Campus life: Do American students in Israel want to return to the US?

The skyrocketing anti-Israel, pro-Hamas demonstrations on US campuses since Oct. 7, along with incidents of violence and open antisemitism, not even disguised as anti-Zionism, have shocked the Jewish world, including American students currently studying in Israel. Many are gap year students who plan to return home and attend an American college next school year.

The Magazine spoke to some of them, asking about their plans for next year, as well as their thoughts on the future of American Jewry and whether they personally have changed their perspectives.

Some are apprehensive about returning to study in the US; others feel confident. Yet others have changed their plans completely. Here are some of the responses.

RYAN BRANDWEIN, 19, from Teaneck, New Jersey, is spending his gap year at the Aish HaTorah yeshiva in Jerusalem and still hasn’t decided which school to attend next year – Baruch College-City University of New York or Touro, a private Jewish university based in New York City. “Obviously, it’s a little scary [to go to Baruch College]; there’s no doubt about it. But I feel that if I go, and I keep to myself, it could be OK. However, I might want to try to make a difference,” he said. 

“I have some friends who go to the University of Michigan, and they were saying they want to set up a table explaining what it was like learning in Israel for a year. These kinds of ideas can have a major effect on campus life.

“I think the most important thing for me to do is to wear my kippah and show that I’m Jewish and am not afraid.”

Are some of his friends at Aish considering aliyah because of the situation in America? 

“Of course, many people at Aish have talked about it. I was also talking to my father about it, and he told me that if things weren’t better in four years, we might all have to go to Israel. I have a couple of friends who decided they’re not going back to America. They’re going to the army as lone soldiers, and then making aliyah.”

SAM SENDEROWICZ, 19, from Great Neck, New York, is also at Aish HaTorah and plans to go to the University of Maryland. “Maryland is one of the calmer campuses, which makes me feel more comfortable,” he said. “Of course, it’s frightening to see what’s happening on campuses and knowing [incidents of violence and open antisemitism] could happen at any moment.”

ANDREW SHAFAR, 18, another Aish student, hails from Brooklyn, New York,  and will attend Emory University in Atlanta. “Right now, in my school the president and administration have been dealing with it exceptionally well. Whenever there have been tents there, they shut them down very quickly. I’m so proud of them,” he said.

ATARA BERKOWER, 19, a native of Hollywood, Florida, is currently attending ISRAELXP, Bar-Ilan University’s gap year program, which combines Jewish studies, ulpan Hebrew classes, and general studies. “I feel very lucky that I’m attending the University of Florida because, thankfully, it does not tolerate pro-Hamas activities and stands strongly against antisemitism.

“I know that other campuses are not as supportive. It is a little nerve-racking, but knowing that I’m safe at the university I’m attending, it should be fine. If I were going to a different institution other than the University of Florida, say Columbia or UCLA, or almost any other institution where they don’t support Jews against antisemitism, I would reassess my decision.

“The future of the Jews, I believe, will always be in Israel; it’s just a matter of time. Personally, I think that I’m going to end up here. I want to finish my degree first,” she said. Watching the events on US campuses since Oct. 7 “made me want to stand up for Israel and do more volunteering, and speak up.”

Her passion for Israel, she said, was “developed at Bar-Ilan.”

“Living within the community here, I did a lot of volunteering, and it made me want to stay in Israel. It’s an amazing program.”

SAPIR AZULAY, 19, originally from Brooklyn, is also in Bar-Ilan’s ISRAELXP program. “Originally, I planned to begin my fall semester of 2024 at Yeshiva University in New York City, but after being in Israel during the war I decided to draft into the IDF. Many of my friends, both in and out of ISRAELXP, have also decided to do the same.

“Witnessing the challenges that Jewish and Zionist students face daily on US campuses felt like living through a nightmare that none of us wanted to experience.

“The decision to switch from Yeshiva University to drafting into the IDF has been a difficult one, particularly with regard to my parents. They’ve seen what has been going on at universities like Columbia and New York University, and the protests in Brooklyn. Staying in Israel during a war seemed significantly safer than being elsewhere, and that says so much about Israel.

