A growing number of Jewish students in the U.S. are finding camaraderie and support in campus groups such as Chabad and Hillel in the months since October 7, as anti-Israel protests on campuses continue to multiply, writes Deena Yellin in the Times of Israel (April 28). Yellin cites Anti-Defamation League figures reporting that antisemitic incidents increased by 360 percent in the months following Hamas’s attack on Israel. Many Jewish college students have reported struggles with anxiety or isolation, with some responding by hiding their Star of David necklaces, removing their head coverings, or retreating to their dorms. Others have found refuge in Jewish gatherings on campus. “Leaders of Chabad and Hillel houses nationwide say they’ve boosted programming in recent months to serve as a hub for Jewish life on campus and refuge for those who want to gather for healing in a time of crisis. They’re helping students cope with their emotions related to the brutal onslaught on Israel as well as to rising on-campus hostility to students perceived as supporting the Jewish state,” Yellin writes. With Hillel chapters serving nearly 1,000 college campuses around the world, the organization is close to breaking its record for highest student participation in its 100-year history, with more than 180,000 students engaged this school year, according to Adam Lehman, president and CEO of Hillel International.
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The Jewish outreach organization operating under the auspices of the Chabad Hasidic movement has increased its activities at its centers on nearly 900 campuses around the country and has organized several hundred events following the outbreak of the war in Israel. Chabad official Avi Weinstein said the organization was “able to measure an increase of over 40 percent in new students coming through our Chabad House doors since October 7.” It is unclear as to whether the high rate of Jewish involvement will continue in the long-term. “I can say that it’s not an uncommon phenomenon that there’s intergroup solidarity when your group is under attack…Jewish organizations have an opening to make a lifelong difference,” said Leonard Saxe of Brandeis University. These groups have not only offered support and fellowship. Countering antisemitism on campus has been a core piece of Hillel’s work for decades, and the group has organized “vigils, put up hostage posters, hosted Israel-related discussions and organized activities for Jewish holidays such as hamantaschen bakes, which all seemed to take on a new meaning, especially with more aggressive forms of protests, such as the growth of encampments.” John Schmalzbauer of Missouri State University, who led a 2023 study of campus religion, said that groups such as Chabad and Hillel have often served as an oasis for Jews during periods of crisis and conflicts. For example, after Kanye West made his antisemitic statements in 2022, Jewish students sought each other out. Schmalzbauer added, “Our study found that students across all religious groups seek a place with others who have similar experiences. Our researchers found that all students want to be safe and seen.”
