• No thanks: According to a Hillel survey, nearly two-thirds of Jewish students eliminated a college because of campus anti-Semitism. Every rabbi interviewed in The Atlantic piece knew students who rejected an elite northeastern college to go somewhere they perceived as more welcoming. Ramaz, a Modern Orthodox school in New York, usually sends more than a dozen graduates to Columbia each year – last year, it sent zero.
• The southern difference – poaching Jewish students: Elite southern schools quickly cracked down on anti-Israel protests, and take pains to differentiate themselves from their northeastern peers. Vanderbilt Chancellor Daniel Diermeier: “We want to create a place where there’s thriving Jewish life, just like we do for all the other students. But again, it’s particularly salient right now because of the contrast with other universities.” Tulane (40 percent Jewish!) President Michael Fitts: “We’re trying to create a supportive community, and we will act affirmatively against anti-Semitism and other forms of discrimination.”
• What’s in it for the southern schools – besides southern hospitality? “Jewish families are historically philanthropic and give back,” said Mike Uram, a Jewish nonprofit leader. Adds Hillel CEO Adam Lehman: “Jewish students add value to a campus community in terms of their academic work; in terms of their overall commitment to elevating campus life through community service and partnerships; and through the way they stay connected to their alma maters – including as donors.”
• Making Jewish students feel welcome: Washington University in St. Louis opened a mid-year transfer program for Jewish students after Oct.7. Andrew Martin, the university’s chancellor, released a statement touting his campus’s tough response to protests that violated university policy. “We have no tolerance,” Martin said. Vanderbilt chancellor Daniel Diermeier issued a similar statement. The University of Florida, meanwhile, started a program on Jewish classical education. Clemson University launched a partnership with Israeli universities.
• The Jewish student population is growing: Jewish-student interest in Emory University (Atlanta) and Vanderbilt has more than doubled since Oct. 7; University of Florida’s Hillel chapter experienced a 50 percent increase in student participation from 2021 to 2025; Clemson saw its Hillel grow fourfold in the same period; and Southern Methodist University (Dallas) now has more Jewish students than Harvard.
• From Columbia to Duke: “I got into Columbia and was highly considering it,” said Evan Glasberg, an alumnus of the Modern Orthodox Ramaz School in New York, who just completed his first year at Duke University. But after speaking with Jewish students at Columbia who questioned whether they should hide their Jewish identity, Glasberg said his decision was clear. “These were things nobody should even have to consider, let alone follow through on.”

Here’s a neat list of the schools mentioned in the articles: Clemson University; Duke University; Elon University (North Carolina); Emory University; Southern Methodist University; Tulane University; University of Florida; University of Miami; University of Texas; Vanderbilt University; Wake Forest University (North Carolina); and Washington University in St. Louis.