Tuesday, November 21, 2023
With more than 800 antisemitic acts since Oct. 7, Jewish student groups plead for Biden's help
Talia Dror grew up hearing about the blatant antisemitism her mother's family faced in Iran before immigrating to the United States. Her grandfather was stabbed for being a Jew, she said. Her mother was regularly called a dirty Jew.
Yet, Dror never expected antisemitism would follow the family to the country they fled to for refuge.
But the Cornell University junior said she was petrified last month when the school's Jewish students were threatened online. The posts called for the deaths of Jewish people and warned that the school's kosher dining hall would be shot up and a "Jewish house" bombed.
A 21-year-old student was arrested on federal charges a few days later. But not before Dror sat in her locked house, pondering her mortality.
"I knew that with my roommates and I being openly Jewish community leaders, our apartment would be one of the first targets for someone looked to actualize the threats, she testified at a recent congressional hearing.
As Jewish Americans increasingly worry about their personal safety amid an alarming rise in antisemitic incidents – particularly on college campuses – since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, they're pleading for help from the Biden administration.
Their calls for help have not been ignored. Officials have emphasized the progress made on a national strategy to counter antisemitism that was rolled out in May but has taken on new urgency. And they've put a particular focus on what's happening in schools as officials have visited campuses, met with Jewish community leaders and made clear the Education Department will investigate antisemitism complaints.
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