As early as May last year, there were already plans to set up an association for Jewish students. “Those plans have been given an extra impulse by recent events”, says VU Health & Life Sciences student Aviv Cohen (21). “People feel lonely and isolated”, says Roy Turksma (23), who is studying International Business Administration at VU. “We’ve all lost some friends”, adds Achira Beck (27), who is studying law in Leiden. There is demand for an association where individuals with similar backgrounds can connect without the need for constant explanations, the students say.
The three are currently establishing the Jewish Student Association (JSA), under the umbrella of VU, which provides a sense of security. This is important given that organising events for Jewish students is typically not straightforward: due to security concerns, they cannot announce any event far in advance and have to rely instead on word-of-mouth and personal invitations.
Bordering on anti-Semitism
Recently, an event was held in the New University Building which, despite limited publicity, drew an attendance of 120 people. Using the event as a recruitment opportunity, the three managed to gather prospective members for the new association. They now have approximately 30 to 40 members who stay connected through a group chat. Several people they approached declined the invitation to join “because they feel unsafe”, says Turksma.
Jews and Israelis have faced rising tensions since 7 October 2023. “Hostile slogans, which I find very intimidating, were shouted during the campus protests against Israel”, says Cohen. “They included calls for a global intifada, for example, which I see as an open call for violence against Jews.” Measures implemented by the University, such as locking campus entrances and exits, “do not necessarily” increase his sense of security, he says.
Discussions about Israel are dominated by individuals who, according to Cohen, “are either insufficiently informed or express themselves in a manner that borders on anti-Semitism”.
Feeling of insecurity
Many Jewish students experience a feeling of insecurity at their place of study, says Beck. He is the only one of the three to wear a kippah. “There are usually no problems with that in Amsterdam, although I tend to cover it with a cap in certain neighbourhoods.” Most of the time he is not harassed, but he does occasionally face verbal abuse specifically directed at Jews.
“You avoid speaking Hebrew openly in public”, says Cohen. “You make sure not to attract attention, but that’s something we’re used to.”
“It seems that everywhere you look, even here on the VU campus, there are offensive caricatures”, says Turksma. “For example, I saw a poster likening Israel to the character Gollum from The Lord of the Rings. And one of the ‘house rules’ of the protest encampment on the campus square was that everyone was welcome ‘except Zionists’. You see stickers in toilets and lecture halls, and a poster that looked just like an official university poster, complete with VU template, saying ‘Free Palestine’ and showing the Palestinian flag, was also circulated. Some people feel that VU’s failure to step in is making this seem normal.”
Anti-Israel boycott
“It’s a difficult period”, sighs Turksma. In the last academic year, he represented the SRVU Student Union on the University Student Council (USC). The situation of Gaza is a subject of intense debate within the SRVU. Last March, a lot of members suddenly showed up to vote on a motion in support of the anti-Israel boycott movement. As a result, several members, Turksma included, resigned their membership.
Suitable space
Establishing an association involves a lot of work. “Progress is slow, partly due to security concerns”, says Beck. They are being advised by Professor of Jewish Studies Jessica Roitman and are in the midst of discussions with various diversity officers and deans. Recruitment efforts are key, as they need 75 registrations to gain official student association status. Next, a suitable space needs to be found, which will be no easy task, given that the association must also remain somewhat discreet.
This is an ambivalent thought of the three, in light of one of the goals of the Jewish Student Association, which is for Jewish students to be visible as part of the VU community, but not so much that they attract unwanted attention. And what about membership criteria? Can you refuse applications to join from individuals you may not trust? “These are things we still need to consider carefully”, says Beck.
‘Deel de Duif’
When asked whether they have sought information and contact with Turkish student association Anatolia, which is also located on the VU campus, they reply that they haven’t thought about it. Beck says that lately he has been somewhat hesitant to reach out to bodies representing students with a Muslim background. Since 7 October 2023, this has been accompanied by some tension. “October 7 is our 9/11”, says Beck. “And we also want to be able to voice our positive views on Israel without it turning into an argument straight away.” They praise the efforts of the ‘Deel de Duif’ (salaam, shalom, peace) initiative, which brings together Jewish and Muslim students to discuss Gaza and Israel, but are also keen to ensure the JSA is a place “where you can just have a good time together, safely and without fear or anger”, says Beck.