Antisemitism Response Center
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Read about how antisemitism on campus occurs and what AEPi student leaders are doing to combat it everyday.
E-Learning Course for Students
As the leading e-learning course for student leaders worldwide, this AEPi ARC resource will teach students how to see, react, and lead when antisemitism strikes their campus.
HANDLING ANTISEMITISM FOR PARENTS
How do I know if something is antisemetic?
College is a learning environment and as such you may meet others who are
attempting to learn — formally or informally — about Judaism. Have you ever heard about people asking Jews where their horns are? As crazy as it seems, some people may come from a background where they have never met or had a chance to interact
with a Jewish person before. They may have misconceptions and may ask questions that come off as rude, abrupt, or insensitive. This is not inherently antisemitism. If you
are discriminated against, targeted, or held to a different standard than your peers due to your Jewish beliefs or background, that is antisemitism.
what is the BDS movement and how is it antisemetic?
BDS, which stands for Boycott, Divest, and Sanction, is a worldwide movement to try and get people and organizations to boycott, divest, and sanction organizations that do business in and with Israel in order to put an economic strain on Israel and force
policy changes regarding the Palestinian conflict. While the sentiment itself is not inherently antisemitic, the tactics used to try and pass BDS resolutions through student governments on campuses and within communities are often antisemitic and fan the flames of hatred and exclusion of Jewish students on campus and silencing of Jewish voices.
Is antisemitism as bad as it looks in the news?
Most of your student’s time on campus will not involve any interactions with
antisemitism. Their days will be filled with all of the amazing experiences that one may have on a college campus. However, it is statistically probable that your child will see or experience some types of antisemitism during their college years. Most incidents
are not violent in nature like the ones you see in the news; however, it is worthwhile to have an honest conversation with your student about antisemitism before they experience it firsthand. The American Psychological Association stresses that for children in groups that are likely to be targets of discrimination, it’s vital for parents to have ongoing, honest discussions with their children rather than shying away from the subject. The APA also recommends:
• Let the discussion be ongoing.
• Keep talking. Yes, even — and especially — when it gets hard.
• It’s also okay to say, “I don’t know.”
• Be age appropriate.
• Encourage your children to ask questions.
• Help kids learn how to deal with being the potential target of discrimination.
• Develop healthy comebacks or responses to hurtful discriminatory statements. For example: “What an unkind thing to say.” “Excuse me? Could you repeat that?” “I disagree with you, and here’s why…”
• If you catch your child using insensitive language, use the moment as a teaching example.
• Model good behavior for your child.
how does israel relate to antisemitism?
Israel is a hotly debated topic on college campuses. Students may come face to face with those who believe Israel should not exist at all or those who are protesting the perceived treatment of the Palestinian populations of the West Bank and Gaza.
Of course, there are legitimate criticisms of Israel which are debated and discussed regularly, even within the Jewish community. On college campuses there are often
instances where politically based criticisms of Israel cross the line into antisemitism or where criticism of Israel is used as a dog whistle for antisemitism. This is most easily recognized when the word “Jews” is interchanged with “Israel.” For example, “Israel has bad policies regarding its borders” can quickly become “Jews want all of the land.”
Legitimate criticism turns into antisemitism when one or more of the “3 D’s” occurs.
1. Delegitimization. The term “delegitimization of Israel” refers to the denial of the Jewish people’s right to self-determination, for example, by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor. This claim allegedly discriminates against Jews by singling them out as ineligible for the basic right for self-determination as it was determined by international law. Since any discrimination against a specific ethnic, religious, racial or national group is considered a type
of racism, delegitimization of the Jewish people’s right for self-determination is
labeled as racism against Jews, i.e., antisemitism.
2. Demonization. The second “D” refers to the portrayal of certain groups as evil, demonic, or satanic. The Working Definition of Antisemitism says that antisemitism “frequently charges Jews with conspiring to harm humanity, and it is often used to blame Jews for ‘why things go wrong.’ It is expressed in speech, writing, visual forms and actions, and employs sinister stereotypes and negative character traits.” If the criticism uses metaphors, images or rhetoric that imply that the Israelis or Jews are evil, it is once again a projection of antisemitic blood libels and rhetoric. This is often seen in variations of the myth about the world Jewish conspiracy or of Jews controlling the media, economy, government, or other societal institutions.
3. Double standards. The last “D” refers to the application of different sets of
principles in similar situations. If a person criticizes Israel and only Israel on certain issues, but chooses to ignore similar situations conducted by other countries, they are performing a double standard policy against Israel. The implementation of a different moral standard for Jews and Israel compared to the rest of the world, just like the delegitimization claim, discriminates against a specific group and is labeled
as antisemitism.
who do i go to if i see or experience antisemitism?
The Alpha Epsilon Pi Antisemitism Response Center is equipped to assist students, parents, and administrators to deal with and face antisemitism. Please log any acts of antisemitism by clicking here or email us at arc@aepi.org.