Ellen Geller Kamaras 

Hamas’ barbaric October 7th attack on Israel, and the war which has been raging in its wake, have had a significant impact on U.S. college campuses, giving rise to the question of whether they are a viable option for Jewish students. 

Since October 7th, anti-Semitism has surged in much of the world, and especially in colleges. 

I still remember when one could separate anti-Zionism from anti-Semitism, when those opposed to Israel’s policies and actions did not necessarily show hostility to all Jews. Today, however, anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism are one and the same, as the enemies of the Jewish State openly express their contempt for Jews generally. Indeed, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, a”h, famously described anti-Zionism as “the new anti-Semitism.” And so the anti-Zionism currently running rampant in academia – to the point where many university administrations could not even bring themselves to unambiguously condemn the October 7th terror attack – poses a risk to all Jews on campus. 

“Into the Lion’s Den” 

On the campuses of Ivy League schools, private universities and state universities throughout the country, protestors loudly chant calls to “free Palestine,” and cry, “From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free” – a thinly veiled wish for the destruction of the world’s only Jewish State. 

One night in late October, a group of Jewish students at New York City’s Cooper Union were forced to barricade themselves in a school library as frenzied pro-Palestinian activists pounded menacingly on the windows. Around a week earlier, an instructor at Stanford University was suspended for ordering his Jewish students to stand in a corner, labelling them as “colonizers.”   

The response by universities to Hamas’ attack, and to the anti-Semitism on their campuses, has resulted in a “donor revolt,” with key philanthropists announcing the discontinuation of their financial support of certain elite institutions. These include Ronald Lauder, Marc Rowan, Jon Huntsman (Penn); Bill Ackman and Leslie and Abigail Wexner (Harvard); and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft (Columbia). 

Naturally, the situation has triggered fears among Jewish students and parents. Many Jewish parents are, understandably, fearful of sending their children away to colleges where they may be harassed, isolated, and subject to bias by professors with passionate antipathy to Israel.   

What, then, are the preferred options for our generation’s college-age youth? Do we keep our children close to home, or allow them to expand their horizons despite the anti-Semitic sentiments that permeate throughout this nation’s colleges?   

Of course, even before October 7th, most of us understood that children cannot be kept in a bubble forever.   

“Every child grows up in a bubble,” says pediatrician Dr. Meg Meeker. “The real question for parents is: what kind of bubble do you want your child to grow up in?  Like-influences support kids in the direction they are traveling, and we as parents are the ones who decide which direction we want our kids to go. This is responsible parenting.” 

But does responsible parenting involve steering our children away from certain schools due to the fear of anti-Semitism? Moreover, if we pull our children out of excellent universities, or don’t send them to college at all, does that mean we grant the anti-Semites victory? 

More than 55,000 people have joined the Facebook group “Mothers Against College Anti-Semitism” to address these and similar questions. Members share reports of anti-Semitism at colleges, and exchange information about the safest schools for Jewish kids. One mother said she wasn’t willing to send her teen “into the lion’s den.” She explained that it would be different if her child was in graduate school or already established at a college, but “freshman year of college is complicated enough,” adding the anti-Israel vitriol sounded daily on campuses could easily lead to physical violence. 

What Jewish Youths – and Their Parents – are Saying 

This past February, BBYO, the world’s leading pluralistic Jewish teen movement, completed a thorough survey of Jewish high school students to assess the impact of the 10/7 terrorist attacks on young American Jews. The findings were grim, with Jewish teens reporting an increase in anti-Semitic discrimination and incidents. More than 70 percent of the youngsters in the survey said they experienced harassment either in person or online. Well over half (64 percent) of the participants responded that anti-Semitism on campus was a significant factor in choosing a college.  

