Two recent studies have highlighted the challenges Jews in the U.S. continue to face on campus and in the workplace as antisemitism once again looms large over American life.
One report, released this month by the AMCHA Initiative, a pro-Israel campus organization, found that “incidents involving the suppression, denigration or challenges to the definition of Jewish identity were found on nearly 60% of the campuses most popular with Jewish students, with several schools playing host to 10 or more such incidents in the 2021-2022 academic year.” And a survey conducted by Resume Builder found that “1 in 4 hiring managers say they are less likely to move forward with Jewish applicants.”
The results of these studies are both shocking and shameful, yet sadly unsurprising. Antisemitism is a phenomenon almost as old as Judaism itself. It wanes at times, but it never entirely goes away. The difference is that America, a country that has welcomed Jews with open arms since its inception, must strive to transcend the past and do better. I’m still confident it can.