A campus divided against itself (The Daily Illini)

The Daily Illini

Part One: Jewish Voices

Jewish Studies professor Rachel Harris was setting up for class when a student entered her classroom visibly upset. After talking with the student, she learned he had been harassed on the quad by an anti-Semitic ranter.

Harris urged the student to report the incident but said the student believed the University wouldn’t do anything.

“I saw the student’s despair that nobody cared what he had been through, and that’s not a climate that we want to be promoting on campus,” Harris said.

As hate crimes and anti-Semitic incidents rise across U.S. college campuses, the University does not find itself immune, according to a complaint filed within the Office of Civil Rights and the federal Department of Education. The University claims it “must do more” as Jewish students on campus allege widespread actions of anti-Semitism.

After collecting incident reports over the span of five years, a group of Jewish students came forward to file a complaint against the University.

The complaint alleges Jewish students have increasingly faced anti-Semitism during their time at the University including sightings of Swastikas, vandalism of Jewish centers and feelings of exclusion from institutions across campus.

The Office of the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion stated in an email they cannot comment on an ongoing lawsuit for this story.

Following the complaint, the University released a joint statement in November 2020 with the Jewish United Fund, Illini Hillel, Hillel International, Illini Chabad, Arnold & Porter and the Brandeis Center.

The statement emphasizes that although members in the community may not always share the same feelings, it is the University’s goal to foster a safe environment for Jewish and pro-Israel students.

“Students who choose the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for their college education make that decision with an expectation that they will find the freedom and security to grow, to explore and to express their whole and best selves,” the statement said.

“But, sadly, that is not the experience of all members of the student community. Anti-Semitic acts and expressions are all too common in our country and in our world, and examples of that intolerance have occurred at this university as well. This is unacceptable. While the university has taken measures in the past to address this problem, the university must do more.”

Although many students, faculty and staff praised this statement, others said that it was just the first step in the University’s process of regaining the trust of the Jewish community on campus.

Despite reaching out to dozens of University students, many didn’t feel comfortable describing their experiences. Lawyers defending the complaint against the University didn’t want students speaking out to the press. This complicated the reporting process.

Even after reporting incidents to administrators within University departments, some students said anti-Semitic actions were simply labeled as vandalism. During interviews, students said their experiences are common, persistent and something their families prepared them for before they left for college.

“Students don’t just go to federal authorities every other day to ask for support,” said Erez Cohen, the Director of Hillel at the University.

The following experiences are detailed recounts of individual students who have experienced challenges as a part of the University’s Jewish community.