Twelfth grader Ethan Smith says that he withdrew his application to the University of Pennsylvania after hearing the university’s president, Liz Magill, testify to Congress that calling for the genocide of Jews wouldn’t necessarily violate the institution’s rules. He plans to attend Rutgers University in his home state of New Jersey. Rutgers has a large Jewish population, and Ethan thus felt he could be comfortable there without having to continually look over his shoulder. 

Bianca De Almeida, a high school senior from Miami, says she was very affected by the December Congressional hearing, in which the presidents of Harvard University and MIT declined to state whether campus policy prohibited calls for the genocide of Jews. Many youngsters, Bianca reports, did not apply to those schools out of safety concerns. Indeed, Harvard reported a 17 percent decline in early decision applications.  

A different survey, commissioned by the Jewish campus group Hillel International in March 2024, found that an overwhelming majority of Jewish parents of high school juniors and seniors say the October 7th attack and its aftermath have affected their children’s college plans. Alarmingly, 19 percent said they were considering not enrolling their children in any college. 

The Hillel survey was conducted three months after the shocking Congressional hearing on campus anti-Semitism, and more than five months post October 7th. 

Over 80 U.S. Department of Education investigations into possible violations of the Title VI anti-discrimination law in colleges and schools have been initiated, a large percentage of which involved suspected anti-Semitism. Sixty percent of the parents responding to the survey said that news of investigations was a significant factor in their child’s choice of a college. 

Hillel’s President and CEO Adam Lehman described these findings as “an important additional wake-up call for universities that their positive actions, or failure to act, is going to have real consequences when it comes to their ability to attract Jewish students.” 

Nevertheless, Lehman does not believe that parents should keep their kids out of college altogether. He stated that Hillel is “working hard to ensure that we fix the campus climate at schools where the climate is broken, rather than really self-ghettoizing in terms of where Jewish students feel comfortable attending university.” 

The Jewish University Option 

The tidal wave of anti-Semitism on college campuses has encouraged more HS students to opt for Jewish universities. 

A 5/27/24 report cited that enrollment has soared to a record high at Yeshiva University (YU), America’s only university under Orthodox Jewish auspices, increasing by approximately 52 percent since October 7th. The rise included Jewish transfer students from Ivy League universities seeking a more secure environment. YU President Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman said that the institution had to lease additional residences for its Midtown campus. 

YU student Ethan Oliner explains that growing tensions on the Cornell University campus forced him to transfer to YU.  “It’s a safe environment where you’re able to focus on your actual studies, and not on fighting anti-Semitism.”  

YU extended its deadline for transfer students seeking to move to YU this coming fall, in order to accommodate the exodus from other institutions. 

On May 29th, at Yeshiva University’s commencement ceremony, it gave a special award to Senator John Fetterman, a Pennsylvania Democrat, who has emerged as a leading supporter of Israel since October 7th. The Senator has wallpapered his office with pictures of the hostages, and wears the popular dog tags to express his fervent hope for their release. In interviews and on social media, Senator Fetterman has been outspoken about Israel’s right to wage its unrelenting war against the barbaric Hamas terror organization, and about the worrying scourge of anti-Semitism. In his acceptance speech, the Senator repudiated his alma mater, Harvard, for what he described as the university’s “inability to stand up for the Jewish community after October 7th.” 

Sophia Esses, mother of Sandy, a senior at Hillel Yeshiva in Deal, shared that her daughter, an honors student, chose to attend Stern College, YU’s undergraduate institution for women.  As they have closely followed world events, Sophia and her husband, David, spoke openly with Sandy about the October 7th attack, Israel’s current war, and anti-Semitism. Sandy had no interest in attending universities where Jewish students don’t feel safe, and where college officials didn’t put an end to violent and disruptive anti-Israel protests. Sophia says she’s grateful that Sandy will be able to focus on learning without distracting and unsettling anti-Israel activity on campus. 

Sandy will live at the Stern dormitory in Manhattan. Her parents believe that attending a Jewish college in the heart of midtown Manhattan strikes the appropriate balance for a young adult such as their daughter, as she will be living on her own, but in a safe, Orthodox Jewish environment. 

