{"id":2081019,"date":"2023-10-27T07:05:02","date_gmt":"2023-10-27T11:05:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/campus-extremism-comes-for-jews\/"},"modified":"2023-10-27T07:06:37","modified_gmt":"2023-10-27T11:06:37","slug":"campus-extremism-comes-for-jews","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/campus-extremism-comes-for-jews\/","title":{"rendered":"Jewish students targeted by campus extremism."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">12<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fcampus-extremism-comes-for-jews%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2081019&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Should we stay or should we\u200d go?<\/h2>\n<p>This is the question on the lips of many parents of teenagers \u2062who are on \u200dthe cusp of college. Should\u2064 we \u200bstay in the broken institutions of elite higher education, \u200bpaying hundreds of thousands of dollars\u200c for our children to be insulted, threatened, segregated, or even \u2062reeducated to \u200cabandon the values we have instilled in them? \u2062Or\u200b should we leave, taking \u200bour tuition dollars \u2064and alumni contributions to one of the\u200c few \u2062(generally less elite) universities whose leadership knows how to condemn mass murder unequivocally?<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>A recent email sent\u2062 by the\u200c principal of a Long Island yeshiva to a New York University admissions officer expressed\u2063 the views of many American Jews in recent weeks. The principal wrote:<\/h3>\n<p>You \u2063sent me an email inviting my Orthodox Zionist \u200dJewish students to apply \u2063early decision\u2064 to NYU. Really? \u2064Let me get to the point. \u2064You have too\u200b many faculty members and students who \u2063support Islamo-Nazi Hamas and Islamic Jihad\u2064 Terror organizations. \u2026 You really \u200cexpect\u200d us to send our sons and daughters \u200cto your school? So they can go back in time, say 1943 Germany.\u200b So they \u200bcan be threatened and told that they\u200b should be \u200dburned, gassed, \u2064shot, raped, tortured? Really? \u200cAnd we should pay for the privilege of exposing our\u2063 children to what you believe is \u201cEducation\u201d. Think again.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Jews are not about \u2062to \u2063eschew college education for their children, and after the shock of the \u200cattacks wears off \u2064a few months or a few years from now, it is not clear\u2063 whether parents will be willing to take a strong \u2064stand if it means that their children might attend \u200da less prestigious institution. But should parents keep \u2064sending their children to these institutions\u2062 anyway?<\/p>\n<p>If you had asked me 30\u2064 years ago,\u200b my answer would have been \u2063yes.\u200b I was in\u200b a political minority at Harvard University \u2062in the mid-1990s, but I was\u2064 also, to\u2063 borrow a phrase, a happy \u200cwarrior. The campus conservative\u2062 paper I wrote for and eventually edited had\u2062 its offices across the hall from the liberal paper. Late at night, putting our \u200bpapers to bed, we would occasionally pause for some political sparring. People who disagreed with my articles did not burn our papers\u2063 or throw the piles of them left for distribution into the garbage. They would sometimes accost me at lunch \u200dand argue with me,\u2063 though. There\u200d were occasional \u200dcampus protests, mostly to add more\u200c ethnic studies to the curriculum, but they were \u2062small, and most students went about their business without engaging. In other words, ensuring that other perspectives were represented on campus meant\u200b that you could occasionally have the chance \u200dto persuade others of your view.<\/p>\n<p>But that was a different time. I don\u2019t remember any protests against Israel. I was there \u200bbefore\u2063 the boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement. Hillel was thriving. I certainly don\u2019t remember any Jews telling me\u200b they were \u201cnot Zionists\u201d and \u201ccould see both sides of the conflict,\u201d as one recently told a friend of \u2063mine at\u200b another\u2063 large university.<\/p>\n<p>When David Horowitz came to lecture and started ranting about how conservative students must feel \u201cghettoized,\u201d many of the students in the room wondered whom he was talking about. Nor do I think it was only my naivete that led me to believe that a conservative student \u200cwould be just fine on \u200bcampus. I heard Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR),\u2063 who graduated the \u200csame year as me, talking \u200bon a podcast recently about how he \u2063felt \u2062the same way. \u2064Now, he said, he and his wife\u2062 would\u200b feel better if his children took \u2064some Hillsdale College classes online and went \u200dinto the Army or played baseball.<\/p>\n<p>Educationally, there is much to be said for Cotton\u2019s approach. There is a\u2063 lot of nonsense being taught on college campuses, \u2062as there was back then. But now, the percentage of professors who identify as conservative is a fraction of what it was even in the &#8217;90s. And the progressive professors feel all\u200d the freer to insert their politics, frequently intersectionality and its offshoots, including anti-Zionism, into the\u2064 classroom.<\/p>\n<p>The environment\u200d for students has become more\u200d untenable\u200c thanks, in part, to \u200ccancel culture. A few years ago, a student called me wanting to restart the magazine \u200dI had edited. He told me that he was having trouble \u2063finding writers, though, \u200bwho were willing to publish any articles under their name because they were worried about professors, students, or even future employers targeting them for their views. Now the publication is almost entirely \u200bpseudonymous.