“Being in Israel, a land filled with warmth and love, has been the most influential time of my life. Praying every day, attending classes, and exploring Israel with friends has been a dream experience. The sense of community and solidarity during challenging times, like war, emphasizes the significance of being in the land promised to the Jewish people.

“The future of the Jewish people living outside of Israel, especially the United States, doesn’t look as promising as it once was. Despite growing confidence and solidarity during tough times, antisemitic acts have surged. Israel emerges as the safest place to be amid these uncertainties. The Black Shabbat on Oct. 7 and the Iranian attack in April brought profound moments of prayer and solidarity, highlighting the resilience and faith of the Jewish community.

“The experiences and challenges I’ve encountered have shaped my identity in profound ways. Israel’s role as a safe haven for the Jewish people in times of adversity cannot be overstated. It’s a privilege to be part of a community that stands together in the face of hardship. I’ve never been prouder to be a Jew, a Zionist, and an Israeli.”

JAMES FORMAN, 19, from Englewood, New Jersey, is another Bar-Ilan University ISRAELXP student. He plans to attend the University of Michigan next year.

“While I don’t feel significant discomfort about next year, I have some apprehensions. I see antisemitism in the United States as a rushing river,” he said. “The easiest option is to go with the flow and blend in. Another option is to be an immovable rock.

“However, I plan on choosing a third option: going against the current and standing out as a leader. I am determined to face antisemitism head-on, which, naturally, brings some fear because I will face hostility. Although I have this fear, I am more excited about the prospect of being a leader and, hopefully, changing people’s minds.

“Attending secular college in America right now is not something that every person can do. However, I feel that if you know that you are the right type of person and you can go against the current, I strongly believe you should embrace the opportunity.

“My plans for attending UMich remain unchanged, but I will make small adjustments. I will be more vigilant and aware of my surroundings on campus. While walking at night, I will call a friend to ensure my safety. These small adjustments, unfortunately, are necessary, but my overall plans remain intact.”

Asked about his thoughts regarding the future of Jews in America, he said, “Honestly, this question deeply troubles me. German Jews once felt that their future was secure – the same way that I feel that my future in America is secure. However, history has a way of repeating itself, and this fear lingers.

“The battle between security and fear rages in my head day after day. Most of the time, I feel secure, largely because I have spent most of my time in Israel since Oct. 7, where antisemitism is not an issue. I hope and pray that my gut instincts and feelings are right and that history doesn’t repeat itself.”

MADELINE FAIRMAN, 19, is completing her first year of the Tel Aviv University-Columbia University Dual Degree Program and is in the Thrive Study Abroad program (thrivestudyabroad.org). “I plan on continuing the program track and attending Columbia for my third and fourth year of school,” she said. She will remain at TAU for her second year of studies.

However, “I have a lot of concerns about going to college in the US right now, particularly at Columbia, after everything we’ve seen this past year. Ironically, in terms of safety, I feel much more comfortable going about my day in Israel right now than I would at Columbia. 

“Just being Jewish, I would probably feel uneasy at a lot of schools in the US because of the rise in antisemitism. But given that I now have direct ties to Israel, as a result of being in this program, which has been the subject of a lot of controversy due to groups like Students for Justice in Palestine calling for BDS, I feel even less comfortable – especially at Columbia.

“Some of my family members feel the same way and would actually prefer that I stay at TAU for the remainder of my degree, a choice that has not been uncommon in this program over the past few years. That said, I plan on continuing at Columbia at the end of my second year, but not without reservations.”

As for a Jewish future in America, she said, “I can’t say for sure. It doesn’t look particularly promising. If everything in the past year is any indication of how the general population feels about Jews, then no. But I think the recent rise in antisemitism is not reflective of how most Americans feel. I think the people we see on the news represent a small but very vocal number of people from different groups who have found common ground in their biases.”

Has she, or any of her peers, become more religious, or perhaps less so, since Oct. 7?

“I don’t think I’ve changed how religious I am, nor have I noticed that in those close to me. But I have noticed a big effort to engage more culturally with Judaism. A few of my friends and I have become acutely more aware of the need for cultural unity, at least at the most basic level. I think that among other things, Oct. 7 was a sharp reminder of that.”