A Silver Lining? 

Renowned Israeli media personality Sivan Rahav-Meir spent Shabbat with 150 Chabad women emissaries from global college campuses, and shared the following reflections:  

“I heard about the anti-Semitism and lies they are facing, but mainly heard about their proud Jewish and pro-Israel response to the belligerent atmosphere on their campuses. One woman told of “Israel Apartheid week” advertised on a hostile campus. Her husband said, ‘I’m sure that many students whom we’ve never seen before will join us this Shabbat meal.’ We have seen with our own eyes, how the darkness increases the light.” 

As has frequently happened through our long, tumultuous history, the rise of anti-Semitism has had the effect of awakening many Jews to their roots, and reinforcing their Jewish identity. The hostility shown to Jews on campuses have prompted many Jewish youngsters to reassess their attitudes toward the liberal values championed by so much of academia, which now include an irrational hatred of the world’s only Jewish State, and support for its ruthless, inhumane enemies.  The rise of anti-Semitic sentiments has thus been met with a rise in Jewish pride and interest in Judaism among Jewish college kids. 

Regardless, time will tell whether current trends will continue, pushing more and more Jewish youths away from college campuses, or if the fanatical, obsessive contempt for Israel might trigger a backlash and a gradual return to normalcy, at least in some academic institutions. In the meantime, Jewish teens and their parents are carefully exploring their options in determining where the most formative years of their lives can be spent productively, meaningfully, and, most important of all, safely.

Factors to Consider When Choosing a University

Many of these considerations were relevant before October 7th, but are even more critical now.   

1. Parents and the prospective HS graduate should meet with their HS college guidance counselor and discuss the student’s options and which colleges would be an appropriate match given his or her grades, financial needs, preferences, and long-term goals. 
2. Do some extra research about the climate at colleges of interest, including reaching out to their on-campus organizations. Is your child’s HS guidance department doing their due diligence vis-à-vis colleges they recommend? I heard that the college guidance counselors of some Jewish HS’s are visiting college campuses across the country to vet these schools. 
3. The parents and the prospective graduate should plan a visit to the university. This visit would include talking to the college administration, to the Hillel and Chabad directors, and to other Jewish students, and spending a Shabbat on campus. 
4. Check availability of kosher food options and proximity to synagogues or Jewish communities.  
5. Find out whether there were pro-Palestinian protests and encampments on the campus of the school your child is interested in.   
6. Jewish parents and their children can consider colleges with a large percentage of Jewish students, or Jewish universities, such as Yeshiva University, Touro College, and Focus Education.  

Ellen Geller Kamaras, CPA/MBA, is an International Coach Federation (ICF) Associate Certified Coach.  Her coaching specialties include life, career and dating coaching. Ellen is active in her community and is currently the Vice-President of Congregation Bnai Avraham in Brooklyn Heights. She can be contacted at ellen@lifecoachellen.com (www.lifecoachellen.com)

By Rabbi Hayim Asher Arking and Rabbi Ezra Ghodsi 

Note: The following halachot apply only to Shivah Asar B’Tammuz and similar fast days, NOT to Tisha B’Av or Yom Kippur. 

Why do we fast on Shivah Asar B’Tammuz? 

On the 17th of Tammuz five things occurred that we commemorate and mourn with our fasting: 

• The first Luhot were broken. 

• Before the destruction of the first Bet Hamikdash, the Jews were forced to cease sacrificing the korban tamid (the daily morning and afternoon sacrifice). 

• During the time of the second Bet Hamikdash, the wall surrounding Yerushalayim was breached by the armies that would ultimately go on to destroy the Bet Hamikdash. 

• Apustomos, a Greek minister, burnt the Torah. 

• An idol was placed in the Hechal of the Bet Hamikdash. (According to some this was also done by Apustomus. Others say this was done by King Menashe during the times of the first Bet Hamikdash).  

