r/Jewish • u/Cnrbx • Jun 05 '25
Antisemitism A massive wave of pro Palestine propaganda and just blatant antisemitism just broke out at my university
Let me give you some context first. I live in a country with a very small Jewish community, however we do have quite a notable presence in my university. A few days ago someone made a free Palestine graffiti on a wall, we reported it discreetly to the proper authorities and they released a memo saying to please refrain from expressions that might make others uncomfortable and the usual stuff.
What followed today was a MASSIVE backlash from the students against the university, there’s a big WhatsApp group with all the students that attend my university, and they all started writing about the memo and their messages became increasingly more and more antisemitic.
They started with the usual stuff, saying that criticizing Israel is not antisemitic and that the university is censoring them, and they ended up writing that it’s because the owners of the university are Zionists and everyone who works there just gets payed by them to follow instructions.
There was one guy who shared a photoshopped image of a scene from “Schindlers list”, but he photoshopped the swastikas and changed them for the IDF logo.
It all ended with everyone agreeing to fill the entire campus with stickers and graffiti and whatever they can to protest the memo.
I no longer feel safe at my university and this situation is causing me a major breakdown.
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u/JabbaThaHott Jun 05 '25
This sounds terrible but unfortunately not surprising or uncommon—what country/university is this?
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u/9MoNtHsOfWiNteR Jun 05 '25
First, collect as much information as possible and report it as necessary. The university has an obligation to ensure all of its students feel safe. However I know the feeling in Finland more and more Nazi symbols have been appearing and we only have around 1500 jews.
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u/Tbh_idk__ Jun 05 '25
Really? Are you in Finland? I have friends there and was wondering what the vibe is.
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u/9MoNtHsOfWiNteR Jun 05 '25
Yes me and my wife live in Espoo close to Helsinki. And well it depends it is a rather quiet place fins don't socialize much.
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u/XhazakXhazak Refrum Jun 05 '25
The Holocaust inversion is literally the Nazi strategy since the Allies busted into the concentration camps. These people are literally fulfilling Hitler's dream, and playing right into the Hitlerites' plan. And that makes them Hitlerites, too.
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u/Tricky-Anything8009 Just Jewish Jun 06 '25
Holocaust Inversion actually began before the Holocaust even ended. While we were being slaughtered in camps, Lord Gort was warning that Israel would be the "new Nazis" in Mandatory Palestine. I $h!t you not.
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u/Cnrbx Jun 05 '25
I know, we reported the guy who did that specifically to see if we can get him expelled
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u/kavlifnei Jul 03 '25
I think the Holocaust inversion is a very interesting phenomenon which begs for a serious psychological study. What we have is children of people many of whom were actually complicit in the Holocaust and many either European or Arab who are children from societies which severely oppressed minorities and usually the Jews and now these same people are calling the Jews - actual victims of an actual genocide- genociders. It makes me wonder if there is an attempt here to erase their own people's guilt by finding the same blame in their victim and perhaps even going so far as to justify the evil their people committed against a completely innocent and peaceful people by attempting to portray their victim as the ultimate evil worse than Nazis I often hear. Perhaps there is also a religious element as well seeing as their societies they stem from are religious societies rooted in the Jewish religious narrative. In both their respective religions they acknowledge the Jew was chosen to receive God's revelation and all the early prophets were Hebrew. But for the purpose of validating their current religious narrative they must somehow discredit the Jewish people for their continued existence is in opposition to the respective Christian and Muslim narratives which respectively weeks to unsurp the Jews from their "chosen" role. The result is the ultimate blood libel - from a holy and innocent people to the greatest evil the world knows. That'll do it.
For the Palestinians though the phenomenon is simpler than that - they only attempt to appropriate our history so they can lay claim to what we have.
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u/ReneDescartwheel Jun 05 '25
I'm so sorry this is happening to you.
University should be a special time in your life when you meet good friends and have fun experiences and make special memories. You're only young once. You shouldn't have to feel unwelcome, or fear for your safety. The only anxiety you should feel is about exams, not about hiding your identity.
Please keep evidence of what is happening around you. Take screenshots of any antisemitic messages in the chat group, take photos of the vandalism etc. Keep a constant record. If things get bad enough, you might need it as proof to request a transfer or a refund or to report it to a Jewish organization that will keep the school accountable.
