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Researchers: campus antisemitism rose after Oct. 7; study authors urge education‑based solutions
Summary
Academic researchers told the commission that antisemitic attitudes and social pressure on Jewish students rose after Oct. 7, 2023, and recommended education‑centered responses—faculty training, trustee oversight, clearer Title VI guidance and transparency for foreign funding—rather than broad punitive measures.
A panel of researchers and faculty presented quantitative and qualitative findings to the Massachusetts Special Commission on Combating Antisemitism, describing broad changes in campus climate since Oct. 7, 2023, and urging education‑focused responses.
Professor Etan Hirsch (Tufts) summarized a longitudinal student survey his team ran before and after the outbreak of war in 2023. Hirsch said three patterns emerged: Jewish and non‑Jewish students hold sharply different views of Israel; a minority of non‑Jewish students express social avoidance of Jewish peers tied to views about Israel (Hirsch cited figures reported to the commission: roughly 1 in 5 non‑Jewish students reported they would not want to be friends with someone who supports Israel as a Jewish state; 1 in 12 reported avoiding Jewish students); and a marked increase in Jewish students saying they hide…
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