Fasting encourages us to reflect on the sins that brought about these calamities, thus inspiring us to do teshuva. It is also proper to give tzedakah on a ta’anit. Some say that one should give money equivalent to the cost of the amount of food that he would have eaten. 

Who is required to fast? 

Men and women who are above the age of bar/bat mitzvah are required to fast. Women who are pregnant or nursing, or a woman who has given birth within the past 30 days (even if she is not nursing), are exempt from fasting.  

May I break my fast if I have a headache? 

One who is experiencing a headache should continue to fast. If one feels too weak to fast, a rabbi should be consulted to decide on a case-by-case basis.  

May I take Tylenol or Advil? 

One may swallow the pill without water, provided that it does not have a flavored coating. If it is too difficult to swallow without water, it is permitted to use a tiny bit of water to aid in swallowing the pill. 

I accidentally made a beracha, should I eat a little so the beracha is not in vain? 

According to many poskim (Hida, Hacham Ovadia, and others), because reciting a beracha in vain is a uniquely severe prohibition, one should eat a tiny amount, so that the beracha will not be in vain. Afterward, one should continue their fast, and Anienu would still be recited in the Amidah. Others are of the opinion (Kaf Ha’Hayim, Ohr L’Tzion) that one should not even eat a small amount, and should instead recite – “ברוך שם כבוד מלכותו לעולם ועד.” 

How do I know the food I am cooking is seasoned properly? 

One is allowed to taste a small amount, (up to a revi’it – approx. 75ml), provided that it is spit out, and none of it is swallowed. When tasting the food, a beracha is not recited. Even on a non-fast day, if one is tasting food solely to see if it is seasoned properly, a beracha is not recited. 

May I brush my teeth or use mouthwash? 

One who is accustomed to brushing or using mouthwash every morning is permitted to do so, provided that a revi’it (~75ml) of water is not put into the mouth at one time. One should keep their head facing down to ensure that no water is swallowed.  

May I chew gum? 

Chewing gum on a fast day is not permitted. Although the gum itself is not swallowed, the flavoring and sweetness are. 

May one use a Listerine strip on a fast day? 

It would depend on how it is being used. Some view it as an item that does not taste good and is used solely to get rid of bad breath. It would therefore be permitted if left to dissolve completely in the mouth. Others view the strips as a good-tasting item that is prohibited on a fast day, as it would be no different from mint chewing gum.  

May one who is not fasting get an Aliyah? 

One who is not fasting may not get an Aliyah on a fast day. If the fast is on a Monday or Thursday, he may only get an Aliyah in the morning. 

Why do we wear tallit and tefillin at Minha? 

One of the reasons why our community adopted the custom to place tefillin at Minha, is in order to recite two extra berachot. David HaMelech instituted that one should recite one hundred berachot every day. On a regular weekday, one will reach the required amount by praying all the tefillot and reciting berachot before and after eating. However, on a ta’anit, where one only eats at night and not during the day, we put on tallit and tefillin to gain the extra berachot. 

What time does the fast end? 

The fast ends at tzet hakochavim (when three medium-sized stars are visible in the night sky). The exact time is subject to varying opinions and customs, and one should follow the custom of their shul and rabbi.

Ezra C. Sultan 

The Magen David Yeshiva Warriors led by Coaches Ezra Sultan and Richie Mizrachi became the first team to win back-to-back titles in the Yeshiva Softball League. 

It was not an easy feat – as they needed to beat the undefeated YDE team. YDE, led by Coaches Sammy Esses and Max Antar, boasted a 7-0 record during the regular season and was the favorite to win this year’s title.  