ZEV HUNEYCUTT, 18, from Tampa, Florida, is also in the TAU-Columbia University program and Thrive Study Abroad,. He plans to return to Columbia for the 2025-2026 academic year.

“I feel largely comfortable returning to study at Columbia after beginning my studies in Israel, though I am quite concerned about the recent wave of anti-Israel, antisemitic, and often violent protests on college campuses,” he said. “I am slightly concerned for my physical safety, although not to the extent that I feel I need to un-enroll from Columbia.

“That said, I find it outrageous that my belief in the right of the Jewish people to self-determination in their ancestral homeland has become a political litmus test that might be used to exclude me from ostensibly ‘tolerant’ circles of discussion and debate.

“I worry that the exclusion of Zionists from any important conversation in our universities inevitably constitutes the exclusion of almost all Jews, for whom Zionism is central to their Judaism. And I worry that the academic environment that awaits me at Columbia is one of post-truths and foregone conclusions – and one hijacked financially and ideologically by foreign actors.”

Huneycutt continued: “If the ostensible best and brightest of America’s youth – students at schools like Columbia, Harvard, Penn, and MIT – are indoctrinated with virulent anti-Israel and antisemitic beliefs, then we can no longer count on strong US-Israel partnerships as these students ascend to positions of influence in government, business, and academia.

“To put it more bluntly, I fear that America’s future leaders will baselessly hate Israel, and I believe that this hatred presents an existential threat to the future of the state.”

He remains firm that he will continue at Columbia. “For this reason, potential safety concerns are not enough to dissuade me from attending Columbia. America needs students who appreciate Israel’s importance in the democratic world and in the Middle East, and Israel even more critically needs future American leaders who understand its democracy and its unique challenges.

“Moreover, I feel that I have earned my place in this institution, and I will not allow myself to be intimidated and driven out from a place where I deserve to be.”

Have his plans changed?

“Only that I plan to be way more involved in Jewish campus communities than I had previously expected.

“I think the future for Jews in America is looking increasingly insecure, but it is not yet too late. American Jewry, and Jews more broadly, need to get better at educating others about Israel and Judaism.

“We need to get better at being unified, or at the very least appearing unified. We need to get better at passing on our traditions and values to the next generation. And we need to get better at cultivating an American Jewish identity that is not divorced from Israel.”

As for religion, “I would say, overall, that yes, I have become more ‘religious’ since Oct. 7, but I would separate that religiousness into ethnic and spiritual spheres. My connection with Judaism as an ethnicity and a peoplehood – one connected to its geographical origin – has deepened significantly since Oct. 7.

“I feel a sharply increased connection to my fellow Jews, to Israel, and to my Jewish-Israeli heritage. I feel a responsibility to defend Israel when it is unjustly maligned. Recently, I also think more about Jewish- and Israel-related ideas. In terms of spirituality, I am generally not a person who believes in the supernatural.

“However, in a post-Oct. 7 world, I have, somewhat grimly, come to believe that there is something inexplicable, illogical – perhaps even supernatural – about the way Jews have been persecuted for millennia. As much as I’ve tried to come up with some rational explanation for antisemitism, I can’t figure it out, and more recently, I’ve begun attributing it to something supernatural.” 

Nitzavim: Inspiring Jewish students to stand strong

The Hebrew word nitzavim means “standing upright.” It’s an appropriate name for an organization that inspires Jewish students to spread pride in their heritage and the State of Israel in the face of rising antisemitism while encouraging their peers to engage in Jewish life.

Nitzavim, founded three years ago, is the brainchild of Rabbi Adi Isaacs, who also created Thrive Study Abroad, among other organizations reaching out to college students.

Last week, at a gala event at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s Mount Scopus campus, the Nitzavim Fellowship awarded $5,000 to the winners of a Shark Tank presentation that night. Six groups of students returning to the US for college presented their ideas for fighting antisemitism, uniting Jews on campus, and instilling pride in Judaism and Israel.

The funds will go toward implementing the project, dubbed Terrapin Tisch, which aims to bring unaffiliated Jewish students to informal events by offering food, singing, and discussions. Nitzavim is funded by the 7 Schwartz Brothers Leadership Trust, created by Henry Schwartz, who lives in New York and joined the event via livestream. “At 90 years old, he asks every week what he can do for Israel and the Jewish people,” Isaacs said.

