To anybody who has been paying close attention, it’s clear that the crisis of rising antisemitism began long before the Israel-Hamas war, but in late 2023, when the Jewish community was shaken by the tragedies of Oct. 7, headlines swarmed with shocking accounts: Antisemitic harassment. Hostage posters torn down. Stars of David hidden and kippahs removed, people afraid of the repercussions of being visibly Jewish. 

The animus that started in the Middle East had rippled effects here at home — especially on campus. The organization I lead, Jewish on Campus, went from receiving a record nine anti-Israel or antisemitic incident submissions in one day to averaging 25 every day.

Jewish on Campus

From a recent event held by Jewish on Campus' George Washington University Chapter.

Many leaders across our Jewish communities soon took note. The historic growth in Jewish engagement extended well beyond campus — the Jewish Federations of North America raised over $800 million in a matter of months — but funding for Jewish campus life, especially security, soared. More students took part in Hillel programming than ever before. In 2024 alone, our Instagram page — the primary vehicle for a Gen Z–focused nonprofit like ours to reach Jewish students — had 14.9 million organic views and over 1 million likes. Before the Oct. 7 attacks, our young organization had yet to start any campus chapters. Now, we have 14, with more on the way. 

Over two years later, the TV vans have largely pulled away from college campuses. There’s a ceasefire in Gaza. The living hostages have been returned home.

Now that campuses look calmer, this moment calls for a different kind of commitment. The best thing donors and communal leaders can do for Jewish students right now is to treat campus engagement as a core and continuous part of Jewish life, not an emergency response. The outpouring of energy and generosity after Oct. 7 showed how deeply our community cares about Jewish students. That level of support should be the rule, not the exception.

Continuous support begins with simple, tangible choices. If you are a funder, community leader or parent, encourage the Jewish students in your life to engage in ways that feel meaningful to them. For every donation that brings you to a gala dinner, consider helping student leaders at your alma mater host a dinner of their own. Support organizations that give Jewish students a platform in Washington and with university administrators. Help fund projects that Jewish students themselves design rather than telling them what issues they should prioritize.

Just as importantly, listen to them. Don’t tell Jewish students what they should believe or care about; listen to what they do believe and care about.

I am filled with pride every time the Jewish on Campus Student Union brings together student leaders from more than 50 campuses. I see the same energy when I visit a school holding its first meeting as a new chapter. Reports of the decline of joyful Jewish campus life are greatly exaggerated. Students across the country are confronting antisemitism, yet they continue to gather for Shabbat, build community, and celebrate their identity.

In many conversations with Jewish organizational leaders and funders, I hear questions about the state of campus life and about whether students’ views on the Middle East differ from those of previous generations. These debates only underscore the need to invest in creative, student-led projects that speak to the next generation of Jewish changemakers.

A recent event at George Washington University showed what that looks like. Our chapter on campus hosted a debate among Jewish students with differing perspectives on the issues of the day. The discussion was civil and thoughtful, something rarely seen in public discourse; students left without agreement but with mutual respect grounded in shared identity. That’s what healthy Jewish campus life looks like, and that’s what funders invested in the Jewish future should be encouraging.

And while connection to Israel will always be an essential part of Jewish identity, it should be a component of Jewish campus life, not the entirety of it. For every minute spent urging your child or grandchild to visit Israel, also spend one empowering them to take a class in Jewish Studies or host a Shabbat dinner with friends.

Jewish students cannot afford support that rises and falls with the news cycle. They need a community that treats their well-being and leadership as a daily priority. If we commit to that work now, long before the next headline, we will strengthen the foundation of Jewish life for the next generation.

Julia Jassey is co-founder and CEO of Jewish on Campus, a national Gen Z-led organization founded by Jewish college students to empower Jewish student leaders to combat antisemitism on college campuses across the country.