The MDY Warriors were led by pitching ace Charles Sultan and a stellar defense and offense that consisted of  3rd baseman Hymie J. Gindi, SS Benny R. Mizrachi, SCF Charles Azar, 2B Jack J. Gindi, 1B Michael Esses, LF Daniel Saff, Catcher Mark Antar, CF Albert Ancona, RF Jacob Kassin, DH Solly Gindi, Jack Avital, Izzy Benjamin, Elliot Movazeb, and Benny D. Mizrachi. 

 YDE was led by a group of All Stars that included Abraham Shammah, Raymond Swed, Eddie Saadia, Eddie Dweck, Jack Shrem, Isaac Sardar, Jack Hoffman, David Antar, Raymin Imani, Abie Gindi, Morris Sutton, and Jacob Esses. 

 Entering the final inning, the teams were tied at 1-1. Then, in the 7th inning, the MDY Warriors broke the game and the hearts of all the YDE Fans.  

Jack J. Gindi led off with a walk, followed by a single by his brother Hymie. Daniel Saff followed with a line drive single to give MDY a 2-1 lead.  MDY went on to add two more runs, highlighted by a monster RBI double by Michael Esses. 

YDE did not go down without a fight, as they did manage to load the bases in the bottom of the inning – but only came away with one run.  

Final score: MDY 4  YDE 2. 

Congratulations MDY Warriors! 

Tuvia Cohen 

Children’s games are fun, and should not be discouraged. Games are to children what work is to an adult. Of the wide spectrum of games available to the young, one of the most popular, exciting, and certainly cheapest is called Hide and Seek. In this particular game, which seems to enjoy universal popularity as well as uniformity of rules, one individual stands in the corner, with his eyes closed, and counts until 100 (“1, 2 …  miss a few… 99, 100”).  

Ready or Not! 

While the chosen one is counting, the other members of the group have to hide themselves around the house. Favorite hiding places include broom closets, behind armchairs, underneath beds, and beneath tables. After reaching the agreed number, the seeker shouts out, “100 – coming, ready or not!” and then attempts to locate the temporarily invisible members of his group. Having played the game before, the seeker usually knows where to look, and when he finds the hider, mutual squeals of delight are emitted, and the first person back to base is the winner. 

The great shame is that the people hiding cannot really conceal themselves effectively. If they hid in the broom closet, then no sooner does the excited seeker open the door than they are immediately spotted.  

We would like to suggest an improvement to this game, which will greatly enhance its enjoyment. The suggestion is that all participants should be able to blend into the background of their hiding place entirely. The one hiding in the broom closet should take on the appearance of brooms, the one concealed in the pantry should resemble a jar of peanut butter and a bag of flour, and the one furtively crouching under the bed should be able to simulate a pair of slippers. If the suggestion is adopted, then the game of Hide and Seek will go on for much longer; in fact, it will never end. 

Those endowed with a skeptical nature might protest that the suggestion is impractical. How can anyone change his appearance to resemble brooms, jars or slippers? The very idea is quite preposterous. We disagree! Go to the animal world and there you will see creatures that are able to camouflage themselves to a remarkable degree. If they can do it, why can’t we? Let us have a closer look. 

Changing Skin Color 

A toad is a large frog. Should you ever walk along a wooded path and wish to see one, you would probably be unsuccessful. The toad looks like the lump of earth that it sits on, just with extra refinements. On a dry day, its skin is light brown to match the dry leaves and soil. When the rain falls and darkens the ground, the toad’s skin darkens, too.  

There is a member of the spider family called the crab spider. This creature has the capability of changing its color to match the flower it is sitting on. Its perfect camouflage hides it from insects when they settle on the flower to feed. Then the spider moves quickly to catch them for its own dinner.  

Down in the sea lives a flatfish called a dab. As it moves along the seabed, its skin color changes to match the background. If it were placed on a chessboard, the dab would become checkered.  

Of all the color-changing creatures, the chameleon has the biggest color range. To blend in with its surroundings, and thus remain unnoticed, its skin can switch from black to yellow, from blue to red! 

