Rabbi Seth Linfield (RSL): “I think what’s happening at Dartmouth is that we are building coalitions and understanding that there is antisemitism at Dartmouth and at other places but we are building coalitions and allies in the administration among other students and non-Jewish students and also making sure to continue to celebrate the joy and vitality of Jewish life and Jewish living. Not a counter to antisemitism but placing antisemitism in context of the full serious and joyfulness of being a Jewish person on campus

Sarah:  How many Jewish students are at Dartmouth?

RSL: 4000 undergrads and 2000 graduate students and around 9% of those students are Jewish.  So 380-400 undergrads.  Our Hillel has had some significant interaction with every Jewish student at Dartmouth.  Virtually all Jewish students have been through the building since 10/7 but even pre-10/7, had 120 students for Shabbat dinner

Since 10/7, several changes impacting Jewish students 1) Horror of the terrorist attacks and the images of the barbarism. 2) Anti-Israel activity that 10/7 has brought forth. 3) Challenge of being Jewish is that for 90% of the campus, it’s business as usual and the Jewish students are taking it very personally and many peers don’t relate. 4) In the environmental community and climate change community, many of the activists in that community have ruptured with the Jewish students and are now are doing significant anti-Israel activity on campus

Sarah: Do people feel less safe being outwardly Jewish – with a kippah or Jewish star necklace?

RSL: Not on Dartmouth’s campus.  Part of the reason is that the president of Dartmouth is Jewish, and other administrators have made very clear that Jewish students are welcome and that antisemitism is not welcome.  The fact that President Beilock is an ally doesn’t make a difference on social media.  Social media platforms that are only for Dartmouth students that still have some distressing messaging.

Sarah: have you been directly affected by antisemitism by 10/7 or at any point in your life?

RSL: When I walk across campus and there are agitators (mostly from outside, not students) chanting from the river to the sea, that tells me that right on the beautiful campus green at Dartmouth, there are people calling for Jews to be eliminated and that is distressing and that affects the environment for me and the Jewish students.  We try to counter that speech with inclusive and fact based speech.  We want to celebrate Jewish identity and Jewish values in all of our messaging.  When I was growing up in Brooklyn, NY, the neighborhood I grew up was 1/3 Jewish and whenever there were fights that broke out and even random altercations in elementary school, it was always associated with my being Jewish.  He hasn’t been directly affected like that since elementary school.  Part of what has happened since 10/7 is that conversations we have had about the Shoah and the antisemitism that was in history books, unfortunately we have recognized today that those conversations aren’t just in the past – and there is the distinct sense that Jews get singled out in a systematic and direct way (as Haman proposed) – we are seeing the singling out rise to the surface again (and it didn’t take a lot) after Israel was the nation that was attacked on 10/7.  

Sarah: What efforts has Dartmouth made to make Jewish students feel safe and to educate non-Jewish students about what is going on in the world?

RSL: 2 levels – parallel efforts.  Dartmouth Jewish studies and Near Eastern studies have set up dialogues among faculty – and this has been a model for how to have discussions – both the substance and how civilized respectful conversations can happen.  Hillel is also open doors all the time.  So our students meet regularly and say how we are going to respond.  And some things we are just not going to respond to or give a megaphone to. Or we will respond by social media or a flyer under a door or a letter to the editor of The Dartmouth.  There are academic departments, there are official responses by Hillel (by students).  Also – we have an inclusive welcoming community for Jews and non-Jews.  Part of what helps navigating through this difficult time - And it helps to develop allies and alliances.

Sarah:  Are there strategies for navigating antisemitism that you use or what you would suggest to Jewish students if they need to approach anti-Semitic students on campus?

RSL: One of the things that was interesting was that half of the students who were protesting didn’t know what the river was and what the sea was and then students (2/3) regretted that they protested.  However, it does seem on college campuses that antisemitism has somehow gotten swept up in the anti-colonialist, anti-oppressor rhetoric.  A lot of it is in education.  One can’t fight every fight.  One has to decide where my time is best spent.  And what is reasonably, actually going to help advance the conversation for the truth.  Counter harmful speech with more speech and better speech.

Sarah: Is there anything that you would like to add on that you haven’t yet touched on?

RSL:  How inspired he is with students taking part in the PAS project.  How PAS has always been at the forefront of marshaling the Jewish community.  PAS and Hillel at Dartmouth can have a sustained effort but it starts with you wanting to be involved with this.