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A new report by the American Jewish Committee, an advocacy organization, found that more than a quarter of current and recent Jewish college students, 26 percent, faced barriers or were told not to when they wanted to take time off from class to observe Jewish holidays.
The findings, released Tuesday, are based on a survey of 350 people, including current students, people who were enrolled in the last two years and parents of current and recent students.
The report also found that 21 percent of current and recent Jewish students avoided wearing or carrying items while in college that might identify them as Jewish, and 18 percent felt unsafe or uncomfortable at a campus event because they were Jewish. Meanwhile, 14 percent reported that they felt or have been excluded from a student group or campus event because of “an assumed or actual connection to Israel,” and 12 percent said they felt or had been excluded because they were Jewish.
“Like every student, those who are Jewish must be made to feel like they belong on a college campus and are welcome,” AJC CEO Ted Deutch said in a press release. “On too many campuses, this is not the case. Universities and colleges must live up to their obligation to make their Jewish students feel safe and welcome.”
