‘Unacceptable’: Nevada senator discusses spike in antisemitism at U.S. colleges

Nevada Sen. Jacky Rosen co-hosted a roundtable discussion Thursday with U.S. college students about rising antisemitism on college campuses, just ahead of the start of the school year.

Rosen, a Democrat who is the only Jewish woman serving in the U.S. Senate and former president of Congregation Ner Tamid, Nevada’s largest synagogue, and Sen. James Lankford, a Republican and former Southern Baptist minister from Oklahoma, met in Washington with six students who shared their experiences of antisemitism during the the 2023-2024 school year. Rosen and Lankford co-chair the Senate Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism.

“The spike in antisemitic incidents we saw on college and university campuses in the spring is unacceptable,” Rosen said in a news release. She is in a highly competitive re-election race against Republican Sam Brown, who also has condemned antisemitism and the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel.

According to the Anti-Defamation League, 73 percent of Jewish college students experienced or witnessed some form of prejudice since the beginning of the school year. These incidents rose after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, the group said.

Students have the right to pursue higher education in a safe environment, Rosen said. The ADL agreed and said Rosen and Lankford are “deeply engaged” in combating antisemitism.

“With their recent roundtable discussion with college students, Senators Rosen and Lankford demonstrate just how seriously they are taking the rise in antisemitism on our university campuses,” the ADL said in a statement. “Campuses are meant to be safe and welcoming spaces for all students — regardless of their identity or beliefs.”

Luda Isakharov, a recent graduate from the University of Oregon, thanked Rosen and Lankford for their work on their bipartisan bill, the Countering Antisemitism Act, according to the news release. The legislation was introduced to Congress this year and would establish a national coordinator to counter domestic antisemitism and serve within the White House.

“Less than half of Jewish students reported feeling physically safe on their campuses in the fall semester of the past school year, according to the ADL. I am one of those students,” Isakharov said in the release. “I hope you all will work together to get this legislation to the finish line and to deliver for Jewish students who are nervously anticipating entering another challenging academic year this fall.”

The Senate task force was founded in 2019. Its purpose is to fight antisemitism through education and community empowerment, according to its mission statement.

Rosen also served on the House Bipartisan Task Force For Combating Antisemitism when she was a member of the House of Representatives.

Contact Ella Thompson at ethompson@reviewjournal.com. Follow @elladeethompson on X.