Matter of Survival 

Let us pause for a moment and pose a question. Imagine that you were dissatisfied with the color of your skin. Perhaps you had freckles and wish you hadn’t. Perhaps you had no freckles and wished you had. Do you think that standing in front of a mirror, repeating time and time again, “Skin, grow freckles” or “Freckles, disappear,” would change your appearance?  

However hard we try, we cannot (without external means) alter either the color or texture of our skin or hair. Animals, however, can. How did they learn this obviously difficult task? Is it possible, for example, that originally the toads were colored bright orange? When they discovered that gaudy colors were attracting the attention of predators, they held an emergency meeting of the International Confederation of Toads to discuss their plight. One inspired toad put forward the suggestion that they should all change their skin color to adapt to the environment. The motion was carried unanimously (with loud cheers of “Toad-ah-rabbah”) and henceforth the toads lived happily ever after.  

Do you believe in fairy tales? Let us be clear. Animals’ necessity to camouflage is not a game. It is a matter of survival. If they did not have the capability of successfully concealing themselves (the very best that human predators – soldiers – can do is to stick some twigs in their helmets) they must have been endowed with the necessary machinery and instincts from the beginning of their existence. 

Creatures in Costume 

There is a small insect found in tropical rain forests called the Javanese leaf insect. Even if you chose that location for your Lag B’Omer outing, it is unlikely that you would find it, for it mimics the leaf to perfection. Its skin looks like the skin of a real leaf, green and rubbery, and even the detailed structure of a central rib and veins are faithfully reproduced. It has marks on its body to resemble holes in a dying leaf, and even its legs look like curled-up leaves. Lying still, the insect is virtually undetectable.  

In the same rain forest, the less friendly boa constrictor’s skin does not mimic its surroundings. It is, however, highly effective at blending with the characteristic dappling of sunlight filtering through leaves in exactly the same way as military camouflage is used (or, to be more precise, military camouflage tries to copy the methods used by animals).  

Zebras, which live on the African grasslands where lions are often out looking for a meal, confuse their mortal enemy by their distinctive stripes, which in bright daylight can disguise their shape. In the dim light of dawn or dusk, the stripes seem to blend together and help the zebras blend into the background. What is even more remarkable is that young zebras have their striped coats from birth, so that they can hide in the herd with the mother zebra, where the stripes of all the zebras blend together. 

Masters of Disguise  

If you are looking for real ingenuity in disguise, consider the decorator crab. This crab, which lives in the sea, disguises its presence by covering its body with objects from the seabed. It uses seaweed, bits of sponge and mosses to complete the cover.  

Amazingly, all these objects are attached to the back of the crab by thousands of tiny hooked bristles which cover its entire body. Those bristles did not grow by accident!  

In contrast, the squid, which shares the ocean floor as its habitat, ejects a small cloud of ink, roughly the shape and size of itself, and then slips away while the enemy is distracted by the ink cloud. What equipment does the squid require to produce and eject ink, and who told it what its shape is? Does it have a mirror? 

Animals in Winter Coats 

No one likes to be conspicuous. Would you like to wear a bright red kippah in shul on Yom Kippur where everyone is wearing white? Similarly, animals with dark coats would easily be seen in the snow.  

Fortunately for them – “them” being the snowy owl, the polar bear, the snowshoe hare, the stoat, and the lemming, among others – they grow a white coat to help them hide. Some are white or pale-colored all year round, whereas others change the color of their coat to suit the season.  

The ptarmigan is a bird which has a white coat in winter, but in spring starts to grow its speckled brown summer coat. The male keeps his white coat far longer than the female, because hunters will see him before they spot the well-camouflaged female, who is sitting on her eggs! Accident or design? The answer is clear – this cannot be an accident. 

The message cannot be hidden or disguised. Animal camouflage is so clever, so cunning, and so vital to its very existence, that the design involved cannot be concealed. The truth cannot be camouflaged! There must be a master Designer.