What it Feels Like to be a Jewish Student on Campus in 2023

By Hallie Finkelstein

Published in Slope Media printed magazine Fall 2023

I have had so many emotions flowing through me in the past few weeks; it is hard to find the words to start. Friends, family, college students on other campuses have asked me, “Are you okay? Do you feel safe?” I tell them yes, I am okay, safe and sound, because I am grateful to be alive. But the truth is, I am not okay, and I have not been since October 7, 2023. 

Hamas’ barbaric terrorist attacks on Israel are heart-breaking. Innocent men, women, and children have been murdered, raped, and beheaded. In the weeks since, innocent Palestinian civilians have lost their lives as well. Any innocent civilian death is nothing less than tragic. If the loss of innocent lives is not enough to process, acts of antisemitism have increased by 400% since last year, according to the Anti-Defamation League. I scroll through Instagram as my Cornell peers post the phrase “From the River to the Sea” that calls for the genocide of the Jewish people… my people. Violent threats have been made online calling for the slaughtering of Cornell’s Jewish students. I am not okay. I am scared.

I pose the question of why. Why is there so much hate between human beings? Sure, political issues can cause turmoil. They can be complicated and multifaceted. But why, I ask, did we decide that showing a sense of humanity towards one another is no longer important?

Cornell’s motto is “any person, any study,” but we have reached a point where “any person” far surpasses the significance of “any study.” Our campus is supposed to be a place where any person can get a well-rounded education and experience college life. Right now, I am not feeling the sense of “any person.” I don’t feel a sense of belonging on my own college campus. I am disappointed in the lack of humanity shown between my peers, in the way that I, as a Jewish student, walk around every day wondering if I will step on spray painted words calling for my death.

So what can we do, as Cornell’s student body, to combat this hate and lack of humanity to restore our campus to a place where “any person” feels safe and welcomed? The only place to begin is to revisit what we were all taught since kindergarten, and that is to be kind. 

It may seem too simple of a solution for such a complicated and nuanced problem, but at a time when there is so much hate in the world, we must work together to make Cornell’s campus a model for how humans should treat each other.

Any small act of kindness is a stepping stone in the right direction. Anything you say to another person that makes them feel accepted for who they are speaks volumes. Check in on all of your friends, because many hearts are hurting right now. Be there for one another. This is the only place to start. The only way we will ever see real change in the spirits on this campus. Ask the person you do not know sitting next to you in lecture how their day is, wish your friend good luck on their prelim, join the person sitting by themselves in the dining hall. 

Going to class, studying, and living as a Jewish student at Cornell has been one of the toughest times that I never imagined experiencing. To other Jewish students, I feel your pain, I stand with you. To every single person mourning the loss of innocent Israeli and Palestinian lives, I mourn with you. And to anyone on this campus who has experienced acts of hate or felt unsafe at any time, I promise you that I will try everyday to bring everyone together against hate and restore peace to our community. 

Cornellians, let’s all work together to make our campus a place for “any person” again. Let’s work together so that no student has to walk around campus scared from violent threats. Let’s come together and recognize that no matter what anyone’s background or beliefs are, we are all human beings and we all deserve to be here. I am confident we can do it.