Over the past few weeks, Ivy League Universities have scrambled to address issues related to freedom of speech, hate speech, and political debate as the Israel and Hamas war enters its third month.
However, their perceived inaction in condemning antisemitism on campus has left many Jewish students feeling helpless. Consequently, Jewish families are removing elite institutions from their lists, prioritizing safety.
Such is the case with Merav and her daughter, Anna, a high school senior in Atlanta. The mother-daughter duo has repeatedly changed Anna’s college list since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7.
Merav and her daughter, who asked the media to withhold their last names for safety reasons, had their sights set on some of the top schools in the country. However, they have since removed the University of Pennsylvania, citing volatile and antisemitic incidents and activities on the campus.
ALSO READ: “Resign in Disgrace!” Ivy League Presidents Under Fire for Their Testimony on Antisemitism
Merav revealed that she didn’t think she’d have to readjust a college list based on safety concerns for Jewish students. “Our priorities have shifted significantly,” she said, emphasizing that the administrative responses to antisemitism in elite schools changed her mind.
Similarly, Merav’s daughter, Anna, said the diversity of opinions will challenge her. However, she doesn’t want to face challenges regarding finding safety. “I would like to be safe on the campus,” she concluded.
Aside from Merav and Anna, several Jewish families also revealed that their priorities shifted due to the October 7 attack. They said this is due to the ongoing tension and turmoil on campuses nationwide.
POLL — Is Systemic Racism a Significant Problem That Requires Reform in Policing and Other Areas?
Christopher Rim, founder of Command Education, which helps students apply to top-tier colleges, revealed that his agency gets “new updates and changes and requests” every day. “We’ve had students completely revamp their entire application,” he said.
In addition, Rim says many of his Jewish clients are removing schools, like Cornell and Columbia, from their list. According to reports, both schools are under investigation by the Department of Education after incidents of antisemitism and Islamophobia.
Also, Rim revealed that some students are steering away from UPenn, Harvard, and MIT. According to Rim, this started after their respective presidents’ disastrous Capitol Hill testimony.
Liz Magill of UPenn, Claudine Gay of Harvard University, and Sally Kornbluth of MIT testified in a hearing. The presidents spoke before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce over antisemitism on their respective campuses.
ALSO READ: Billionaire and Harvard Alum Bill Ackman Claims Harvard President Was a DEI Initiative Pick
However, Magill and her counterparts gave widely criticized testimony. They also failed to condemn calls for the genocide of Jews as explicitly against campus harassment and bullying codes.
Consequently, the university presidents faced backlash from alums, students, the White House, and the public. After facing widespread criticism for her congressional testimony, Gay apologized in an interview with the school’s student newspaper. “I am sorry,” Gay said to The Harvard Crimson. “Words matter.”
Following the backlash, donation slashes, and calls for resignation, Gay announced the assembly of an Antisemitism Advisory Group at Harvard. Similarly, Magill resigned as president of the UPenn amid mounting pressure following her testimony to Congress.
However, according to Rim, Jewish families are replacing those schools with colleges they consider safer for Jewish students.
You Might Also Like:
Those Behind the Capitol Riot May Get Away With It
Americans Aren’t Fazed By CDC’s Alarm on COVID Hospitalizations
Alleged Eagle Killing Spree Discovered: Two Men Indicted for Black Market Sales
Florida Punishes Trans Student in Girls Volleyball
Academic Integrity Breach: Harvard Crimson Condemns President’s Plagiarism
