Jewish Students Told to “Leave” Columbia U Due to “Extreme Anti-Semitism”

Edited by: Fern Sidman

Columbia University has become the epicenter of escalating tensions due to recent anti-Israel protests that have spiraled into anti-Semitic incidents. The situation has grown so severe that a prominent rabbi at the university has issued a stark warning to Jewish students, advising them to leave campus for their safety, according to a report that appeared on Sunday in the New York Post.

Rabbi Elie Buechler, responding to the increasing hostilities, communicated directly with students via WhatsApp early Sunday. According to the information in the Post report, he expressed deep concern over their safety in light of the events, particularly following a night marked by virulent protests. One protester notably escalated the rhetoric by displaying a sign that ominously suggested that students displaying Israeli flags could be potential targets for Hamas, a recognized terrorist organization, the Post report added. The Rabbi stressed that the university’s Public Safety and the NYPD were unable to guarantee the safety of Jewish students under the current circumstances.

In response to the growing threat, Columbia University has offered Jewish students the option to continue their studies online. This move sheds a spotlight on the severity of the situation and the institution’s recognition of the dangers posed by the ongoing protests and their virulently anti-Semitic undertones.

The matter has caught the attention of higher authorities, including New York City’s Mayor Eric Adams, who expressed his horror and disgust at the anti-Semitic sentiments circulating around the Columbia campus. On a social platform, Adams strongly condemned the hatred and reaffirmed the city’s intolerance towards such discrimination. The Post report said that he has directed the NYPD to take stringent actions against those violating laws, emphasizing that hate has no place in New York City.

In response to the unrest, Columbia University issued new guidelines aimed at protecting its students. The university announced that all schools and programs should offer remote learning options and, where possible, remote assessments, as was noted in the Post report. This measure is specifically designed to accommodate students who seek academic adjustments due to the ongoing campus activities, whether for religious reasons or other approved accommodations related to disabilities.

Jewish students gathered on campus to protest against anti-Semitism, waving Israeli flags and singing “One Day,” a peace anthem by Matisyahu. However, their peaceful protest was met with aggressive hate speech and threats of violence. The report in the Post said that according to a witness from Barnard College, a student intruded the rally wearing a keffiyeh and displaying a sign that ominously linked the protesters to potential targets of Hamas’s military wing, Al Kassam. This sign, captured in a video and posted on social media, pointed directly at the Jewish students, explicitly threatening them.

Also on Sunday, the Post reported that the campus of the New School in Manhattan became the latest site for escalating Middle East-related protests. Following closely in the footsteps of Columbia University, students at the New School have initiated a “Liberty Zone” encampment within the university’s Union Square campus. This new development is part of a broader wave of protests.

The New School’s University Center lobby on West 12th Street was swiftly transformed as around 20 students erected tents and displayed signs advocating for Palestinian solidarity. The group, known as New School Students for Justice in Palestine, utilized Instagram to rally support and call for immediate action.