The Life of a Jewish Student on Campus: Persisting despite the fear

By Nicole Osborne

The statement “as a Jew” is a frequent phrase on the campus of the University of New Mexico. In April, it littered the Student Union Building in the form of graffiti, “As a Jew, I support Palestine,” was found scrawled across the wall. Immediately next to it, other phrases including “globalize the intifada,” and “from the river to the sea”, were inscribed supporting the removal of all Israelis and Jewish people from Israel.

This phrase identified the right way to be a Jew in the mind of university students. A good Jew is an anti-Zionist Jew, one who conforms and bows to the opinions of others. All Jewish students who refused to condemn the country of Israel faced being labeled as a ‘bad Jew’. Following October 2023, this insidious idea of a good Jew permeated UNM’s community, in the classroom, in student organizations, and above all in daily social interaction.

Jewish Lobos lost friends, positions within school organizations, and respect from their peers for associating with Judaism or being from Israel. As a result, the Jewish community on campus turned to one another for support. Suddenly, we all had to cling to our commonality, as no other student could comprehend or sympathize with the daily life we were now forced to live.

The first time a pro-Palestine protest occurred on our campus, men in large jackets carried umbrellas as they walked towards the UNM bookstore. There was no rain, and the umbrellas were held with their sharp ends pointed outwards. This became the norm. The protests are not student led, and often bring numerous unaffiliated adults to the campus. Jewish students’ campus life quickly revolved around warning each other of upcoming walk-outs, areas to avoid, and which days were just better for staying inside our dorm rooms. We shared stories of professors who spout propaganda and conspiracies like “Jewish supremacy” or allowing our peers to give speeches about “Is-not-real” during class. (As the word Israel is not even pronounced.)

Our classmates quickly decided it was necessary to announce how much they detested Zionism, Israel, and the religion of Judaism itself. We heaved a collective sigh each time the administration released a statement listing various intolerances without acknowledging that antisemitism is the current problem.

For the past year now, every grievance with the country of Israel is taken out on the Jewish students of the University of New Mexico. I cannot prevent the dread and fear which is inspired

within me. I walk around campus with my partner who wears a kippah, and pray no one decides to spit at our feet; but they do. We pass by students wearing keffiyehs and they look into my eyes with a glare that warns ‘you are less than human.’

I seek comfort in those who are like me, those who acknowledge the hatred, but our small, warm community does not change the number of people who walk into my partner’s work and jump when they see him. They envisage horns on his head. They hate my community, one that demonstrates nothing but love and light. They tell other students of these ‘horns,’ and I sink into a feeling that I cannot prevent my peers from hating me because of my religion. We do not need to wear or say anything special, a label is still quickly attached.

Being a Jewish student on campus means you must persist despite the fear. Jewish students wear kippot, Magen David stars, blue squares decrying antisemitism, and stickers reading ‘F*ck Hamas’ despite the potential consequences. Tirelessly, we discuss how we can demonstrate to our community that we are here, and we are human beings.

It would be easy to tell someone to put on a baseball cap and tuck in their tzitzit, but no student should be deprived of their ability to express religion by their peers. Jewish Lobos deserve to walk to class uninterrupted, we deserve to be treated as human by our professors and peers, and we should never refuse to be who we are, Jews.

Nicole Osborne is a sophomore at the University of New Mexico majoring in political science and communications.

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