"I Don't Want to Be Anywhere Near That Word!": The Experiences of Jewish College Students Navigating Antisemitism

This comics-based research study was guided by HebCrit (Rubin, 2020) and explored the experiences of eight Jewish college students navigating antisemitism. This study was guided by four research questions including, (1) What are Jewish college students’ experiences with antisemitism?, (2) How do Jewish college students respond to personal experiences with antisemitism?, (3) How do Jewish college students respond to rising rates of antisemitism?, and (4) How does antisemitism intersect with other forms of oppression (e.g., racism, misogyny, etc.) for Jewish college students? This study was conducted at a predominantly white and Christian university in the Southeastern United States with a small Jewish population. This study had four major findings. First, Jewish college students frequently experienced jokes, microaggressions, and stereotypes related to the Holocaust, the stereotype that Jewish people are greedy, and the Jewish American Princess stereotype. Second, Jewish college students felt excluded and alienated by the institution and in academic spaces, by student organizations like fraternities and sororities, and by friends and potential friends. Third, Jewish college students’ experiences were influenced by the October 7 attack in Israel, the Israel-Hamas war, and the rise in antisemitism in the United States that followed. Finally, many Jewish college students found safety, security, and belonging in Jewish organizations like Hillel and Chabad. This study highlights the power of counter-storytelling in combatting dominant and problematic narratives about Jewish college students. While this research study focuses on Jewish college students' experiences with antisemitism, it also highlights the ways that antisemitism interacts with other forms of oppression, like racism. This dissertation serves as a call to action and highlights how coalition-building between different minoritized populations may serve as a productive means of fighting against antisemitism, white supremacy, and Christian hegemony.