Columbia University Taught the World to Hate Jews

The intellectual roots of modern antisemitism originated in the Columbia English department

On April 17, 2024, pro-Hamas protesters seized my alma mater, Columbia University, and nearly tore it to shreds. The incident, featuring Nazi-era harassment of Jewish students and a Vietnam-style encampment, culminated in the violent occupation of Hamilton Hall—a notable campus building housing several humanities departments—and remained at the forefront of American political discourse for nearly a month. Later that year, three campus administrators were suspended for sending antisemitic messages in a group chat, leaving Jewish Americans across the country both perplexed and disturbed.

Why was an allegedly open-minded Ivy League university suddenly so hostile to its Jewish population?

To make matters worse, no one could have predicted that, two years later, this seemingly isolated incident of Jew hatred would become the new norm for Jews around the world.

But why?

I’ve spent the last two years trying to answer that question. What I found was far more disturbing than anything I could have predicted.