A confrontation may be brewing at Columbia University as Passover approaches, with a rabbi warning Jewish students to avoid campus due to safety concerns amid escalating pro-Palestinian protests.
According to CNN, Rabbi Elie Buechler, who is linked with the university’s Orthodox Jewish outreach, urged around 300 mostly Orthodox students in a WhatsApp message to “return home as soon as possible and remain home until the reality in and around campus has dramatically improved.”
Buechler cited failures by campus security and police to “guarantee Jewish students’ safety” as clashes have intensified following congressional testimony last week detailing antisemitism issues at Columbia.
The charged atmosphere has prompted the university to allow students to attend classes virtually starting Monday, the first night of Passover. Pro-Palestinian groups have rallied around accusations of heavy-handed policing of their protests, while Jewish student groups report harassment and an insecure climate.
The crisis opens a new front in the ongoing battle between Columbia President Minouche Shafik and critics like Rep. Elise Stefanik, who demanded Shafik’s resignation for losing “control of its campus.” The House Education Committee chair also warned of possible federal funding consequences if “order and safety” aren’t promptly restored.
Both the White House and New York’s governor and mayor spoke out against the hostilities facing Jewish students. “Calls for violence and physical intimidation targeting Jewish students…are blatantly antisemitic, unconscionable, and dangerous,” the White House stated. Pro-Palestinian groups insisted their demonstrations have remained peaceful while rejecting “inflammatory individuals” seeking disruption.
