MERCAZ – The Movement to Reaffirm Conservative Zionism, Inc. (“MERCAZ USA”)

Jewish Students in America Still Hiding

April 28, 2026

STAY INFORMED – TALKING POINTS – ACTIONS TO CONSIDER – JAHM – STORIES

Silent Crisis: Jewish Students Still Hiding on Campus

The anti-Israel protests and encampments on campuses have largely dissipated, but for Jewish students, faculty and staff across America – fear and intimidation have not. While the visible chaos of large-scale demonstrations of the past few years are no longer as prevalent, campus life for Jewish students is far from normal. They face daily, relentless pressure to hide their Jewish identity. Students are left wondering whether the institutions that claim to champion inclusion actually accept and protect them.

Univ. of California: Silencing a Hostage, Promoting a Terrorist

Holocaust Remembrance Day is not an occasion when most universities would choose to silence a former hostage. UCLA’s student government did not get that memo.

The Undergraduate Students Association Council condemned a Jewish student organization for hosting Omer Shem Tov – an Israeli abducted by Hamas terrorists from the Nova music festival and held in underground tunnels for nearly a year and a half. UCLA student leaders condemned the event as “selective platforming of narratives that obscure the broader reality of ongoing state violence.” The Hillel event was peaceful and attended by the university’s own chancellor.

Shem Tov’s response was measured but powerful: “If you are willing to silence a survivor of 505 days in captivity to protect a preconceived narrative, it is worth pausing. When a worldview requires you to override your own values, something is misaligned.” UCLA also released a statement rejecting the council’s position: “The condemnation of such a peaceful event to share a story of resilience in the face of extreme suffering is antithetical to our values.” Univ. of California Regent Jay Sures slammed the student government leaders as “lunatics.”

A week later, UC Berkeley Law’s Students for Justice in Palestine chapter hosted Palestinian terrorist Israa Jaabis via a video call. She was convicted of detonating a car bomb in Jerusalem in 2015 – severely burning herself and Israeli police officer Moshe Chen. She was released weeks after the Iran-backed Hamas Oct. 7, 2023, attacks in exchange for Israeli hostages.

The Palestinian terrorist – with visible scarring on her face – “thanked students for listening with their hearts, it makes us liberated Palestinian prisoners feel supported.” The LawFare Project called the event “institutional normalization of terrorism.” Unlike UCLA, Berkeley’s administration offered no criticism – citing only its obligation to the First Amendment.

Hidden Price: Jews Concealing Their Identity

One young Jewish woman in an elite liberal arts institution described her new reality: “I have lost every relationship I had prior to 10/7 with my fellow students and friends – my new friends are either unaware that I am Jewish and Zionist, or have not brought it up yet to litmus test me.”

Her experience is far from unique. Jewish Women International recently released a report on the experiences of more than 500 young Jewish-American women since Oct. 7, 2023. Many of the 20 to 34-year-olds share similar stories of exclusion on American campuses in dorms, classrooms and dining halls:

  • A Jewish student walking through campus wearing a Star of David necklace was taunted
  • Two students were chased back to their dorm by students shouting anti-Israel statements after attending a Shabbat dinner at Hillel
  • One student described how she carefully monitors what she says in the classroom to “not upset the teacher” and risk lowering her grades

Another young Jewish woman shared her growing anxiety: “I feel scared to express my Jewish identity and intimidated to talk about anything Jewish-related in public. I removed my last name from my Uber accounts, so drivers do not know my religion.” In the survey, 88% of Jewish women reported experiencing antisemitism since Oct. 7 and 75% said their mental health suffered as a result.

Incidents of abuse against Jewish students increasingly affect K-12 students across America. At a San Francisco-area high school, Eden Horwitz enrolled in a program promising “intersectional education, solidarity and inclusion.” What followed was the opposite, according to a recent lawsuit. The school did not offer Holocaust education and Eden stopped wearing her Star of David necklace on campus. Classmates branded her as a “Zionist” – using the Jewish term as a slur, according to one of the student’s attorneys.