The idea of empowering Jewish students “came from visiting campuses abroad – Hillel, Chabad, and Jewish fraternities and sororities. Wherever there are Jewish students, we try to interest them in coming to Israel,” Isaacs told the Magazine. “I saw that out of a tremendous number of Jewish students, only a very small percentage gets involved in Jewish life there... So, I’m always trying to think of how we can get them more involved in Jewish life. We need proud Jews to help Israel.

“Ultimately, the idea of Nitzavim is to involve kids who care about Israel and Jewish life and who are about to go to US colleges. Historically, what’s been told to them – and I understand this perspective; it makes sense – is: Keep your own community segregated. You have to have your learning environment; you have to have your friends in the community; you have to have your minyanim [prayer quorums].

“But imagine if they would walk onto campus with a sense of purpose and responsibility to engage with others and talk to them about how proud they are of being Jewish and how proud they are of Israel. And not only to engage with them but to come up with ideas on how to engage with them. Hopefully, with a very grassroots initiative, these students can bring a lot of change that organizations cannot.”

Isaacs proudly mentioned that two Nitzavim graduates were involved in writing an open letter, signed by more than 500 Jewish students at Columbia University last month, titled, “In Our Name: A Message from Jewish Students at Columbia University.” The letter, expressing pride in the Jewish state and denouncing the antisemitism and harassment by the pro-Palestinian encampment, went viral.

In October, Russell Rickford, an associate professor of history at Cornell University, was forced to take a leave of absence after describing the Oct. 7 massacre as “exhilarating” and “energizing.” In this case as well, Nitzavim alumni were involved in writing a petition demanding his termination, which garnered almost 11,000 signatures on Change.org.

‘Some have joined the army’

Isaacs’s mission is twofold: empowering students who return to the US, while encouraging them to settle in the Jewish state. “We are very proud of what all the students are doing on [US] college campuses, but I am even more proud of the 14 of our 80 students this year who decided to stay in Israel,” Isaacs said. 

“Some have joined the army, and some are continuing their second year of studies here and making aliyah. Even though we’re cultivating unbelievable leaders to go on to college campuses, at the heart of everything we do, it would be better for students to stay here. However, if they are going back, they should go with a passion to bring as many people as they can with them to Israel.”

While Nitzavim is geared toward Orthodox students, most of whom are spending their gap year at yeshivas and girls’ seminaries, Isaacs’s efforts have extended beyond this demographic. Ten years ago, he founded the Thrive Study Abroad program as an opportunity for college students who study abroad to spend a semester in Israel at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, immersing in the culture, exploring their heritage, and returning to campus as leaders for Israel and the Jewish people.

Since then, Thrive has partnered with Tel Aviv University and expanded to include students in the TAU-Columbia Dual Degree Program and full degree and master’s programs at both Tel Aviv University and Hebrew University.

“In the Study Abroad Program [at Tel Aviv University], led by Miriam and Ahseph Weisz, we work with about 35 students from the TAU-Columbia Dual Degree Program,” Isaacs said. “Over the years, we’ve had more than 1,300 students in the program, almost all of whom came from a minimal Jewish background.”

Most of these students return to the US to complete their studies; however, 72 came back to Israel, enlisted in the IDF, and made aliyah, he added.

Isaacs, noting the high rate of assimilation in the US, stressed the importance of offering English-language degree programs, which would encourage more students to study in Israel – especially now, with the rising hostility toward Jews on US campuses. Currently, some Israeli universities already have this option. Most recently, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem announced the fall 2024 launch of a BA degree taught in English.

“There’s a lot more interest now for English degrees in Israel,” he said, adding that he has been meeting with universities and Knesset members to discuss new opportunities.

“It’s exciting to see how our Nitzavim and Thrive students inspire their peers to come to Israel for a degree, visit Israel, or simply stand up for Israel,” said Nitzavim COO Rena Zoltan. “We’re proud to be a part of creating future leaders for Israel and the Jewish people at a peer-to-peer level, and we look forward to expanding so that every Jewish student has these opportunities.” – A.B.