'Not one way' Jewish college students are experiencing the war, local rabbi says

Tuesday marks two years since the Hamas attack on Israel. The University of Minnesota will be a place of both protest and mourning, with Jewish students potentially participating in both. That duality, and everything in between, is what Rabbi Jill Avrin is tasked with grappling.

“There are not just Zionist students and anti-Zionist students,” said Avrin, who is in her first semester in a new role as director of campus affairs with the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas.

Avrin is no stranger to bridging divides. Since the start of the war, she’s been meeting over meals with a local Palestinian peace activist. It’s an effort to push each other’s perspectives on the conflict. The environment on college campuses hasn’t been as cordial. Campuses, including the University of Minnesota, have been at the center of increased tensions over the war.

In May 2024, the Twin Cities campus had a days-long pro-Palestinian encampment. In October 2024, students were arrested after occupying a building on campus in protest of the University’s investments in Israel. The protests and demonstrations have caught the eye of the Trump administration. The U is one of five universities under federal investigation for reports of antisemitism.

Avrin says while more public demonstrations have calmed down, the “anti-Israel sentiment” is still there.

“The biggest thing that I'm hearing from students is really this desire to lay low, a trepidation around sharing their Jewish identity, and really just a concern or fear about how they might be perceived or judged if they share that they're Jewish,” said Avrin.

But Avrin recognizes that’s just one of the many feelings of Jewish students.

“There's not one way that Jewish students are experiencing this moment.”

Avrin points to a new study that looks at the experiences of Jewish college students following the war. It found students often fit in six categories. They range from students whose Jewish identity has deepened during the war to students who feel betrayed by Jewish institutions, and also students who are disengaged to avoid conflict.

On Tuesday, Avrin will work to make Hillel — the building on campus for Jewish community — a place where students feel comfortable expressing their identity, both in joy and in mourning. Oct. 7 this year is not only the anniversary of the Hamas attack, but also the first day of the holiday Sukkot.

“One of the interesting things about this holiday is that we're commanded to be joyful,” Avrin shared, “You have this bizarre experience where we have our Sukkah outside the building and we're inviting students to come and dwell and experience the joy of the holiday, and at the same time, we're holding this immense grief and mourning, not only for what happened on October 7, but everything after as well.”

On Oct. 7, Hamas militants killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages. 48 hostages remain in captivity. Israel responded by launching attacks in Gaza, which have killed 67,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza health ministry. Last month, a team of independent experts commissioned by the United Nations’ Human Rights Council concluded that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.  Israel rejected what it called a “distorted and false” report.

 A Washington Post poll found that more than 6 in 10 American Jews say that Israel has committed war crimes against Palestinians in Gaza. It also found nearly 4 in 10 describe Israel's actions in Gaza as genocide. 

Avrin’s efforts aren’t just limited to engaging with Jewish students. She hopes to create a cross-cultural dialogue. Last year, Avrin shared there was an attempt for a panel on the conflict, but the students decided “the campus wasn’t ready for it.”

Avrin hopes she can support students in having those conversations in a way that she says has yet to happen since the war began.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.

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