Big Jew on Campus: Anti-semitism goes to college

I try to not overreact at isolated anti-Semitic incidents, but enough "isolated" occurrences have taken place at Rutgers University in the past year that warrants a strong public reaction. Despite the large Jewish population at Rutgers, - approximately 3,000 - this year Jewish students have had to deal with several anti-Semitic attacks, ranging from verbal challenges to vandalism. It has reached the point where even the most skeptical and naïve guardian against the classic knee-jerk reaction, like myself, has to realize and speak out against a continuing trend of anti-Jewish sentiment that is apparent at Rutgers.

Rutgers sophomore Molly Salovitz a few months ago said that she was horrified in her off-campus house one night when she heard several drunk students outside her porch saying "this is where the Jews live" late one evening. Upon later inspection she found that her porch had been damaged.

That same night, a Jewish house down the street had a window damaged. These two seemingly unrelated events could easily be explained by juvenile and/or drunken behavior that is common for college students, yet this seems too coincidental.

Only a few houses down, another Jewish student, Rutgers senior Eytan Morgenstern, who was wearing a yarmulkeh overheard peers of his commenting on how many "fucking Jews" were walking around, and that there must be a "Jew convention" involving Jewish comedian Jerry Seinfeld.

Outside the Rutgers Hillel, sophomore Erik Gombo, was called a "kyke" by occupants of a car driving by College Avenue, the main street at the university.

An anti-Semitic caricature from an old Nazi propaganda poster was placed on top of a Rutgers Hillel poster at the Student Center just two weeks ago.

Two years ago, on Israel Independence Day, I was hanging an Israeli flag from my porch just off-campus where I was called a Nazi.

Four years ago, when tensions about Israeli-Arab conflict on campus were at their highest, the Rutgers Hillel and the Jewish fraternity AEPi had swastikas spray painted outside their doors.

It is hard to find the proper reaction to these crimes since those who committed them are still unknown, and the true motives remain with them. However, this scary reality must be brought to light and discussed openly. It is still hard for me to imagine that this type of hatred still exists in my country, and it exists at a college campus, a place where all are welcomed.

Last week I heard an Israeli philosophy professor at Rutgers comment that Zionism has failed in a way, because after 60 years Israel still has not been accepted by the world. It seems to me, that after 3,000 years, the Jew as well, just like the State of Israel, has also failed to gain the acceptance of his fellow man. Someday this may happen, but we may have to wait another 3,000 years.