The resurgence of antisemitism on university campuses is deeply intertwined with the contemporary racialization of Jews. On campuses across the U.S., Jewish students are increasingly classified as either "white oppressors" or "racialized outsiders."
By Dr. Tim Orr
The resurgence of antisemitism on university campuses is deeply intertwined with the contemporary racialization of Jews. On campuses across the U.S., Jewish students are increasingly classified as either "white oppressors" or "racialized outsiders." This categorization often depends on the political context, and it reflects a long-standing history of Jewish racialization that has evolved in its forms and consequences. As Mara Lee, a scholar and former professor at California State University, highlights in her work, the racialization of Jews has dire real-world implications, particularly in the heightened antisemitism seen today on campuses.
The racialization of Jews has deep historical roots. In medieval Europe, Jews were classified as "Christ-killers"—marked as outsiders to the Christian world, not by their race but by their religion. This religious marginalization evolved into racial marginalization in the modern era. By the 19th century, Jewish identity was viewed through a racial lens, as pseudo-scientific racial theories attempted to classify Jews as biologically distinct and inferior. This racialization was central to the antisemitic ideologies of the time, culminating in the Holocaust.
In the United States, the racialization of Jews also took on a unique form. In the early 20th century, Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe were classified as "non-white" and subjected to exclusion through quotas at elite institutions. The logic of these quotas was rooted in the perception that Jews were "overrepresented" in fields like academia, law, and finance—a perception that continues to echo today in claims about Jewish privilege.
One illustrative example is the use of quotas at Ivy League schools in the early 1900s, where Jewish students were denied admission based on their perceived overrepresentation. The racialization of Jews justified these policies as a group that threatened the dominance of the white, Anglo-Saxon Protestant elite. This type of exclusion and marginalization, grounded in racial thinking, has persisted in new forms and continues to shape the experiences of Jewish students today.
In post-World War II America, Jews began to experience a shift in their racial categorization. As Ashkenazi Jews gained social and economic mobility, they were increasingly considered part of the white majority. However, this shift did not erase their marginalization. Instead, Jews were often categorized as "white but not quite"—seen as part of the dominant racial group, yet still marked by their historical outsider status.
Mara Lee explains that this ambivalence around Jewish identity is central to contemporary antisemitism. While Jews may be categorized as white, they are also seen as "other"—particularly in contexts where their racial identity is viewed through the lens of Israel and Zionism. This shifting dynamic plays out in ways that both erase the historical experiences of Jewish persecution and enable antisemitic violence.
A Jewish professor at a major university experienced this ambivalence firsthand when students publicly attacked him for allegedly being a "white supremacist" because he supported Israel. Despite his family's history of surviving the Holocaust, he was labeled an oppressor simply for being Jewish. “How can I be accused of upholding white supremacy when my ancestors were victims of the worst racial hatred imaginable?” he asked. His experience highlights the painful irony faced by many Jews today—where their racialization erases their identity as a historically marginalized group as white.
On university campuses, the rise of social justice movements has intensified the racialization of Jews in troubling ways. These movements often center on a binary understanding of race, categorizing groups as either privileged (white) or oppressed (people of color). Within this framework, Jews—particularly Ashkenazi Jews—are often racialized as white and, therefore, excluded from discourses of marginalization.
This exclusion is compounded by the conflation of Zionism with colonialism, a dynamic that serves to racialize Jews not only as white but as symbols of oppressive power. As Lee observes, this narrative erases the diversity of Jewish experiences, reducing all Jews to a monolithic category of "privileged oppressors." The logic is simple: if Israel is a colonial power, and Zionism is an extension of that power, then Jews—whether they support Israel or not—are part of the oppressor class.
At the University of California, Berkeley, this dynamic played out when a Jewish student government representative was removed from her position after being labeled a "Zionist." Despite her advocacy for a two-state solution and her commitment to peace, her identity as a Jew made her a target. “I joined student government to make a difference,” she explained, “but instead, I was told that my identity as a Jew made me part of the problem.”
This story is emblematic of a broader trend in which Jewish students are systematically excluded from social justice movements due to their perceived affiliation with Israel. The racialization of Jews as white and Zionism as colonialism creates a binary framework in which Jewish students are seen not as victims of antisemitism but as perpetrators of oppression. This dynamic erases the diversity of Jewish experiences—particularly those of Mizrahi, Sephardic, and Ethiopian Jews—and reduces all Jews to symbols of whiteness and colonial power.
