Jewish students need support. Synagogues can provide it

Since the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, antisemitism in America has not only increased but also become more flagrant and explicit. American synagogues must become more central right now in the lives of Jewish Americans.

The Hebrew word for synagogue, “Beit Knesset,” literally translates to “house of assembly.” While many American Jews may think that a synagogue should actually be called a “Beit tefillah,” or a “House of Prayer,” since synagogues are most often seen as spaces to pray and celebrate life-cycle events, the reality is that our nation’s approximately 3,700 synagogues are historically gathering spaces and should once again broadly anchor Jewish communities.

These “houses of assembly” must be transformed into active places of congregation for the Jewish community and become safe and community fortifying spaces that anchor Jewish life well beyond occasional religious holidays, celebrations and prayer. Jewish communities around the nation have had to suffer threats of violence for almost a year now with Jewish students on college and university campuses bearing the brunt of these antisemitic assaults. This is where synagogues — houses of assembly — must be of critical import.

Jewish undergraduates on American college campuses are under extreme stress. Reports regularly note that Jewish students have seen a rise of antisemitism on campus, and they have been exposed to antisemitic slurs in classrooms, been harassed and threatened in their dorms, dining halls and quads, and are subject to endless messaging that they do not matter and have fewer rights than other groups on campus. With this change in campus culture, Jewish students might feel compelled to mask their Jewish identity or hide their views on Israel. Some students feel that others on campus judge them negatively for participating in Jewish activities and that they pay a social cost for supporting the existence of Israel as a Jewish state. Outside of these social pressures, Jewish students have clear cause to feel unsafe on their campuses post-Oct. 7.

Even with the support of numerous Jewish organizations, Jewish college students continue to feel isolated and alone. Jewish students are reporting high levels of stress, anxiety and fear . Students regularly share with me, as a professor and mentor, that they are not provided the support and assistance that they need. In these trying times, many would deeply appreciate emotional support, community resources, legal assistance, and the knowledge that there are members of their community fighting against marginalization and hatred.

A recent Jim Joseph Foundation campus report confirmed what I saw with my own Jewish students — they were not particularly engaged with the work of formal organizations like Hillel or the American Jewish Committee: “Jewish organizational programs focused on the Israel/Hamas War were not especially popular draws for students. Most Jewish students, even those from robust Jewish backgrounds, did not attend any programs directly related to the Israel-Hamas war during the 2023-2024 school year.”

So what are Jewish students drawn to? My students tell me that Shabbat and holiday programs, social events, and anything that helps them connect with and support one another make a crucial impact.

This is exactly where synagogues can and must step up; they can play a huge supporting role to Jewish students. At UCLA, for instance, there are more than a dozen synagogues within two miles of campus. Having synagogues near universities is not unusual­ — many congregations are geographically proximate to these embattled campuses. These “houses of assembly” must now be places that are far more than places for prayer, preaching or text study; they must literally provide sanctuary for our students who need community, camaraderie and congregation. Religious and lay leadership should be reaching out to Jewish students and letting them know that they are there for them. Synagogue doors must be thrown open, and students must be welcomed and embraced.

Jewish students need a place and a moment to let their guard down. They need an escape from the current campus environment, spaces where they do not have to feel like they are under constant attack and threat. They need to know that they can be proudly Jewish and that they can be supportive or critical of Israel in a variety of political terms. Jewish students need periods of rest, respite and a place to be themselves authentically.

Synagogues can provide food, comfort, community and guidance. Congregation members can help students by listening, offering empathy and providing students with the knowledge that they are not alone. From organizing home hospitality in small groups to Shabbat meals or Sunday bagel brunches in the synagogues themselves, students can find relief and comfort that is now almost impossible on some campuses.

Students need this support today; many of them feel that they are being overlooked by prominent national organizations that battle on cable TV or in the halls of Congress. Jewish students need to feel appreciated, supported and accepted by their community.

As the Jewish community prepares to celebrate the High Holy Days, may we enter the new year ready to enthusiastically support our students. We already have the assembly spaces and communities to do this; we just need to use our synagogues more instrumentally, intentionally and dynamically.

Samuel J. Abrams is a professor of politics at Sarah Lawrence College and a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.