Some Jewish students are removing references to their identity, Hebrew language skills and involvement in Jewish organisations from their university applications for fear it could damage their chances of securing a place, according to a new survey.
Parents Against Antisemitism (PAA) found that 96 per cent of the 160 Jewish parents polled were concerned about antisemitism or hostility towards Jewish students when helping their children choose where to study.
Nearly eight in ten (79 per cent) said antisemitism was among their three most important considerations when selecting a university, while 42 per cent said they would rule out an otherwise suitable institution if it had a significant problem with antisemitism.
One parent said their daughter had decided not to mention that she spoke Hebrew or had completed a Jewish leadership programme on her UCAS application.
Another said: “We are hiding our identity and are terrified of anyone finding out ... we are really worried about the lack of support and extremist ideology on campus.”
Some families said they had ruled out prestigious universities despite their children achieving top grades, because they feared they would be unsafe.
One parent said they had not considered three leading universities offering their son's chosen course because of what they described as student activism directed at Jews, sometimes involving violence, and a perceived failure by institutions to protect Jewish students.
PAA said it was “absolutely appalling” that young people felt compelled to conceal their Jewish identity for fear of being rejected by university staff.
“Choosing a university should be an exciting time for students and their parents,” the group said. “So, it is incredibly sad and shocking that Jewish families have to worry about disguising their identity or whether the university they are considering is going to be a safe place to be a Jew.”
It added: “Ministers and university leaders urgently need to get to grips with the anti-Jewish hatred that is rampant on campuses.”
A separate survey of 1,000 students by the Union of Jewish Students (UJS) earlier this year found that nearly one in four had witnessed behaviour targeting Jewish students because of their religion or ethnicity. One in five said they would be reluctant to, or would never, share a flat with Jewish people.
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