Roughly 300 Jewish students at Columbia University signed an open letter addressed to their peers, appealing for “empathy” over recent campus tension and protests over the war in Gaza.
Columbia was the sight of perhaps the most nationally visible campus protests against Israel, highlighted by protesters’ seizure of a college building, which, in turn, prompted the New York City Police Department to storm the building and encampment. Amid the heightened tension, hundreds of Jewish students appealed to the empathy of their classmates, disavowed Jewish students siding with the protesters, and claimed that Zionism was central to Judaism.
The letter started by denouncing “our Jewish peers who tokenize themselves by claiming to represent ‘real Jewish values,’ and attempt to delegitimize our lived experiences of antisemitism. We are here, writing to you as Jewish students at Columbia University, who are connected to our community and deeply engaged with our culture and history.”
While saying that they are not political activists, the students wrote that Judaism and Zionism are interchangeable and that the former is simply a manifestation of the latter.
“We proudly believe in the Jewish People’s right to self-determination in our historic homeland as a fundamental tenet of our Jewish identity,” the letter reads. “Contrary to what many have tried to sell you – no, Judaism cannot be separated from Israel. Zionism is, simply put, the manifestation of that belief.”
The letter also recounted the history of Jewish expulsions and maintained that Jewish people are only safe within Israel.
“Many of us are not religiously observant, yet Zionism remains a pillar of our Jewish identities,” the letter reads. “We have been kicked out of Russia, Libya, Ethiopia, Yemen, Afghanistan, Poland, Egypt, Algeria, Germany, Iran, and the list goes on. We connect to Israel not only as our ancestral homeland but as the only place in the modern world where Jews can safely take ownership of their own destiny. Our experiences at Columbia in the last six months are a poignant reminder of just that.”
After stressing their pride in their Jewish and Zionist identities, the letter concluded with an appeal to empathy from all students.
“We came to Columbia because we wanted to expand our minds and engage in complex conversations,” the letter reads. “While campus may be riddled with hateful rhetoric and simplistic binaries now, it is never too late to start repairing the fractures and begin developing meaningful relationships across political and religious divides. Our tradition tells us, ‘Love peace and pursue peace.‘ We hope you will join us in earnestly pursuing peace, truth, and empathy. Together we can repair our campus.”
On the night of April 30, NYPD riot squads sealed off Columbia’s campus, surrounding its encampment and the occupied Hamilton Hall. An armored vehicle lowered a drawbridge near a second-story window in Hamilton Hall, which was then opened by riot police and entered. The police were seen in full tactical gear, with riot shields and appearing to have guns drawn. About 100 people were reportedly arrested.
In a statement, Columbia defended its decision to ask the NYPD to intervene as having no other choice.
“We regret that protesters have chosen to escalate the situation through their actions,” administrators said. “After the University learned overnight that Hamilton Hall had been occupied, vandalized, and blockaded, we were left with no choice.”
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“We believe that the group that broke into and occupied the building is led by individuals who are not affiliated with the University,” they added.
The encampment was cleared, but protests on campus still persist. The schoolwide commencement ceremony was canceled over the chaos.