UW Jewish Students: We Will Define Anti-Semitism

Guest post by a UW student

This week I’m honored to share a guest post by Marni Merritt, a University of Washington senior, about her experiences as a Jewish student on campus since October 7th.

I commend Marni for having the courage to put a byline on this piece. One of the challenges of reporting on campus and public school anti-Semitism is that very few people — minors, young adults, and parents — are willing to share their names out of fear of some kind of retribution.

Sharing our experiences of discrimination in protected spaces like schools should not be an act of bravery. Yet here we are.

“They took away my school spirit.”

By Marni Merritt

If you had asked me on October 6th, 2023, about my time as a student at the University of Washington, I would tell you how much I loved it and felt at home. I could never seem to stop smiling when talking about how I felt like I made the perfectly right decision by going to UW, basking in its beautiful scenery and breathtaking campus; I felt nothing but pride for being a Husky.

But if you were to ask me the same question any day following October 7th, 2023, I would not be able to hide my sad eyes and joyless demeanor. I had been left out to dry by my peers and the administration of my university. I was isolated, felt hated, was berated by people on campus because I was a Jew. They took away my school spirit, my belonging and my enthusiasm to one day be an involved alumni.

If a reporter had asked me and other Jewish students at the University of Washington if there is an anti-Semitism problem on campus, we would not have debated its definition as the professors did in this March 17 article. Instead, we would have shared our experiences with harassment, isolation, discrimination, and the feeling of needing to hide our Jewish identity.

During a conversation about the conflict between Israel and Palestine, our professor equated the October 7th attack to the American slave revolts, stating that Hamas was rising up to fight the oppressors in Israel. This was such an inflammatory and unjust way of discussing the massacre in an academic setting.

It created a space for a student to feel confident enough to berate the Zionist, Jewish students. This person called me a “cockroach” for denouncing Hamas’ actions and denying them the label of “freedom fighters.”

When I addressed this with the professor after class, he made this incident out to be a result of his poor expectations for the discussion, rather than acknowledging and handling it for the hateful, antisemitic remark that it was.

Not surprisingly, many incidents never went through the university’s anti-bias reporting tool due to lack of trust in the administration taking any form of action, or to prevent any negative consequences. The university has improved its response, but there are those who feel it took too long for that change to take place.

I would like to share some of our experiences in our own words:

• “During the encampment, I hid my Star of David necklace. I didn't feel safe. A student mentioned in class that Adolf Eichmann shouldn’t have been extradited by Israel. The professor didn’t say anything. I knew I was the only Jew in the class. I was shaking and felt terrified to be on campus.” —EO

• “The encampments went on for too long and were hard to go by every day on my way to classes. It was more than feeling uncomfortable. I felt unwelcome and ignored by the administration who let it happen.” —AS

• “At a mandatory diversity class, a panel guest talked about the targeted genocide in Gaza against Muslims. We had to ask a question and the assignment was mandatory. I needed to disguise my identity as Jewish and Israeli because of fear of being discriminated against by the professor, the school administration, and fellow students.” —LB

• “I was asked to create a documentary script for my English class. I chose to write about my Jewish identity, and the rise in antisemitism in the past several years. Some of the stories I included were events from the Holocaust and my personal experiences. I received a comment from my professor pointing to events in the Middle East and saying that even though the attack from Hamas was bad, the death toll of Palestinians is much higher and that I might want to talk about that. Nowhere in my essay did I talk about or reference current events. While I absolutely have sympathy for the tragedies occurring in Israel and Palestine, I felt like this comment was made only because I was Jewish. I wasn't shocked that the connection had been made, but to have this comment come from my professor was unnerving. I had expected someone with more authority and experience to understand that Jewish students are not and should not be required to be the face of Israel.” —TA

Professors and administrators can continue to have conversations about what anti-Semitism is and whether it exists on campus or not. As a Jewish student, I can say we just want a peaceful environment in which to learn, and one where we are not continuously vilified for our identity.

Marni Merritt is a senior at the University of Washington

Cover image: Graffiti at the UW, courtesy Sigal Bujman

Read the entire US campus climate assessment here.

Further reading from The Cholent:

Can the UW Protect Jewish Students?

University of Washington Grapples with Anti-Semitism

Negotiating with Terrorists

---

In other news

This week, Rabbi Danny Weiner published an op-ed in the Seattle Times called, “The irony of the exploitation of Jewish fear.” Weiner, senior rabbi of Temple De Hirsch Sinai, writes:

For the last few centuries, Jews have flourished in the acceptance and prosperity afforded by liberal democracy. And the hallmarks of that value system emerged from a vigilant defense of the rights to speak, to learn, to teach and to believe. And so, with the current rise of a new brand of American authoritarianism, unprecedented attacks on these civil liberties pose unique threats to Jews as citizens of this nation and as members of a faith community.

Has anyone here not had a text message or dinner table argument/discussion/brawl about the Mahmoud Khalil situation? Does anyone not feel squeezed in a vice grip of freedom of speech and protest that we deeply value, and the fear that freedom of speech and protest could be what ends the American Jewish era? And are you afraid to say this out loud?

Jews are the canary in the coalmine, and what this means is that our communal and historical values are the first to be put in the crucible. The current moment, with jarring deportations of some people who are legitimately problematic for the American project, challenges the freedoms we hold dear in the name of saving the very same freedoms.

This makes me think of last year’s legislative debacle, when a Republican, motivated to action by October 7th, brought forth a bill to require Holocaust and genocide education in the state of Washington, and far-left activists showed up with the intent to destroy it. The bill, which would have given more educational authority to the Holocaust Center for Humanity, was undermined by anti-Israel activists, because who are Jews to educate the public about genocide? In the end, the bill was watered down and then killed.

Holocaust Education Bill Dies

Jewish values are not just exploited by the far right, which often uses Jewish concerns to push through their own agendas, sometimes at the expense of Jewish safety, but also the far left, which often marginalizes and shuts out, even punishes, Jewish concerns to further their goals of anti-racist “collective liberation.” We get played by both sides.

We need to disentangle our Jewish identities from our political identities and seek meaning in Jewish history, community, and practice.

Shabbat shalom.

---

Check out the Seattle Jewish community calendar.

Candlelighting in Seattle is at 7:25 p.m. The parasha is Vayikra.

Join Us for Schechter Spark!
Sunday, May 4 • 4-6 p.m.
Camp Solomon Schechter invites the community to Schechter Spark, an annual gathering of connection, celebration, and Camp ruach!

Join us in Seattle as we honor the Schiller Family; in Portland to honor the Atkins Family; and in British Columbia to honor the Siegel Family. These families are being recognized for their dedication, leadership, and impact on our Camp community throughout multiple generations. Funds raised ensure Camp continues to inspire and thrive for years to come. Reconnect with old friends, make new connections, and enjoy delicious food, craft cocktails, and the timeless magic of Camp.
Learn more and RSVP

Apologies for not sending out a shoutout request this week! Leave your shoutouts and additional announcements in the comments.