After Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, college campuses emerged as a front line in the information war. Statements from student organizations celebrating terrorism, chants at rallies on university grounds calling for more violence, and even assaults on Jewish students have abounded. Many Jewish students are fighting back against this troubling situation. One is Princeton University’s Alexandra Orbuch. A junior studying history, she is editor in chief of the Princeton Tory, the university’s conservative journal. She describes her Orthodox Jewish faith and her conservative political beliefs as lodestars in this tumultuous time in higher education.
Q: What is your conservative origin story, so to speak? A: I’m a second-generation American, and my family story really informs my appreciation for this country. I grew up hearing from my grandparents — all of whom survived the Holocaust — about the horrors they had to undergo, the rights that they were stripped of. Religious freedom was only a dream for them and they came here looking for a better life. So I think I’ve always had a deep appreciation for what this country has to offer and was struck by seeing that attacked on all fronts, even as a young child.
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