New survey shows that Jews are harassed by antisemitic professors on campus

A survey by the group Alums for Campus Fairness (ACF) found that 95% of Jewish students recognize antisemitism as a problem on their campus, and three quarters of those respondents recognize it as a “very serious problem.”

It found that 46% of students personally heard offensive or threatening antisemitic comments

made in person by another student.

17% of Jewish students were physically threatened for being Jewish, and 27% more knew someone it happened to.

But what troubled me the most was that 27% of  students said a faculty member or employee of their school made offensive or threatening antisemitic comments in person - and another 30% said they knew someone else who was the victim of those antisemitic comments.

Specific examples given are horrifying:

I had a professor make a horribly offensive analogy about the Holocaust. When I told her it was offensive, she gaslit me and said if I was so sensitive, I should find another career.

A professor, when discussing the Jewish Diaspora in ancient Babylonia, said that “It seems that the Jewish version of this history may be distorted to make it seem worse than it was, as unsurprisingly many Jews were wealthy while in Babylon.”

Professors often made out of hand comments that supported antisemitic conspiracy theories against Israel, such as that Israelis harvest Palestinian organs or use Palestinian children as target practice.

One time I asked my accounting professor if I could please move my exam because of religious holidays (Rosh Hashanah), he answered back by saying “do you think I should change my schedule because of you being jewish?” I answered, “No, I am just politely asking for an extension or a new date since I won’t be able to complete the exam the day you have set for it.” He didn’t hesitate and answered, “I already told you that I am not jewish and I won’t change your exam.” After this the only option left for me was to talk to the head of accountancy. So, I went on told her the situation, and without thinking twice she told me, “of course the professor should give you a new date to complete your exam because of your religious holidays, and btw jag sameaj” It turns out the head of department is Jewish and she right away let the professor know of her answer regarding the moving for my exam. I completed my exam right before Rosh Hashanah. After the jag I was eager to see what I scored on the exam. I went to class the following morning and for my surprise I had failed the exam. I asked the professor and he told me “I didn’t have time to correct your exam, and I guessed what grade you deserved.” I politely answered him back, “Ok, I understand is there any way we can sit together and go over it?” The professor eagerly answered back to me “as you changed my schedule because of your jewish holiday, I am not willing to grade your work.” I ended dropping the class and getting a 4.0 the second time I took the course, but obviously with a different professor. 

I took a course on US citizenship and equity at UC Berkeley. On the first day of class the Professor went down the roster, taking roll. When he got to my name, he stopped and began asking me antisemitic questions related to economic libel and the Rothschild conspiracy theory. My last name is Rothschild so I experience this kind of antisemitism constantly, but it was unnerving being outed in class at a University that is notoriously antisemitic. I never hid my last name nor my ethnicity until I went to Cal. But in all honesty this experience was just the tip of the iceberg at Cal. I would never encourage Jews to attend UCB. 

 Long story but tldr. Professor was incredibly antisemitic (jews did 9/11; Jews own the media etc). Friend and I filed a 30 page report (and met with) multiple deans on his antisemitism. We received a 1.5 page letter stating that we misconstrued his comments and he did nothing wrong. Then they offered him tenure. 

The survey found 79% of respondents had personally experienced an instance of antisemitism on campus in total, with the report saying Jewish students attending a state school as opposed to a more expensive private school are more likely to have been physically threatened themselves.

The survey did not mention Israel, but many students answering the open-ended part of the survey mentioned antisemitism masked as anti-Zionism along with the more traditional neo-Nazi type harassment.

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