eJewish Philanthropy: Expanded data from AJC ‘State of Antisemitism’ Shows Jewish Students More Targeted — Thriving Anyway
Originally published on February 17, 2026 in eJewish Philanthropy, “Expanded data from AJC ‘State of Antisemitism’ Shows Jewish Students More Targeted — Thriving Anyway” discusses the recent data from American Jewish Committee (AJC) and Hillel International’s study of Jewish college students’ recent experiences on campus. Here are excerpts from the piece.
“Though antisemitism on college campuses is no longer the featured story on the nightly news, a larger percentage of Jewish college students report having experienced antisemitism than ever before, according to additional data on college antisemitism that was collected as part of the American Jewish Committee’s annual ‘State of Antisemitism in America 2025 Report‘ and shared exclusively with eJewishPhilanthropy on Tuesday.
According to Adam Lehman, president and CEO of Hillel International, which co-conducted the student section of the report, antisemitism is shifting away from the campus courtyards and quads and becoming weaponized in a more targeted and private way. Yet, he added, students are resilient and still thriving.
The study showed that 42% of respondents reported experiencing antisemitism during their time as a college or university student, compared to 35% in last year’s report. Of those students who experienced it, 55% said they had felt uncomfortable or unsafe at a campus event because of their Jewish identity, and 60% said that they avoided wearing, carrying or displaying things that would identify them as Jewish because of antisemitism. Nearly 7 in 10 (68%) of students who had experienced antisemitism also said that they avoided expressing their views on Israel on campus or with classmates because of fears or antisemitism.
‘We continue to see the vast majority of young Jews being interested in having a relationship to Israel and recognizing Israel as a relevant part of Jewish identity, Jewish history, Jewish culture and Jewish peoplehood, even amidst a really intense demonization of Israel on campuses over the past few years,’ [Lehman] said, pointing to the report’s statistic that nearly 7 in 10 students said caring for Israel is an important part of their identity.
This resilience is something to be celebrated, Lehman said, even as Hillel fields reports of professors lowering grades due to students’ views on Israel, swastikas scrawled on dorm room doors and students excluded from a cappella groups due to their beliefs.
‘We always have to view these statistics in the broader context of Jewish life on campus,’ Lehman said. ‘Even at schools where we have continued to see recurring or one off instances of harassment or discrimination, we also are often seeing very high levels of engagement in Jewish life through Hillel or other institutions and Jewish students who are leading on their campuses [and] Jewish communities more broadly, who are engaging in community service, who are pursuing bridge building and dialogue across difference. They are not victims. They are working to make their campuses the kind of places that they believe they deserve and that other students who will follow deserve.'”