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u/Cnrbx Jun 05 '25
I have taken all the evidence and we are presenting it to the school. Thanks for your reply
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u/lucygirlz Jun 05 '25
Stay safe and keep in contact with a trusted friend regularly. We can only pray that people realize it’s wrong and until then protect ourselves.
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u/yumyum_cat Jun 05 '25
Literally graffiti is not free speech but vandalism. 🙄
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u/Cnrbx Jun 05 '25
I know, they think that making us feel like outcasts is somehow going to free Palestine
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u/Sensitive-Inside-250 Jun 05 '25
Be careful but if you wanted to fight back a little
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u/Cnrbx Jun 05 '25
I’d love to but we’d get in trouble
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u/Sensitive-Inside-250 Jun 05 '25
Trouble from whom?
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u/Cnrbx Jun 05 '25
It’ll seem as hypocritical to do the same that they do I know it’s not the same because they’re advocating a hateful cause and we are simply advocating for our right to exist but the university won’t see it that way
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u/Sensitive-Inside-250 Jun 06 '25
That’s totally fair. Like I said be careful.
But also, be sneaky.
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u/Predictor92 Jun 05 '25
In my opinion with these people the most you can do is moderate around 70% of them ( 30% are true believers)and convince them that advocating for a one state solution and their movement is counter productive
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u/BudandCoyote Jun 05 '25 edited Jun 05 '25
Depending on which country you're in, this may be illegal hate speech. I'd look into reporting it to the authorities.
Beyond that, if you need to take a week off, do so. The odds you'll miss something key to your entire degree are vanishingly small, and depending on how your university works, you'll either be able to tell them it's needed for mental health, give them an excuse about a family emergency, or just leave - my uni really didn't care if we skipped classes, because ultimately we were adults and the decision was on us. It wouldn't even have an effect on our final grade, since that was all down to exams/coursework, so unless you missed something vital to that (unlikely) you were set.
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u/Cnrbx Jun 05 '25 edited Jun 11 '25
The semester is about to end so I won’t be dealing with this much longer. It is ilegal technically in my country but our authorities don’t really do anything. Thanks for your advice
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u/BudandCoyote Jun 05 '25
I'm glad you'll be out of there soon.
Even if they don't do anything, I still think it's worth reporting, just so there's a record of it if thing escalate any further.
Be sure to do some self-care - take a hot bath, a long walk, meditate, eat comfort food, whatever self-care looks like for you.
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u/Cnrbx Jun 05 '25
We are working on gathering everything and reporting it. And I’ll definitely be taking care of myself soon, this has been a nightmare
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u/Kingsdaughter613 Torah im Derekh Eretz Jun 05 '25 edited Jun 05 '25
Here’s an answer for the AH who posted the Schindler’s List pic:
This is a Jewish family from Prague who was NOT on Schindler’s List. The picture was taken in 1931. By 1945 everyone in it was dead.
Except two. The mother and baby in the lower left. Because in 1932 they fled to the Mandate of Palestine.
Am Yisrael Chai.
(Oh, and if they say anything about white people, tell them to check their glasses and look again - even in this copy of the original picture you can see my great-grandmother’s brothers were dark skinned. My great-grandfather was even darker, but he’s not in this picture.)
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u/CatlinDB Jun 05 '25
If you feel uncomfortable, and you have the ability to transfer to a different university, consider it.
You clearly aren't happy where you are. Life is too short to stay in a situation you can't stand
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u/Cnrbx Jun 05 '25
I know, I’ve been considering dropping out for some time, I think this was the final nail in the coffin
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u/No-Throat9567 Conservative Jun 05 '25
It could be that this is being initiated by outside groups and it's not primarily students at your school. These antisemitic groups want to infiltrate universities and colleges because if you can get people to believe something when they're young then it's harder to change their minds later, and universities is where our future leaders come from.
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u/Cnrbx Jun 05 '25
I don’t doubt it in the slightest, given how stupid the people who attend my university can be
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u/512_Magoo Reform Jun 05 '25
Read up on Menachem Begin and the Irgun, if you haven’t already. Jews fight back!
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u/Brit-a-Canada Jun 05 '25
Save as much evidence as you can and then contact a bunch of newspapers, jewish watch orgs, etc. Make it public, and the people perpetrating it identified.
