The Jewish Campus?

"It is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, 

you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles." 

-Sun Tzu, The Art of War

 

Students Eating in The Berg at AJU

College is a flawed system, and yet, each of us are participating in it. It's probably because all Jews go to college. So, now that we're here, we should know what it is we're participating in. 

What kind of school do we go to? And who are we?

It may have “Jewish” in its title, but  The American Jewish University (AJU) is officially a non-denominational college. “American” precedes “Jewish,” and yet we fly an Israeli flag on this campus right alongside our American one. A recent survey went around that asked students whether they identify as “American Jews” or “Jewish Americans.”  A hot topic of conversation, both in and out of the classroom, is whatever’s going on in Israel and the surrounding areas, especially with the recent escalation in violence. Last week a class I attended asked each student to riff for three minutes on their “relationship with Israel, and how it changed at AJU.” 

What is our collective identity as students of the American Jewish University? How does being at a Jewish school affect our future job prospects? Is it an asset or a detriment?

AJU has a population that is 5% non-Jewish, a fact that was explored last week in an article by Sara Gold in “New Voices” an online Jewish publication. In it, minority students express both their joys in learning about Judaism, and their frustrations. Notably, Cameron Dean had this to say, of his experience getting oriented:

“We did so many Jewish traditions, and everyone there already knew most of the stuff or believed it heavily … It was odd being the only person thinking, ‘What is he talking about?’ I felt physically and religiously out of place, because I don’t think a lot of people understood me or why I was there.”

It’s notable that the sentiment Dean expresses is one of isolation—a feeling that many others have expressed on this campus as well. I’ve heard students express their frustrations with being Orthodox on a campus that they see as largely secular, and students who are secular express frustrations with the insider-attitude of camp Jews who all share the same rituals, and know the same melodies to songs. I’ve heard students who are staunch supporters of Israel talk about feeling like their state is disrespected by professors in class, and I personally have felt pressure to “stand with Israel,” when I’m not sure exactly where I stand. 

The universal feeling seems to be isolation, and the fact that this lonely emotion is shared by so many strikes me as very ironic, and very Jewish.

Read Sara's Article: "We are the 5%: Being Non-Jewish At American Jewish University"