<\/p>\n<p>Antisemitism on campus \u200bhad been growing for decades before the attacks by Hamas. Who could forget all the Nation of Islam \u200cspeakers on campus? \u2063Or the years that Leonard Jeffries was allowed to spew his antisemitic hate at \u2064City University of New York students? And remember when Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad\u2062 got to deliver a speech to the entire college community at Columbia University? Twenty years ago, at the\u2062 University of California, Irvine, antisemitic incidents were commonplace.<\/p>\n<p>Between\u200d 2003 and 2004, according\u200b to an article in Commentary, \u201cJewish students were physically and verbally harassed, threatened, shoved, stalked, and targeted by rock-throwing groups \u200cand individuals. Jewish property was defaced \u2063with swastikas, and a Holocaust memorial was vandalized. Signs were posted on campus showing a Star of David dripping\u200b with blood. Jews were chastised for arrogance by public speakers whose appearance at the \u2064institution was subsidized by the university. They were called \u2018dirty \u200cJew\u2019 \u200band \u2018f***ing Jew,\u2019 told to \u2018go back to Russia\u2019 and \u2018burn in hell,\u2019 and heard other\u2063 students and visitors to the campus urge one\u2064 another to \u2018slaughter the Jews.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Now, students \u200dat\u200c Columbia \u2062are assaulted,\u2064 and a professor at \u200dCornell University said he found the attacks by\u200c Hamas \u201cexhilarating.\u201d At Stanford University, a professor has been separating students into \u2062those who colonize and those who are colonized. At George Washington University, masked students held a vigil praising Hamas\u2062 \u201cmartyrs.\u201d And on and \u2064on.<\/p>\n<p>And the first reaction of the spineless adults\u2062 on campus \u200bwas to \u2064let all \u200bof this stand. Some presidents, such as those at the University of Pennsylvania and \u2062the University of Michigan, notably said nothing, \u200dwhile others offered mealy-mouthed moral equivalencies. As one parent said to me after shul \u200bon Saturday, \u201cYou know, we\u2019ve been talking a lot lately about kids feeling \u200d\u2018safe,\u2019 but this \u200cis a real safety issue.\u201d\u200c No\u2062 kidding.<\/p>\n<p>But there are other \u200cquestions as well. Should our children feel that they are comfortable and welcome on the college campuses they\u200c choose?\u200b So many schools now \u2062use \u200bthat rhetoric to describe\u2062 their ethos. How can schools display \u201cradical hospitality\u201d or some other gobbledygook from the mission \u200bstatement \u2063assembly line?<\/p>\n<p>Some administrators claim they did not issue any statements about the attacks \u2064because they want \u2064to remain neutral and\u2064 nourish free speech on campus. As Charles \u200cMurray posted on X, formerly Twitter, in response, \u201cTanned, rested and \u200bready.\u201d Schools across the country have\u2064 either uninvited speakers whose views they oppose, let them be\u2062 attacked by protesters, or simply issued statements opposing \u2063these views. In other words, what an interesting coincidence that when \u200bschool\u2064 administrators are called upon to defend Jews, they \u2064suddenly don\u2019t want to take sides.<\/p>\n<p>So what are high school seniors and their parents to do? If\u200c you genuinely believe \u200cthat your child \u200dcan be part\u2063 of the solution, you\u2063 shouldn\u2019t give up on campuses.\u2062 It takes a particular kind \u2062of teenager \u2062not only to\u200c withstand the arrows on campuses these\u200b days but also to be able\u2063 to debate \u200cand lead\u200b a community pushing\u200c back against these dangerous ideas.\u2064 There are some factors that argue \u2064in favor of staying. For one thing, there is significant alumni pressure to \u2062fix this \u2064problem. The biggest universities won\u2019t miss the money, but the students seem to \u2063be running scared from the idea \u2064that employers might not\u200c want to hire people who \u2064celebrate mass murder. \u200cAt\u200d the smaller schools, the money will definitely talk. A student who stands\u2063 up for Jews and Israel will find support from sources off campus.<\/p>\n<p>And in recent years, several outside\u200b groups have taken it upon themselves to change the campus conversation. Groups \u2062such \u2063as the Federalist Society, the Adam \u200bSmith Society, the Foundation for \u200dIndividual Rights and Expression, Intelligence Squared, the Steamboat Institute, and a \u200dvariety of others \u200dhave been working \u2064with students to bring debates to schools \u200bor at least to \u2062areas right off of campus. And students have access to more resources to help\u2064 them push back against the dominant liberal narrative on campus. The American Enterprise Institute, where I work, has a strong \u200cprogram to nourish campus leaders, complete with seminars during the school year and a path to\u2062 internships over the summer. The \u200dTikvah Fund offers Jewish students online classes and summer fellowships to deepen their knowledge of Judaism, Jewish thought, \u2062and Israeli history and politics. National Jewish groups have long had a presence on campus, but one wonders whether they have\u2064 in recent years simply \u200cbeen co-opted by liberal causes, losing sight of the fight against campus\u2062 antisemitism, including the BDS movement.<\/p>\n<p>If the massacre in\u2062 Israel last \u200cweek alters the \u2063complacency of American Jews,\u2063 giving them \u200ba backbone and making them understand the stakes on college campuses, this could be the perfect time to send our children to elite universities. \u2063They might have to give up on \u200bthe idea of\u2063 feeling \u201cwelcome\u201d at first. But \u200cif you believe\u200d a change can be made, as I do, a \u2062little courage \u200bcould\u200d go\u2064 a long way.