A particularly pernicious form of contemporary antisemitism is the racialization of Jews as "super-white" or "hyper-white." As Mara Lee explains, Jews are not merely racialized as white but as the ultimate expression of whiteness and privilege. In this framework, Jews are viewed as not only complicit in systemic racism but as the most extreme and dangerous practitioners of it. This form of racialization is prevalent on both the far right and the far left, albeit for different reasons.
On the far-right, white nationalists racialize Jews as non-white, a threat to white purity and supremacy. They accuse Jews of orchestrating multiculturalism and mass immigration to dilute the white race. On the far left, Jews are racialized as hyper-white oppressors responsible for perpetuating systems of colonialism and racial inequality, particularly through their association with Israel.
One particularly stark example of this dynamic occurred after a pro-Palestinian rally at a prominent university. A Jewish student, who had not even attended the rally, found his photo circulating on social media with the caption, “Here’s your Zionist overlord, oppressing Palestinians with his white privilege.” The student, whose family had fled Eastern Europe during the Holocaust, was devastated. “I didn’t understand why my Jewish identity automatically made me the enemy,” he said. “I’ve always stood up for human rights, yet I was painted as part of an oppressive system just because of who I am.”
This kind of racialization positions Jews as the worst of what whiteness represents: privilege, power, and oppression. It erases the vulnerability and marginalization that Jews continue to experience despite being a small minority. According to FBI data, Jews remain the targets of the majority of religiously motivated hate crimes in the U.S.. Yet, their racialization as white makes their experiences of antisemitism invisible in many social justice frameworks.
The racialization of Jews as white and the conflation of Zionism with colonialism have created an environment of fear and exclusion for Jewish students on many campuses. Jewish students are often pressured to hide their identity, whether by removing religious symbols like yarmulkes or by staying silent during discussions about Israel. The fear of being labeled a “Zionist” or “white supremacist” leads many Jewish students to self-censor, effectively excluding them from campus life.
After the October 7th Hamas attack on Israel, a group of Jewish students at a prominent university held a quiet vigil to mourn the loss of life on both sides of the conflict. However, the vigil was interrupted by protesters accusing the students of supporting genocide and apartheid. One Jewish student, visibly shaken, shared, “We were holding a vigil to pray for peace, and suddenly I was being called a murderer. I was terrified and ashamed—not because of what I believe, but because I didn’t know how to respond.”
This experience is far from unique. Across the U.S., Jewish students who publicly express their Jewish identity—whether through wearing religious symbols or advocating for Israel—are increasingly targeted for harassment and violence. These attacks are not merely verbal; Jewish students have been physically assaulted and subjected to hate crimes simply for being visibly Jewish. This racialization has tangible, harmful effects, leaving Jewish students feeling unsafe and excluded from the very campus communities that should protect them.
The contemporary racialization of Jews on university campuses is a multifaceted and dangerous phenomenon. By categorizing Jews as white oppressors, both the far-left and far-right justify antisemitism and marginalize Jewish voices. This racialization erases the complexity of Jewish identity, reducing Jews to symbols of political ideologies and stripping them of their individual experiences of persecution and marginalization.
To address campus antisemitism, it is essential to challenge the narratives that racialize and politicize Jewish identity. Jewish students should not have to hide their identity or silence their voices to participate in campus life. By recognizing the diversity and complexity of Jewish identity, we can begin to dismantle the antisemitic frameworks that fuel hatred and violence. The stories shared in this article reveal the painful reality of campus antisemitism. Still, they also remind us of the resilience of Jewish students who continue to stand up for their identity, even in the face of exclusion and harassment.
Tim Orr is a scholar, Evangelical minister, conference speaker, and interfaith consultant with over 30 years of experience in cross-cultural ministry. He holds six degrees, including a master’s in Islamic studies from the Islamic College in London. Tim taught Religious Studies for 15 years at Indiana University Columbus and is now a Congregations and Polarization Project research associate at the Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture at Indiana University Indianapolis. He has spoken at universities, including Oxford University, the University of Tehran, and mosques throughout the U.K. His research focuses on American Evangelicalism, Islamic antisemitism, and Islamic feminism, and he has published widely, including articles in Islamic peer-reviewed journals and three books.
Reference
The content that informed this article was from the YouTube lecture below.
ISCA Indiana University. (2024, September 26). The contemporary racialization of the Jew and its impact on campus antisemitism [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nnO6HwbIwU
