Jewish students have been harassed and intimidated. They have watched spaces they once considered welcoming become hostile to them. They have learned to think twice before wearing a Star of David, speaking openly about Israel or identifying themselves as Zionists. In classrooms, student governments and campus organizations, too many have discovered that the language of inclusion does not always extend to Jews.

For too long, these experiences have been dismissed as anecdotal, exaggerated or simply the inevitable discomfort of political disagreement.

A recent national study commissioned by Canada’s Office of the Special Envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combatting Antisemitism provides some of the clearest evidence yet of what Jewish students are experiencing.

The numbers are staggering.

Ninety-six per cent of Jewish students surveyed reported experiencing or witnessing at least one instance of antisemitism during the previous 12 months. Seventy-two per cent said they limit what they say in class about being Jewish. Fifty-seven per cent said they avoid wearing or displaying Jewish symbols because of concerns about their safety. And 45 per cent said they encounter Holocaust denial or distortion often or sometimes.

This is not a handful of offensive posters or ugly social-media posts. It is an environment in which young Canadians are changing their behaviour because they are Jewish. And it should force some difficult questions for university leaders.

What does academic freedom mean when a student is afraid to disclose part of their identity in a classroom? What does inclusion mean when a student hides a Jewish symbol because they fear the consequences of displaying it? And what does belonging mean when Jewish students conclude that the safest way to........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)