Rabbi Julie Roth Leads Spotlight on College Admission: Jewish Students

Rabbi Julie Roth Leads Spotlight on College Admission: Jewish Students

The MBS College Counseling Office welcomed Rabbi Julie Roth to campus on Thursday, February 29 for a spotlight discussion on the particular considerations of Jewish students and families in the college search process.  

Rabbi Julie served as the Jewish Chaplain at Princeton University for many years and has extensive experience working on college campuses.  Her remarks included valuable suggestions for Jewish students as they conduct their college search, emphasizing the importance of researching the available resources at each school, such as a Hillel and/or Chabad.  She outlined additional offerings that might signal institutional support for Jewish students, such as the inclusion of Jewish Studies courses in the curriculum or the presence of Jewish fraternities and sororities within Greek life.  She encouraged students and families to ask questions on a range of topics from the number of Jewish students and faculty to the tone and tenor of the relationship between the Jewish community and the rest of the student body and the administration. 

Rabbi Julie also addressed the Israel-Hamas war and the impact that it is having on campus climates.  She encouraged students and families to look beyond the headlines when it comes to evaluating how supportive a community may be for students of all backgrounds and instead, think about how they could seek out the available resources if it were to become necessary. 

As she reflected on her almost 20 years working in a university setting, she noted that antisemitism tends to rise during times of strife in Israel, making it difficult to predict where or when Jewish students might feel the need for support.  She took the time to explain some of the distinctions between criticism of Israel, anti-Zionism, and antisemitism, which she noted may overlap, but are not always the same.  She suggested that students take the time to research the history of the State of Israel and the pro-Palestinian movement so that they are better equipped to have productive conversations with their peers and recognize misinformation.  Attendees left feeling reassured about their students’ college search process and about the rewarding opportunities they will have to explore their Jewish identities during their undergraduate years.

For additional resources, please see the below links and PDFs from Rabbi Julie:

· Hillel College Guide 2023

· Hillel Resource: Compare & Contact Hillels

· Hillel's Three-Part Video Series on Antisemitism 

· State Department: Defining Antisemitism

· State Department: Defining Antisemitism 


 

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