Anti-semitism on our college campuses is indeed on the upswing. There is a lot of anti-Israel sentiment which bleeds over. Definitely a time for parents of hs students who are beginning the college search process to pay attention to the climate on campuses they tour. I would personally be very wary of campuses that have a lot of anti-Israel activity, which seems to be trendy right now.
momof3greatkids, while I donât have any kids at those schools I do live outside of Philadelphia and am very familiar with the area surrounding Drexel. Itâs definitely in the city and so there is always going to be things to look out for, but nothing that any street smart young person canât handle. Temple is in a much scarier area and the Drexel campus is really almost a bubble between that and their next door neighbor U Penn itâs mostly college kids dominating the area. Still I would say you are in the midst of a large city so you need to be smart and not put yourself in dangerous situations. I personally feel that college kids should always travel in pairs or groups whenever possible, but certainly in the middle of a city more so then other areas. With all that said, I wouldnât hesitate to send either of my boys to Drexel if they would consider anything that close to home. People are always amazed at the program, the only thing like it is Northeastern.
Thank you SO much, momentscaught. That was so helpful!
My wife is Jewish and a member of this forum and I am Catholic. We have three in college. If you ask them which schools are the most accepting of Jewish students they will tell you the Catholic schools are. We have one at a school purported to be oriented for Jews but its just filled with snobby well to do Jews. The other two are at well known Catholic schools and they love them. They find theological studies to be open and high level and the environment rather neutral. Some may find this an irony but it is logical. Also a Jewish student will have an advantage at a Catholic school in terms of admissions.
Interesting perspective. I had a horrendous experience while visiting a friend at Georgetown - 30 years later - I still remember it quite vividly. It was a life changing moment for me - being trapped in the campus chapel - middle of the row - no way to leave - while Father X spoke - at length - about forgiving the Jewish people for killing Christ. I was upset, mortified and confused. My non-Jewish boyfriend was upset and embarrassed by my reaction - as this was such a popular religious figure and such a well-attended Sunday evening service. That was my last non-Jewish boyfriend. So, forgive my skepticism. Maybe for some Jewish students, maybe at some Catholic schools. But I have my doubts.
There is no mass requirement at Catholic colleges and universities and many have programs in Jewish studies. Boston College has a minor in Jewish studies. Holy Cross has a separate program in Catholic-Jewish relations. Notre Dame has Chair in Jewish studies. Theology requirements are easily met with courses on comparative religion. Secular schools are much more political and dismissive of all religion, so since Jews and Catholics have the most in common historically I can see the point that Jewish students would have little trouble fitting in at a Catholic school.
My D is Jewish and is having a wonderful experience at Fordham. She has made great friends, has small classes, and caring professors. She feels very comfortable and happy. I canât say enough positive things about her experience there.
Great to hear.
Iâve known Jewish kids who attended Catholic colleges and had wonderful experiences, but for my own kids I felt that there was no reason to put them in a situation where theyâd stand out in that way.
@henrynj - it was certainly my experience as a graduate student at BC (very very welcoming) - however, the numbers might make it harder to find things like kosher food, services, or perhaps Jewish dating partners.
My D was not interested in Catholic colleges. Since there are so many good colleges and universities out there, we figured that eliminating them from consideration was an easy way to shrink the list.
My son went to an open house at St. Johns University and he came home saying no way. He said that every room had a big cross in it and that the slide show had a picture of a cross every third slide. They opened up the general meeting with a prayer. He just felt uncomfortable all the way around. And it was too bad because they gave him big merit money. I told him to just cross it off the list (no pun intended). To each his own I guess.
What I liked about BC in terms of my attending while being openly Jewish, was that I could use biblical text sources as quotes and share my own feelings/beliefs on things, and I felt it was honored more than it would be in a secular context or honestly, in some Jewish contexts (in terms of if someone had a different stream of Judaism than mine). Like I wrote about educational philosophy with some quotes from âEthics of the Fathersâ and it was very well received by my devout Jesuit professor.
OTOH, yes, there is a very Catholic feel to the place, crucifixes on all the walls, and so forth. I think it was different for me to go as a married adult with kids, for a graduate degree about something I felt confident/centered studying, and being in that pluralistic mindset. Sometimes for undergrads or for younger people in general, itâs good to be part of a bigger home-base. My son is the only kid in his district to wear a kippah daily, and honestly, it is wearing to be always âThe Jewâ in that open way.
My DH and I were looking at a âparent input sheetâ for Guidance today, and without us explicitly discussing this topic/thread, he wrote to me in a note, âWe want only Jesuit universities if religious, right?â 
The most recent two Popes have made strides to improve relationships between Catholics and Jews and to do away with the idea that Jews killed Christ. I recall hearing that idea way too often as a child. From what I can tell, the recent Popes have expressed that this isnât true and not an aspect of modern Catholic pratice and they have made efforts towards having a good relationship with the Jewish people.
Unfortunately, it isnât entirely gone and has been brought up from time to time, not just by Catholics. My kids have occasionally been questioned about it from friends who have heard it somewhere. However, it seems less pervasive than when I was kid.
Recently I am more concerned about the broader and more pervasive antisemitism on many campuses that claim to be liberal and non-religious.
My Jewish B student son just decided to attend a California university that admitted him into its undergraduate business school. He did not want to go outside of the West for college, and I do not fault him. He wants to stay/live in California after college.
Unlike the East, South and Midwest, there are very few non-sectarian options for middle of the road B students who want to go to business school. Very few of the UCâs even have business schools and those that do are ultra-competitive to get into. The Cal St. schools are heavily impacted and classes for non-honor students are very difficult to secure.
His other options are a low-tiered UC, a Cal St., one other out-of-state college with a business school, and U. of Oregon.
So off he is going to a Catholic university with a good deal of worry from his father and hope that my S (who since his bar mitzvah has done nothing Jewish, other than accompanying me to High Holiday Services) will somehow, someway stay close to his roots. At lease the school he is going to has a Hillel, an on-campus rabbi, and a Jewish Studies minor.
We will see how it works out. For now, I just get to write the checks.
It would be great if you post an update in the fall. We donât have as much conversation on West Coast options.
I think that a Jewish kid at a Catholic school might have an easier time of it than going to the myriad of other universities with large Jewish populations but where anti-semitism is rampant. The Catholic schools donât seem to suffer from this as much and seem to be pretty respectful overall. Also, as far as values go, thereâs a lot of commonality between the 2 religions. Yes, it would be a shame for him to stray from Judaism, so let him join Hillel, take Jewish studies courses and, most of all, go on a Birthright trip if he does go to a Catholic school. If he really feels like an outsider and it hurts him socially, he can always transfer.
I really wanted to find some fun interesting news stories on Jewish life at our college campuses. But all I am seeing is story after story about a national rise in anti-Semitism and very little being done by those in authority to combat it. So, sharing these articles today.
http://www.thecollegefix.com/post/21665/
Very sad state of affairs and a situation we should all be aware of.
Just wanted to wish everyone a happy Passover, a few days early.
Hereâs an article on Chabad and Passover at various camouses:
Any thoughts on life at Syracuse University? Undergraduate Business School? Newhouse?