Challenging Times for Jewish College Students
The past two years have been particularly challenging for Jewish college students, with campuses becoming arenas of polarization rather than places of curiosity and critical exchange.
As upperclassmen at Harvard and McGill, we have witnessed peers feeling trapped between taking a strident side on nuanced conflicts or staying silent and withdrawing from the conversation altogether.
The recent assassination of Charlie Kirk has further intensified the polarizing atmosphere, with some seeing his death as proof that civil discourse and free speech are impossible to achieve.
Dialogue isn't enough to fix what ails campuses. Jewish students like us need more.
Even before Kirk's assassination, university administrators were calling for pluralism and increasing investments in dialogue training, a climate that has felt especially isolating for students who care deeply about pluralism.
Author's summary: Jewish students face polarization on campuses, needing more than dialogue to address issues.