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My abridged version: Harvard graduate and Jewish student leader, Shabbos Kestenbaum, discussed today’s war against campus antisemitism at America’s leading universities, citing Columbia and Harvard as being ground zero for Palestinianist-inspired antisemitism.
The battle goes beyond Hamas students threatening and harassing Jewish students as the faculties themselves are filled with antisemitic professors and instructors.
Now, with the Trump Administration taking tough measures against these institutions, including withholding hundreds of millions of dollars, as they recently did to Columbia, and the arresting for deportation of Mahmoud Khalil, a Hamas “student” agitator from Columbia, Kestenbaum believes that the universities will only take token measures to try to slip by Trump’s new policy. Even now, by willing to adopt the IHRA definition of antisemitism, there will still be wiggle room for these universities to get around expelling students who violate the civil rights of Jewish students.
Shabbos discussed his own suit against Harvard, choosing to pursue legal action in court rather than settle out of court as some of his peers did.
During the interview we talked about the challenges that Jewish students face as they are vastly outnumbered and out-funded by the pro-Hamas student and faculty activists.
LONG ISLAND, NY (VINnews)-In a recent interview with Podcaster Alan Skorski, Shabbos Kestenbaum, a Harvard graduate and prominent Jewish activist, shared his ongoing legal battle against Harvard University and discussed his concerns about the growing climate of antisemitism in elite academic institutions.
Kestenbaum, who is currently involved in a lawsuit against Harvard, believes that despite recent policy changes, universities are finding ways to avoid fully enforcing the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism. This definition, which includes attacks on the legitimacy of Israel as a Jewish state, has been adopted by several universities, including Harvard and Columbia University. However, Kestenbaum warns that these institutions will still find loopholes, particularly under the guise of “free speech,” to continue tolerating anti-Israel rhetoric and behavior.
“The left will use free speech as a defense, and while universities claim to adopt the IHRA definition, they won’t truly enforce it,” Kestenbaum said. He argues that despite the symbolic value of adopting such policies, these measures are often inadequate and ineffective in addressing the underlying issues of antisemitism on campus.
Kestenbaum also pointed to the broader issue of antisemitism among faculty and student organizations. He noted that Jewish students are often outnumbered and outmatched by well-entrenched antisemitic professors and student groups, such as Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and the Columbia University Apartheid Divestment (CUAD) groups, which advocate for the boycotting of Israel.
Despite what Kestenbaum calls “token measures” like the recent arrest of Hamas-activist Mahmoud Khalil, he expressed skepticism about the government’s ability to truly tackle the problem. “Even with these actions, we are not addressing the root of the issue, which is the rise of pro-Palestinian and Marxist ideologies within our universities,” he said.
The Trump administration’s recent decision to withhold $400 million in funding from Columbia University over its handling of antisemitic incidents was another focal point of the interview. Kestenbaum praised the move, calling it a step in the right direction, but emphasized that these actions are not enough to dismantle the deeply ingrained antisemitic culture that exists within these academic institutions.
Looking to the future, Kestenbaum raised concerns about the long-term impact of these ideologies. He questioned the implications for Jewish students after they graduate, particularly in fields like law and healthcare, where many individuals with anti-Israel or Palestinianist views have been documented making online threats against Jews and Israelis. Groups like Stop Antisemitism and Canary Mission have tracked such behavior, but Kestenbaum fears that these graduates will continue to spread their views in professional settings, further perpetuating the cycle of discrimination.
“Jewish students are today’s leaders, and they are stepping up to fill the void left by failed Jewish organizations that have not effectively addressed these challenges,” Kestenbaum concluded.
Kestenbaum’s remarks highlight the urgent need for greater accountability from universities and a more concerted effort to protect Jewish students from antisemitism, both on campus and beyond
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