Jewish Students Navigate Campus Life Amid Post-October 7 Antisemitism

The events of October 7, 2023, have profoundly impacted Jewish individuals beyond Israel, including creating a heightened sense of fear and antisemitism on American campuses, according to a high school junior.

Lily Yadegar, a junior in Los Angeles, described her experience as a Jewish student since the Hamas attack on Israel. She noted that daily news of violence against Jewish people globally, from incidents in Australia to attacks on synagogues, has become a source of anxiety. This constant exposure to tragic events affects her deeply, unlike her non-Jewish peers who may scroll past the headlines.

Yadegar shared personal instances of fear, such as worrying about potential attacks on her own synagogue after hearing about shootings. She also recounted experiencing ostracism from friends during her freshman year due to her Zionist beliefs, which she defines as the conviction that Jews have a right to a state in Israel. This led her to become more involved with Students Supporting Israel (SSI) on her campus.

Despite living in Los Angeles, an area with a significant Jewish population, Yadegar stated that many of her friends feel unsafe expressing their Jewish identity or wearing religious jewelry. She herself, despite being outspoken about her Jewish identity and Zionism, experiences fear about potential negative social or academic repercussions.

To combat misinformation, Yadegar organized a field trip for 150 students to the Nova Exhibit, a memorial for victims of the Hamas attack on a music festival. She intervened when some students questioned Israel's actions, clarifying that the violence was perpetrated by Hamas. This experience, she explained, revealed to her that much of the negative sentiment stems from a lack of information rather than outright malice.

Yadegar also addressed the actions of groups like CODEPINK and Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), which she characterized as promoting anti-Israel protests. She expressed concern that such protests, particularly those encouraging students to walk out of class, implicitly support terrorism. In response, she and another student spoke before the LAUSD Board of Education to assert that these fringe groups do not represent the broader Jewish community.

She finds it challenging to convey the weight of this experience to her non-Jewish friends, who sometimes dismiss her concerns as being too political or claim not to understand the situation. Yadegar emphasized that empathy and basic support, such as asking about her well-being or speaking up against antisemitic jokes, are crucial. She stated that Jewish students are not asking friends to take sides but are seeking understanding and solidarity as they navigate their identity in an increasingly tense environment.