For the first time in decades, graduates from an elite Upper East Side Jewish high school will not be enrolling in Columbia University’s prestigious liberal arts college, with antisemitism being a contributing factor. According to Ramaz, this marks a departure from the norm as no Ramaz graduates will join Columbia College this year.
The statement from Ramaz clarified that while one student will attend Columbia’s School of General Studies and three others will enroll at Barnard College, none will be starting at Columbia College itself. The school noted that previous semester’s antisemitism and anti-Israel protests at Columbia influenced this decision.
Columbia College sees no Ramaz graduates as antisemitism and anti-Israel protests impact decision
A Ramaz representative emphasized that the school provides extensive information about various colleges, prioritizing concerns over rising antisemitic incidents to help students and their families make informed choices.
Rory Lancman, a prominent Jewish civil rights advocate and Columbia Law School alumnus, advised Jewish students against applying to Columbia due to the recent antisemitic atmosphere. Lancman, whose daughters graduated from Ramaz, highlighted the shift of Jewish families towards institutions that take antisemitism seriously.
Columbia University is currently dealing with remarkable unrest. President Minouche Shafik resigned last week after a turbulent year marked by persistent anti-Israel protests. Her resignation followed the departure of three university deans, exposed for disparaging Israeli and Jewish students’ concerns.
In April, a large group of masked demonstrators took over a Columbia academic building, displaying a flag calling for “intifada.” This incident included destructive acts and confrontations with campus security, largely spurred by the violent escalation in Israel initiated by Hamas’s attack on October 7, 2023.
For the first time in decades, graduates from an elite Upper East Side Jewish high school will not be enrolling in Columbia University’s prestigious liberal arts college, with antisemitism being a contributing factor. According to Ramaz, this marks a departure from the norm as no Ramaz graduates will join Columbia College this year.
The statement from Ramaz clarified that while one student will attend Columbia’s School of General Studies and three others will enroll at Barnard College, none will be starting at Columbia College itself. The school noted that previous semester’s antisemitism and anti-Israel protests at Columbia influenced this decision.
A Ramaz representative emphasized that the school provides extensive information about various colleges, prioritizing concerns over rising antisemitic incidents to help students and their families make informed choices.
Rory Lancman, a prominent Jewish civil rights advocate and Columbia Law School alumnus, advised Jewish students against applying to Columbia due to the recent antisemitic atmosphere. Lancman, whose daughters graduated from Ramaz, highlighted the shift of Jewish families towards institutions that take antisemitism seriously.
Columbia University is currently dealing with unrest. President Minouche Shafik resigned last week after a turbulent year marked by persistent anti-Israel protests. Her resignation followed the departure of three university deans, exposed for disparaging Israeli and Jewish students’ concerns.
In April, a large group of masked demonstrators took over a Columbia academic building, displaying a flag calling for “intifada.” This incident included destructive acts and confrontations with campus security, largely spurred by the violent escalation in Israel initiated by Hamas’s attack on October 7, 2023.