The academy’s lead teacher asked Eden if her classmates did not like her because she is “Jewish, or just unlikable?” When she and her mother reported the harassment, the school retaliated – removing her from the program entirely. The Jewish teen is suffering from severe anxiety and depression, her grades plummeted and she lost her chance at an athletic scholarship.

Beyond the Classroom: From Campus to Career

As graduation season approaches – and with it the likelihood of politicized commencement speeches and protests – Jewish students will walk across stages at many universities that too often failed them. These graduates will enter a job market where many feel they must continue to hide. After Oct. 7, anti-Israel activists in the Chicago-area created a blacklist of Jewish psychologists – a sign of the professional retaliation Jewish workers across many fields continue to face.

Among young Jewish-American women surveyed, 18% removed Jewish-related content from their resumes – not because it was irrelevant, but because they feared it would cost them opportunities. Some abandoned career plans entirely, retreating to Jewish organizations as “safe havens” where their identity would not be a professional liability.

The increasing hostility has not broken this generation. For many, it has clarified exactly what they stand for: 75% of respondents said their connection to Judaism has grown stronger since Oct. 7 – and 60% feel closer to Israel. “I have become a prouder, more spiritual, more connected Jewish woman,” one young Jew shared, “and have felt enormously inspired and emboldened by how other Jews around the world have responded similarly.”

  1. Campus antisemitism never went away – the cameras did: The encampments that shocked the nation made headlines. The congressional hearings that followed made news. But when the cameras moved on, the harassment did not. Encampments recently emerged at Occidental College and Smith College. Activist students, professors and staff are still attacking, intimidating and silencing Jewish students. A recent Jewish Women International survey found that 88% of young Jewish-American women have experienced antisemitism since Oct. 7. The story did not end – only the coverage did.
  2. Moral failure … condemning a hostage while applauding a terrorist: On Holocaust Remembrance Day, UCLA’s student government condemned a Jewish organization for hosting a former hostage who survived 505 brutal days in Hamas captivity. Days later, UC Berkeley Law students applauded a convicted Palestinian car-bomber during a video call. When a survivor’s testimony requires a content warning, but a car bomber’s message draws applause – something has gone profoundly wrong at the universities entrusted with educating the next generation.
  3. There is a difference between protecting speech and promoting terrorism: Free speech protections exist to prevent the government from silencing dissent – not to compel universities to celebrate those who commit violence. There is a meaningful difference between what an institution is legally required to permit and what it chooses to platform, promote and applaud. Jewish students are told their events are too provocative, too one-sided and too costly to host. Pro-Palestinian activists who openly call for violence against Jews and Israelis face little scrutiny. That is not a free speech principle – it is a double standard.
  4. What starts with Jews does not end with Jews: When universities tolerate the silencing of one group, they establish a precedent for silencing others. History is unambiguous on this point: the targeting of Jews has never remained confined to Jews. Those who stand aside when Jewish students are silenced, pushed out and condemned are not protecting anyone. The same institutions, the same mechanisms and the same logic that exclude Jews will eventually exclude others. Communities that believe in genuine inclusion cannot selectively apply it.
  5. Adversity has strengthened Jewish identity: The harassment, hidden necklaces and the scrubbed resumes tell only part of today’s story. Across America, young Jews are emerging from the post-Oct. 7 period with a deeper connection to their faith, their people and their identity than before. Pressure has not produced surrender – it has created clarity. This generation knows exactly who they are and what they stand for. That is not despite the adversity – it is because of it.

Protecting Jewish students requires action at every level. Parents, alumni, faculty, students and community members can make a difference by insisting that universities and K-12 schools uphold their responsibilities.

Actions for parents:

  • Legal Protection K-12 Helpline: The Brandeis Center, ADL and StandWithUs, together with law firm volunteers, offer assistance to parents of elementary and secondary school students.
  • Be involved: Attend PTA and local school board meetings to ensure your concerns are heard.
  • Speak with your children after school and talk with them about their day. Listen for clues that could indicate incidents of bullying, hatred and discrimination. Take appropriate action and contact school administrators immediately if your child was the target of antisemitism and hatred.
  • Stay in regular contact with teachers and principals to ensure that lines of communication remain open when you need to address an issue on behalf of your child.

