Back-To-School Reflections

By Melissa Garlick, CJP’s Senior Director of Combating Antisemitism and Building Civic Engagement

We know that the months ahead will continue to be challenging and unprecedented times as schools enter a new school year and the anniversary of the 10/7 attacks approaches. Just four months ago, we witnessed with deep concern protests on college campuses across the country in reaction to events in Israel—some of which used dehumanizing rhetoric justifying violence against Jews and escalated the spread of antisemitism on campuses and beyond. During this time, Jewish students were not only resilient—they also modeled vibrant, proud, and joyful Judaism in the face of these tensions.  

The hard news: As the war in Israel continues, we should expect protests and encampments to return with students this fall. Much more remains to be done to educate students, faculty, and administrators on antisemitism, what Zionism means, and create spaces for constructive conversation with room for nuance.  

The better news: CJP’s CCA is prepared to meet the need for security and incident support, engagement between Jewish community and campus administrators, stronger policies by administrators, and support for Jewish students and faculty. We are working with greater strategic clarity and deeper collaboration than ever to embrace and protect our students.

Find resources and toolkits for addressing antisemitism in K-12 schools and college campuses.