Centering Jewish Identity in the College Search*
- Darren
- Jul 25, 2025
- 6 min read
The events of October 7th, 2023, and the 650+ days of war and increased incidents of antisemitism and anti-Zionism that have followed since compelled many of us Jews to recognize and reckon with what being Jewish means to us. Jewish high school students looking ahead to going off to college in the near and not-too-distant future are no exception, especially since many of the incidents of antisemitism and anti-Zionism and calls to Boycott, Divest, and Sanction (BDS) Israel have taken place on college campuses.
For those students for whom October 7th has strengthened their Jewish identity, and/or understandably, now have heightened concerns for their safety, and therefore wish to attend a college or university with a robust campus Jewish life and resources supporting Jewish students, an important component is added to an already meaningful rite of passage.
When researching colleges and universities, the presence or absence of certain factors can signal whether or not a Jewish student is likely to feel comfortable, supported, and safe on campus:
Does Hillel serve the campus? Hillel International is the largest Jewish campus organization, serving 850+ colleges and universities worldwide. An on-campus Hillel is a strong indicator of a sizeable population of students identifying as Jews attending the college. Similarly, if Hillel does not serve a college, it is likely that very few, if any, Jewish students attend the college.The Hillel College Guide provides a searchable database to determine if Hillel serves a college, as well as lists of public and private universities by Jewish student population and also by the percentage of the student population Jewish students comprise.
Is a Major or Minor in Jewish Studies offered? Though it is rare for a college to offer Jewish Studies (or a similar discipline) and not have a Hillel on campus, the fact that Jewish history, culture, and Judaism are the focus of academic scholarship is a positive.
What other Jewish or pro-Israel clubs and organizations are active on campus?Multiple student clubs directly connected with Jewish themes or interests often indicate a vibrant Jewish campus community.
Are freshly prepared kosher meals offered? Even if a student does not keep kosher, there is a significant difference between kosher meals being available just like the other dining options on campus and students only being able to access kosher frozen meals or canned goods.
Are services offered on Shabbat and holidays? If the Hillel does not offer sufficient opportunities for worship, are there nearby synagogues within walking distance of campus that welcome students to attend services and other events?
How welcoming is the Jewish community on campus to Jewish students who are more secular and/or less halachically observant? Just because a high number of Jewish students attend a college does not mean that Jewish campus life is open and welcoming to students who see themselves as more “culturally” rather than “religiously” Jewish.
A significant increase in reported incidents of antisemitism and anti-Zionism has elevated the importance of attending a college with a sizeable portion of Jewish students in the minds of many Jewish high schoolers and their families. So, how does one ascertain if a college is proactively safeguarding the experience of Jewish students on its campus?
Have Jewish students transferred from the college due to its campus climate post-October 7th? The good news is that even at universities that had BDS demonstrations, pro-Palestine encampments, and other incidents of antisemitism and anti-Zionism on their campuses that made national news, Jewish students did not transfer out in large numbers. Their decision to stay speaks to the strength of the Jewish community on campus. Even when students may have hoped for a swifter or different administrative response to what was happening, they had friends and mentors they could turn to and feel connected to their colleges and universities.
Does the college include the concerns of Jewish students in its Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access (DEIA) policies and programs? One of the challenges Jewish students have faced in getting their voices heard and concerns addressed is that in the United States, DEIA is predominantly viewed through a racialized lens. Because most Jews of European descent are the beneficiaries of white privilege, many DEIA practitioners have simply not considered how to best include Jewish needs in their work on behalf of underrepresented groups. This situation is something the National Association for College Admission Counseling acknowledges is a problem and is working to address and improve among its member institutions.
How has the college responded to incidents of antisemitism on its campus?
The Anti-Defamation League’s Campus Antisemitism Report Card™ is a searchable database cataloging Jewish student life on campus, antisemitic and anti-Zionist incidents, and any administrative actions and policies. You can also sign up to receive the ADL’s “Campus Crisis Alert” email newsletter to keep on top of incidents of antisemitism on college campuses.
The AMCHA Initiative, a nonprofit organization dedicated to investigating, documenting, and combating antisemitism at institutions of higher education in America, also has a searchable database on its website.
It is important to remember that no college or university is perfect. Because the college experience is, at its heart, about the free exchange of ideas, exposure to thoughts and opinions one may disagree with is central and critical to a complete education. When I was in college, a member of the Chemical Engineering faculty was a known Holocaust denier. But on the other side of campus was a History Professor who specialized in the history of Nazi Germany and the Holocaust and served as a scholar in residence at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.
Are Jewish students considering different colleges post-October 7th? Yes and no. (What a wonderfully nuanced Jewish answer!) For many students, the college-going cultures of their home communities, which often place a high value on prestige, have continued to apply to America’s elite colleges and universities despite any misgivings they may have about the institution’s response to the campus climate post-October 7th. However, there is a growing trend among more religiously observant Jewish students of applying to colleges and universities in the South, where so-called “Anti-Woke” policies are more popular and commonplace, out of a belief that a lack of tolerance for any pro-Palestine/anti-Zionist demonstrations confers a safer campus environment for Jewish students.
Regardless of what motivates students to prioritize seeking out a college with a large Jewish student population, participating in Jewish campus life can positively impact their experience as Jews. My college experience offers an illustrative example:
I grew up in Scarsdale, NY, and my family belonged to Beth El Synagogue in New Rochelle, NY. As a child, I attended Junior Congregation services most Shabbats throughout the school year. I also went to Hebrew School from elementary school through high school. So, by the time I left for college, I had had enough of Jewish things and had no interest in participating in the pre-orientation events hosted by the campus Hillel. Then a crucial thing happened. During my first week in college, a Jewish student a year ahead of me was walking the halls of our dorm looking for Jews to form a Minyan (a group of ten or more Jewish adults) so that he could recite the Mourner’s Kaddish for his father, who had recently died. My decision to be part of his Minyan powerfully transformed my sense of what it meant to be a Jew. I stopped looking for what Judaism had to offer me and began to recognize what I had to offer simply because I was Jewish. I started going to Hillel regularly on Thursday evenings for television watch parties (Seinfeld and Friends were big back then) and Friday evenings for Kabbalat Shabbat services and the meal that followed. I visited Israel for the first time on a United Jewish Appeal (UJA) Student Mission trip over winter break my junior year. And I ended up one course shy of completing a minor in Jewish Studies. The Hillel Rabbi and my Hebrew Bible Professor were among my most significant mentors in college.
The college search is a fantastic educational endeavor. It is directed outward, as students gather information about colleges and universities, but also inward, as they gain a better sense of themselves and, just as importantly, who they want to become and how they want to improve the world. As Jewish high school students explore their college options it is important to speak to current Jewish students and recent alumni to get a more complete picture of Jewish campus life.
*This post was first published in the March/April 2025 issue of THE LADDER, the newsletter of Temple Beth El of Northern Westchester, where Darren and his family are members.
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