This story is the first part of a series of ongoing coverage on how the school community is affected by the greater conflict in the Middle East. Tower recognizes how this conflict has vast effects on multitudes of communities not only but including how it affects Jewish American high school seniors in their search for the right campus fit. In that light, Tower will love to hear your voices on how the conflict has influenced your daily life. If you are in support of being interviewed or want to write a piece, please contact tower@mastersny.org and reference our letter to the editor and publication policies.

College 1* used to be Aron Tucker’s ’24 first choice. He was stuck between College 1* and College 2* because of their strong programs in International Relations, opportunities in the arts, geographic locations, and tight-knit communities.

The Israel-Gaza conflict has provoked strong reactions on college campuses around the United States, like protests and threats targeted at various identities. The week following Tucker’s revisits to College *1 and College *2, different actions, including antisemitic hate speech and hate symbols, occurred on those two campuses. 

After the universities released varying statements about the antisemitic acts on campus, Tucker’s decision was clear.

A critical criterion for Tucker was that he wanted to attend a college with a vibrant Jewish community that gained support from their peers and their college. He didn’t know how responses from the university’s leaders, or lack thereof, to antisemitism would determine where he applied for early decision. The week after he revisited the two schools, Tucker’s attention was called to the antisemitism and protests that occurred on the campuses of both College 1* and College 2*.

Tucker described how these incidents affected his school of choice for early decisions. 

“Of course, many schools will have these incidents, which is the sad truth. I looked for how the schools responded, and ultimately College 2* had a neutral response that still took a defensive stance against antisemitism speech and finding the perpetrators,” he said. 

Tucker continued, “College 1* didn’t release any statements condemning the acts or institute any repercussions, which was disheartening. It made me realize that I wouldn’t feel supported there.”

After careful reflection, he decided to apply early to attend College 2*, where he saw a strong sense of community and understanding of the Jewish people. He hopes to continue his love for talking to others with different viewpoints while being civil. 

“College 2* seemed adamant about supporting its Jewish students and ensuring everyone was safe,” Tucker said. “They listened to their Jewish community members, which, as such a small percentage [of students], is extremely important.” 

In addition to the anxieties that come with college admissions, many Jewish students at Masters have created a new set of criteria that they are looking for in their possible schools for the next four years. 

Senior Alexandra Costo didn’t consider her Jewish identity when she curated her college list until she saw how colleges responded to the ongoing attacks in Israel and Gaza. 

“I started reading the newsletters of some schools I applied to and how those administrations reacted to the conflict. For example, one of my top schools sent a newsletter from several professors that was one-sided, extremely, towards the Palestinian side. The problem failed to address how it was affecting Jewish students, which stung and raised my concerns for how the conflict might affect my college list,” Costo said. 

She mentioned that the school had not been removed from her college list, yet it ranked lower on her college list. 

At the beginning of her college search, Costo was looking at Catholic schools, where she would not be around many Jews. After the conflict began, she realized a Jewish community was an essential criterion for her college. 

“A strong Jewish community has become one of the top factors on my college list. Wherever I end up, I want there to be a Jewish population because I want to be surrounded by people who have the same things at stake and who understand the pain and fear that my people and I are going through,” Costo said. 

Senior Rachel Katzke stays near and dear to her Jewish identity. She is a part of the StandWithUs Kenneth Leventhal High School Internship—where she learns about Israel and how to combat antisemitism in her community—and is an active member of the Hudson Valley chapter of B’nai B’rith Youth Organization, BBYO, a movement aiming to connect Jewish teens to their identity. 

Based on how some colleges on her list have handled recent protests and acts of antisemitism, Katzke has decided not to apply to several colleges and has added colleges to her list amidst the rise of division on campuses. She described taking three of her intended regular decision colleges off her list and adding a different one. 

Katzke said, “Since the current crisis started, we’ve seen an increase in antisemitism on college campuses, and I’ve taken a second look at how college campuses are working to protect students and give us the resources to thrive.”

Katzke explained how she fears protecting her Jewish identity in college regardless of where she ends up. “I know that wherever I go to college, there will be a Jewish population, even if it’s small, so as a whole, I know I’ll be fine. There’s just a little inkling inside of me that’s scared to be a Jewish student on a college campus, especially right now. [But], I’m not going to skip college just because I’m Jewish,” she said. 

*College names have not been disclosed for privacy purposes

As a result of these and other concerns about navigating Jewish identity in college, the College Counseling Office, with the support of the Center for Inclusive Excellence, has organized ongoing discussion groups that focus on specific topics related to being a Jewish student in college. 

College counselor Karin Tucker said that she has seen common themes among the Jewish senior students, who feel scared and unsure about the next steps in their college list and process. 

There are no right or wrong answers, K. Tucker explained. When students seek advice from their college counselor on whether or not they should apply to a school because of an event on campus K. Tucker said. “They are met with a safe space to air their concerns and provided with guidance on how to navigate their decisions.” She continued, “Ultimately, it is a very personal family decision on how they choose to navigate whether the college is the right choice for them based on what they have learned from the facts.” 

College counselor Julia Morris said, “What we [the Masters College Counseling Office] try to do is hear the students, listen to their fears, and talk through those concerns with them. We encourage students who bring up campus-specific events to investigate how the institution reacted to those events and what support was given in the aftermath.”