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u/Objective_Group_2157 Israelian Jun 05 '25
Sue the school for not protecting you. Hitting these schools with lawsuits is the only way this stuff stops.
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u/JewishAnkylosaurus Jun 05 '25
Imm so sorry you have to go through this. I know it may seam extreme but this is the point of making Aliyah. Israel will always be a safe haven for our people. Maybe consider it if you truly don’t feel safe.
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u/Zestyclose_Pirate_99 Jun 05 '25
Contact groups like Safe campus and or canary mission they often provide free legal aid for students experiencing antisemitism.
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u/GoochLord2217 Jun 05 '25
I dont understand why people have to harrass innocent people that did nothing. If they really want to do something about it, direct it towards the israel government and hamas, not the unsuspecting jewish person just trying to go about their day.
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Jun 05 '25
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u/Jewish-ModTeam Jun 06 '25
Your post/comment was removed because it violated rule 1: No antisemitism
If you have any questions, please contact the moderators via modmail.
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u/Realistic-Tennis8619 Jun 05 '25
reportcampushate.org
You can report instances of antisemitism and get connected to lawyers or other appropriate resources.
Sending love + strength your way ❤️
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u/Professional-Bee-190 Jun 06 '25
> A few days ago someone made a free Palestine graffiti on a wall, we reported it discreetly to the proper authorities
> and that the university is censoring them, and
They're wrong, the university acted upon your direction, direction that you chose to take rather than letting some graffiti be removed quietly and not giving the graffiti artists exactly what they were looking for - attention and victimization.
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u/Cnrbx Jun 11 '25
I now realize that the memo was a mistake, but the blatant antisemitism that followed is not to be allowed, at least I won’t stay quiet
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Jun 06 '25
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u/Jewish-ModTeam Jun 06 '25
Your post/comment was removed because it violated rule 3: Be civil
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u/rsb1041986 Jun 06 '25
I'm so sorry. The encampments in America really EXPLODED in April 2024 because Minouche Shafik (sp?), the president of Columbia, was forced to testify before Congress about antisemitism... so it's fitting that the antisemitism exploded on your campus only after someone in charge said to knock it off.
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u/valleyofthelolz Jun 06 '25
That really sucks. Being a Jewish student right now is horrible. Give yourself some grace for whatever you need to get through this.
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u/Cool-Arugula-5681 Jun 06 '25
How frightening. I’m so sorry. Can you say where you are? Do you have a Hillel Foundation on campus? Is there a safe place for Jewish students and allies (if any)? Is there a local synagogue that can provide literal sanctuary and support?
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Jun 08 '25
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u/Jewish-ModTeam Jun 08 '25
Your post/comment was removed because it violated rule 4: Remember the human (i.e., be welcoming to others).
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u/WillingnessOk2808 Jun 05 '25
Who cares it's not like anyone has the resources or guts to fight back. Just wait till all this is over. No one will ever be able to fight back.
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u/swarleyknope Jun 05 '25
Can you elaborate on what you mean by this? It sounds really dismissive & unsupportive, but maybe I am misunderstanding its intent.
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u/WillingnessOk2808 Jun 05 '25
No one has the resources to be truly pro palestine. They can only say things or do a bit of graffiti. Protesting doesn't accomplish anything either. In a few years, everyone will forget about everything, and palestine won't exist anymore. Give it time. People thinking, saying, protesting, etc. Is useless. What is really the result of all this? Every company and institution on earth at the end of the day is against palestine. Be patient. This too shall pass.
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u/LessSuit5028 Jun 05 '25
Why did that graffiti make you uncomfortable? I’m trying to understand.
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u/Sad_Eagle8690 Jun 05 '25
Seriously? You cannot comprehend why a Jew would feel uncomfortable with people spreading antisemitism like Holocaust inversions and thinly veiled dehumanisation of Jews?
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Jun 09 '25
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u/Jewish-ModTeam Jun 09 '25
Your post/comment was removed because it violated rule 1: No antisemitism
If you have any questions, please contact the moderators via modmail.
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u/el_sh33p Humanistic Jun 05 '25
If you're in the WhatsApp group, save a log before you leave it. That might end up being evidence. Contact a lawyer for pretty much everything else.