Resilience and Pride—Tamar Franbach

Navigating Jewish Identity at the University of Pittsburgh Amid Rising Antisemitism

This week’s letter comes from Tamar Franbach, the business manager for the Student Coalition for Israel at Pitt.

When deciding which university to attend, an important factor for me was a strong Jewish community. This was a key factor that led me to attend the University of Pittsburgh. During my first year, I was able to find my place in the Jewish community even in times of hardship. Last semester, I was nominated and elected as the business manager for the Student Coalition for Israel at Pitt. The coalition hosts guest speakers and educates about Israeli politics and culture but also keeps track of anti-Israel and antisemitic incidents on campus. Although last year we received a handful of incident reports, none seemed as severe when compared to physical assaults occurring on other campuses. Not on our campus we thought. The university would protect us. They know when to draw the line.

This year, however, started differently. The physical attacks were no longer an ocean or campus away. In the first few weeks of this semester, there have been two physical assaults towards Jewish students. The first took place on Friday, August 30, as two visibly Jewish students were walking to Shabbat on Pitt’s campus and got attacked by a perpetrator with a glass bottle. They sustained injuries to their head and neck. Not even four weeks later, on Friday, September 27, a Jewish student wearing a Star of David necklace was surrounded by a group of eight men yelling antisemitic and anti-Israel slurs while punching and kicking him. He sustained injuries to his face.

The following morning, I got multiple messages from students asking me if they should take off their Star of David necklace. I wish I could tell them to wear it loud and proud, but I could not promise them safety on their own campus, not anymore. Instead, I invited them to all the Jewish community events occurring that week and told them I hoped to see them there. The first month of this semester has taught me a lot. I learned that I cannot rely on the university to protect me. I learned that while words have meaning, action is needed to make change. Most importantly, I learned that in times of hardship, the Jewish community at the University of Pittsburgh flourishes. In the weeks following the attack, student engagement has only increased. Dinners are packed, services are full and community events are surpassing expectations.

We may not be able to control people’s opinions of us, but what we can control is our pride, our spirit and our joy. That’s what it means to be a Jewish student at the University of Pittsburgh. We are resilient, we are proud and we keep showing up, no matter what. We are not going anywhere.

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