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Making Campus More Inclusive

Making campus more inclusive to Jewish students is not limited to combating hate. Seeing and acknowledging their Jewish experience is fundamental for many Jewish students to thrive academically and participate fully in campus life. We’ve learned over the past two years that many institutions have inadequate antisemitism resources included in their EDI strategies. Jews are frequently mischaracterized and thereby overlooked when implementing EDI strategies. Simple steps, such as the inclusion of Jewish issues in EDI strategies and increasing the availability of kosher food, can make a meaningful difference in a Jewish student’s academic experience, as would improving the religious accommodations process, about which Jewish students of all backgrounds regularly report challenges and barriers. 

Include Jewish Concerns in EDI Strategies

Recommendation: 

Include Jewish Concerns in EDI Strategies

As part of including appropriate Jewish considerations within institutional EDI strategies, universities should commit to regular and recurring training covering antisemitism for administration and students. The training should include the different ways in which students may experience conduct as antisemitism, including anti-Zionism, and should include notice that harassment or discrimination based on national origin, which includes a student’s actual or perceived shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics, is prohibited by university policy. CIJA can provide resources and arrange training for all levels of administration and student bodies. 

Ensure Academic Accommodation for Students who Observe the Sabbath and Holy Days

Recommendation:

Ensure Academic Accommodation for Students who Observe the Sabbath and Holy Days

Observant Jewish students are unable to work, write, and drive – among other activities – on the Sabbath (Friday sunset to Saturday sunset) and on Jewish holy days, such as Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Just as many Christians who are not religious celebrate Christmas, many Jewish students who do not identify as religiously observant celebrate or mark Jewish holy days. Universities should make every reasonable effort to avoid scheduling university-wide activities or exams on these days and, when there are religious conflicts, provide a consistent and reliable method for rescheduling tests, examinations, and assignment due dates without engendering penalties or other negative consequences. CIJA provides useful resources for institutions, such as holiday guides and calendars, to navigate the intricacies of the Hebrew calendar and related traditions. 

Make Kosher Food More Accessible

Recommendation: 

Make Kosher Food More Accessible

CIJA believes that every university should understand the need for kosher food and consult with Jewish students to find solutions. Some means of increasing accessibility include making existing kosher offerings in the residence system available for purchase by the broader campus community, reserving kosher microwaves in common student spaces, and making the requirement to provide kosher options an essential part of future negotiations with food service providers.