The Education Secretary, Miguel Cardona, has made a commitment to protect Jewish college students in his first public statement regarding the recent harassment and violence on campuses since the attack on Israel by Hamas on October 7.
In his address to a group of approximately twenty-four Jewish students and campus leaders during a roundtable discussion at Towson University on Thursday, Cardona stated, “I’m not Jewish, but I am appalled and horrified by what I’m hearing across the country. I want to assure you that we have your back.”
He further added, “The Department of Education will take all necessary measures to ensure your safety on campus and to enable you to celebrate your culture without fear.”
This roundtable, which included students from Johns Hopkins University, Goucher College, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and Towson, is part of the Biden administration’s campaign to raise awareness about antisemitism.
During the discussion, students expressed feelings of isolation on campus and concerns about physical and online threats due to their Jewish identities.
They urged the Department of Education to issue guidance that would encourage campus leaders to denounce antisemitism, criticizing them for their neutral stance on antisemitic incidents.
In response, Cardona assured the students that the department, in collaboration with the White House, is working on releasing a guidance letter to college leaders very soon, providing clear language on their stance against antisemitism.
“Jewish students across the country are skipping school after what happened on October 7 and subsequent incidents,” Cardona stated, emphasizing that such behavior is unacceptable.
During the meeting, Cardona took notes as the students shared their experiences of facing antisemitic incidents and offered recommendations for addressing and preventing antisemitism on campus.
Cardona’s visit to Towson University follows complaints from Jewish students who have encountered combative protests from pro-Palestinian students and experienced antisemitic incidents on campus.
Prior to the roundtable, some Towson students expressed concerns about attending class on Wednesday due to a pro-Palestinian protest organized by the university’s Young Democratic Socialists of America chapter.
Students informed Cardona about the chants in support of “Jewish genocide” and the harassment faced by Jewish students who pray in the campus’ “Freedom Square” daily.
The chalkboards in the square display the Palestinian flag, Jewish stars, and phrases such as “free Gaza,” “let Gaza live,” and “no peace on stolen land.” Additionally, the chant used by Hamas, “From the river to the sea,” has been written on the chalkboards.
Max Zimmerman, who established the Jewish prayer group at Towson in response to the Israel-Hamas conflict, conveyed to Cardona that students have been engaging in antisemitic speech and actions without facing consequences.
“There must be consequences for hate speech and harassment,” Zimmerman said, sharing pictures of an incident where students wrote “F— the Jews” on the chalkboards while his group was praying. The perpetrators then followed a Jewish student to class and harassed her, according to several Towson students.
Other students also bravely shared stories of feeling fearful or being targeted on campus due to their Jewish identities.
Cardona expressed his gratitude to the students for their openness and later advised them to “take care of each other.”
“I deeply regret that you are experiencing these things,” he stated. “I commit – not only as a secretary but as a father – to do for you what I would want done for my own children, so you can feel safe and be yourselves on campus.”