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What steps are \u2064higher\u200b education institutions taking to address concerns about the safety and well-being of students in regards\u200d to exposure to certain ideologies?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Is supposed to be a place where diverse ideas \u2064are heard, debated, and challenged. It is meant to be a space where young minds can explore different perspectives and learn to think critically. However, in recent years, there has been a growing concern among parents about\u2062 the state of\u2064 higher\u2062 education institutions. Many wonder if the benefits of\u200b attending prestigious colleges outweigh the potential harm that can come from exposure\u200c to certain ideologies and beliefs.<\/p>\n<p>One issue that \u2063has particularly \u2062alarmed parents is the rise of anti-Israel sentiments on college campuses. The\u2062 recent email sent by a yeshiva principal to a New York University admissions officer highlights the \u2063fears and frustrations of many Jewish parents.\u2063 The principal questioned whether it was wise to send Orthodox Zionist Jewish students to a university that has faculty members and\u200b students\u2062 who support terrorist organizations. The email includes graphic descriptions of the threats and intimidation that Jewish students may face on campus.<\/p>\n<p>Parents are faced with a\u2062 difficult decision. On the one hand, they want to provide their\u2064 children \u2063with the best education possible. They understand the value of attending prestigious universities and the opportunities they can offer. On the \u2062other \u200bhand, they are\u2064 concerned \u200babout the well-being and safety of their children.\u2062 They worry that their children may be subjected to harassment, indoctrination, or even violence.<\/p>\n<p>This\u200b dilemma is not new. In the past, parents may \u2064have faced similar\u200b concerns about other issues or ideologies. However, what is different today is the intensity and prevalence of these concerns. The college campuses of today are not \u2063the same as they were in the past. Political polarization, social media, and a more \u200dvocal minority have all contributed to a climate of intolerance\u2063 and hostility towards certain viewpoints.<\/p>\n<p>As someone who attended college in a different era, I can\u2062 attest to the changes that\u200d have taken place. While disagreements and debates were common, there was a general respect for different opinions and a willingness to\u200c engage in dialogue. People were open to being challenged and were willing to consider alternative viewpoints. It was an environment that fostered intellectual growth and personal development.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, that is not the case anymore. Colleges and \u200duniversities seem to have become echo chambers, where dissenting opinions are silenced, and alternative perspectives are dismissed. The concept of challenging one&#8217;s own beliefs and seeking truth seems to have been replaced by \u200ca desire for conformity and \u200cideological purity.<\/p>\n<p>So, should parents continue to send\u200d their children to \u2063these institutions despite the concerns? \u200bIt \u2062is a difficult question to answer. Ultimately, it comes down to weighing the\u2063 benefits of attending esteemed institutions against the potential risks. Parents\u2063 must consider their children&#8217;s values, beliefs, and personal resilience. They must\u200b also take into account the specific campus culture and the extent to which their child&#8217;s chosen field of study may be influenced by certain ideologies.<\/p>\n<p>One \u2064solution that some parents are considering is exploring \u200dalternative educational options. They are looking \u200bfor universities that have a strong commitment to free speech,\u2064 intellectual diversity, and the open exchange of ideas. These institutions\u200d may not have the same prestige or name recognition as the elite universities, but they offer an environment that is more \u2064conducive \u2063to intellectual growth and personal\u2063 development.<\/p>\n<p>In the end, \u200bthe decision \u2064about whether to stay or go \u200dis a deeply personal one. Each family must carefully consider the risks and\u200c benefits and make \u200ca choice that aligns with their\u2063 values\u200d and priorities. Education is\u2063 a lifelong pursuit, and it is \u2062crucial that young minds are nurtured \u200band exposed to \u200ba variety of perspectives. It is up to parents to ensure that their children have \u2063the best possible educational\u2064 experience, whether that means staying in the broken institutions or seeking alternatives.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Should we stay or go? It&#8217;s the question parents of college-bound teens ponder. Staying means enduring broken elite institutions, paying a fortune for insults, threats, segregation, or even reeducation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2081020,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2081019","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2081019","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2081019"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2081019\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2081020"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2081019"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2081019"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2081019"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}