73% of Jewish college students have experienced or seen antisemitism

Nearly three-quarters of Jewish college students in the U.S. experienced or witnessed antisemitism on their campus since the start of the academic year, according to a new survey released by the Anti-Defamation League, an advocacy group that has been tracking anti-Jewish incidents amid the Israel-Hamas war.

The new poll, released jointly by the ADL and the Jewish outreach organization Hillel International, found that 73% of Jewish college students and 44% of non-Jewish students experienced or saw antisemitic incidents since the beginning of the 2023-24 school year, ranging from antisemitic vandalism to threats of physical violence.

The war between Israel and Hamas militants has stoked tensions on campuses nationwide, with Jewish and Muslim students describing concerns about hate speech, harassment and threats. The ADL and a leading Muslim advocacy group, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, both reported a rise in bias incidents after the war broke out.

In recent weeks, campuses have confronted the specter of violence against Jewish students. Federal officials charged a Cornell University student for making antisemitic threats in an online forum, for example, while the University of Pennsylvania alerted the FBI to a series of “vile, disturbing antisemitic emails” that threatened violence against the campus Jewish community.