Actions for Students:

Connect with organizations that support Jewish students:

Actions for Everyone:

  • Contact government officials: Federal law requires equal protection. This includes the U.S. Dept. of Education’s Office for Civil Rights. Additional resources include federal (U.S. Representative and Senators), state and local officials. Politicians representing the school’s location and the student’s home address can be contacted.
  • Alumni donations and parent pressure carry weight. Ask your networks to demand concrete action – not just statements – from univ. trustee boards, local school boards and administrators.
  • Highlight schools that enforce civility, discipline harassment and uphold equal standards. Reward leadership with public praise and support.

Jewish American Heritage Month kicks off this year on Friday, May 1, with a special treat – National Challah Day!

All Americans – Jewish or not – are invited to bake challah, the tasty traditional braided bread used every week by Jews to celebrate the Sabbath. Challah has its origins in the Torah and became a staple of Jewish life in the 15th Century.

National Challah Day is organized by Challah Back Girls and OneTable. For more information about participation and recipes, click here.

May 1 is just the beginning! Each week throughout the month, The Focus Project is working with major Jewish organizations to help celebrate and promote Jewish American Heritage Month. This year, JAHM recognizes the contributions of the Jewish people to the U.S. – from before the American Revolution to the present day.

JAHM highlights achievements by American Jews in the sciences, music, arts, sports, literature, military, business and civic life. Formally recognized by the U.S. government since 2006, JAHM also promotes education about Jewish history and combats antisemitism. For more information about JAHM, click here: Jewish American Heritage Month

This Week’s JAHM FOCUS: Jews in the Pre-Revolutionary Period

Joachim Gans

  • First practicing Jew to step foot in North America – Born in 16th Century Prague
  • Expert in mining and metallurgy
  • Joined a British expedition to the colony of Roanoke in 1585
  • Helped establish a scientific workshop where he studied the potential for mining precious metals in the New World

Click here to learn more about Jews in the Pre-Revolutionary Period

This year, JAHM does not end May 31 because ongoing features will be shared in June – culminating in the national celebration of the 250th anniversary of America on July 4.

#JAHM | #JewishAmericanHeritageMonth | @challahbackgirls | @onetableshabbat | @weitzmanmuseum | #NationalChallahDay

Stories Impacting American Jews

Stories Impacting the U.S. and Israel

Stories from Around the World

Click Below to Access Additional Focus Project Resources:

Stay Informed | Speak Up | Take Action

Want to Read More of Our Talking Points? Did you miss a recent edition of The Focus Project? No need to search your inbox. Our most recently published editions are available on our website.

This content is developed by The Focus Project in partnership with MERCAZ USA. The Focus Project distributes weekly news and talking points on timely issues concerning Israel and the Jewish people, including antisemitism, anti-Zionism and the delegitimization of Israel. It represents a consensus view across a spectrum of major American Jewish organizations. MERCAZ USA recognizes and respects the diversity of views on these issues among its readers and the community at large.

The Focus Project develops and distributes news, background, history and weekly talking points on timely issues to inform individuals and organizations about issues affecting the American Jewish community and Israel, and help readers speak with more consistency and clarity. The editions also provide potential responses for addressing incidents of antisemitism and anti-Zionism. With input from a spectrum of major American Jewish organizations, we focus on that which unites us, rising above political and individual agendas.
Recognizing that hatred of Jews comes in many forms and directions, we strive to address all sources as they arise, and educate our growing audience on topics ranging from inter-religious relations to relevant international developments. From week to week, we may focus on issues arising from the political left, university campuses, from the political right and from institutions, government, and corporations. We don’t try to address all issues in each edition. We hope you will find this information useful in your writing and/or speaking. We are always open to your feedback: info@focus-project.org.
Copyright © 2026 The Focus Project. All rights reserved.

Who We Are

What's Happening