the landlord but lost her case, so she dropped out of the university without completing her degree (Pollack, 2019).
Antisemitic incidents like Gordon’s story were rather commonplace on campus, as many Jews from the East Coast came to UW-Madison to pursue their education, creating regionally-based notions of Jewishness that divided the community. These conflicting Eastern and Western Jewish identities allowed for non-Jewish students to make up harmful stereotypes and gave room for Jews to judge other Jews. Conflating Jewishness with political radicalism also posed a challenge for UW-Hillel because the focus on combating antisemitism countered the chapter’s private organizational style (Pollack, 2001).
Antisemitism has always been a part of UW’s history, but the lack of media attention surrounding antisemitism, both in higher education and more generally, is alarming and contributes to the rise of hatred toward Jews. The despicable acts of antisemitism that have bombarded America in recent years have been highly overlooked and seem frankly ignored by the media.
Social media also plays a big part in this issue, as companies such as Facebook and TikTok have been under fire for the communicative exchanges of anti-Semitic attitudes. TikTok, for instance, claims they have a community for all users to feel safe. However, Jewish creators told NBC they face antisemitism nearly every time they post content in the form of hate comments (Jacobs, 2021). Users have even depicted these vicious behaviors by using emojis to represent Jewish stereotypes, such as the nose and shower emoji, reinforcing harmful cliches and normalizing humor based on the Holocaust.
Some of you may feel far removed from this behavior, but it is happening to your peers in spaces you've probably been. On Jan. 26, 2016, students in Sellery Residence Hall placed large paper swastikas and a picture of Hitler in a Jewish student's dorm room. After the incident, the students were disciplined by University Housing and the Division of Student Life, but many were not satisfied with this response; the university failed to alert students campuswide and use the incident as an opportunity to educate students about why taping hate symbols on a Jewish student’s door was not a “harmless prank” (Herzog, 2016). The victim of this situation claims these men–with whom he implied were his friends–were seemingly unaware of how hurtful their actions were. Within the same year, swastikas were drawn on the whiteboards of three doors in Sellery (Vagun, 2016). Truthfully or not, the misunderstanding of these heinous symbols shows ignorance towards the severity of anti-Jewish ideologies. Not to mention, a swastika was also sketched inside a bathroom hall in a Sellery bathroom earlier this semester (Statement on Recent Antisemitic Incidents, 2022).
There are ways to combat antisemitism in higher education, but it goes far beyond gaining knowledge of the issue. Physical action must be set in stone to ensure future generations of Jewish students can flourish in an environment that both respects and fights for them. Colleges and universities must ensure they have systems and programs in place to monitor the Jewish climate on campus and educate community members who may harbor antisemitic behavior. Instituting necessary changes that encourage vigorous debate and academic freedom is vital for promoting the values of respect, tolerance, diversity and inclusiveness in higher education (Campus Anti-Semitism, 2006).
But where does all of this leave Jewish students?
Afraid to walk down State Street wearing the Star of David around their neck or a kippah/yamaka on their head. Scared to show up to Shabbat dinner at Hillel or Chabad knowing that these buildings have been intentionally set on fire on other college campuses (Eichmann, 2020). Angry because UW-Madison hasn’t taken any action to condemn this behavior. A statement is not enough. Teaching students about Jewish history is vital. We need to do better as a community to prevent antisemitism and support one another no matter our differences. Antisemitism is on the rise, and seeing these smaller incidents occur at UW-Madison signals something greater. It always starts with something small–like an etching in a dorm bathroom–but ends with something big. We as growing Jewish adults are scared, we are angry and just like you, we are students.
Sources:
Bard, M. (n.d.). Documenting Numbers of Victims of the Holocaust & Nazi Persecution. Jewish Virtual Library.
Eichmann, M. (2020, August 27). Chabad Center intentionally set on fire at University of Delaware, investigator says. WHYY.
Herzog, K. ( 2016, February 17). Swastika ‘prank’ prompts UW-Madison's anti-Semitism town hall. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Jacobs, D. (2021, February 9). Anti-Semitism is still on the rise despite the lack of media coverage. The Tide.
Pollack, J. Z. S. (2001). Jewish Problems: Eastern and Western Jewish Identities In Conflict At the University of Wisconsin, 1919–1941. American Jewish History, 89(2), 161–180.
Pollack, J.Z.S. (2019). Wisconsin, The New Home of the Jew: 150 Years of Jewish Life at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Vagun, A. (2016, September 13). UPDATED: Anti-Semitic graffiti reported in Sellery Residence Hall. The Badger Herald.
Statement on Recent Antisemitic Incidents. (2022). University of Wisconsin-Madison News.
Campus Anti-Semitism. (2006, July). U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.