Posted on 08/18/24
Just ahead of the new school year and in the face of rising antisemitism on college campuses across the United States, one young man stands out as a powerful voice for change. Shabbos Kestenbaum, a recent graduate of Harvard University, has become a prominent figure in the fight against discrimination and harassment of Jewish students on college campuses.
Kestenbaum's path to becoming an outspoken advocate began in 2017 with his decision to attend Aish Gesher, a program that would prove instrumental in shaping his future. "Aish Gesher was pretty new at the time," Kestenbaum recalls. "There was no one from my high school SAR who had gone before, very few individuals from modern Orthodox schools who had gone." The program's mission to inspire Jews across the world by teaching them to take responsibility for one another, and to use Jewish values to fix the problems that they see around them resonated deeply with Kestenbaum. He found that Aish provided him with "the tools to be an advocate, to be a learner, to be a Jewish individual."
The impact of his time at Aish was profound. Kestenbaum speaks of experiences that left an indelible mark, such as "hosting the Deputy Prime Minister of Australia for a Friday night deal overlooking the Western Wall." These moments, he says, were possible "because of the empowerment that Aish and experience" provided.
Armed with this foundation, Kestenbaum entered Harvard where he pursued a degree in religion and public policy. He describes his focus as "the intersection between contemporary Jewish life in America and domestic policy, how the two can better interact and understand each other." Little did he know that this academic interest would soon become a pressing reality in his own life.
The environment at Harvard, according to Kestenbaum, was far from welcoming to Jewish students. He paints a stark picture of the situation on campus: "At Harvard, we had Jews who were being followed on their way to classes by encampment protesters. We had library buildings either taken over or surrounded by masses of protesters. We had at all hours of the day and night chants for the globalization of the intifada." This hostile atmosphere, he argues, was "not an environment conducive to academic life, and certainly not conducive to Jewish continuity and Jewish safety."
Kestenbaum's experiences at Harvard led him to take legal action against the university. The lawsuit, filed by Kestenbaum and Students Against Antisemitism (SAA), alleges that Harvard has become a "bastion of rampant anti-Jewish hatred and harassment." While the problems started before the October 7th attack on Israel by Hamas terrorists, the issues only became worse from there. The lawsuit argues that the university has failed to enforce its own anti-discrimination policies when it comes to antisemitism, allowing an "intolerable anti-Jewish environment" to develop on campus.
The lawsuit cites numerous instances of antisemitic behavior that have been either ignored or implicitly condoned by the university. These include the vandalism of Jewish symbols, the promotion of anti-Israel events, and the harassment of Jewish students. Kestenbaum himself has experienced the emotional toll of this environment, stating, "The increasingly hostile environment has caused me to experience severe anxiety and gross discomfort. I feel unsafe on my own campus." Kestenbaum goes on to state that the issues are not just becuase of protesters but are rather ingrained in the hierarchy and institution itself. “There were quotas of how many Jews were allowed into Harvard in the 1920’s and 30’s. Today, percentage-wise, we have fewer Jews on campus than they did back then, and that shows that there is a conscious effort on behalf of the administration to not allow Jews in to study here. Furthermore, we have professors who have taught hate and antisemitic rhetoric in classes and made Jewish students feel uncomfortable to be present on campus.”
Despite the challenges, Kestenbaum has not been silenced. His advocacy has gained national attention, leading to an invitation to speak at the recent Republican National Convention. "They called me about two weeks before the convention, saying that they had been following my story, and they want to amplify my message," Kestenbaum explains. He emphasizes that his willingness to speak is not partisan: "I will go on almost any platform to talk about the plight of Jewish students on college campuses, to talk about the importance of the bilateral relationship between Israel and the United States, to talk about the need to return the hostages. If the Democratic National Convention invited me I would be happy to speak."
Kestenbaum's message resonated deeply with the audience at the convention. "I received a standing ovation from former President Trump, that was very special. There were hundreds of people afterward who stopped me to hug me, to tell me that they were praying for the Jewish state, to tell me that they had hostage posters outside of their parish in Iowa," he recounts.
Looking to the future, Kestenbaum is joining the slate of Aish Ha’am for the World Zionist Organization (WZO). He sees this as an opportunity to continue amplifying the voices of Jewish students on the front lines of this ideological battle. "We're focused on Jewish unity. We're focused on amplifying voices that are not typically amplified. We're focused on creating change for young Jewish students and bringing Zionism and Jewish values back to the forefront of the conversation. That is something that I am truly excited about, so I am happy to be a part of their slate," he explains.
Kestenbaum's advice to Jewish students facing similar challenges is clear and empowering: "Jewish students, have done nothing wrong. They have no one to apologize to and nothing to apologize for. Right now we have an incredible opportunity to publicly showcase our Jewish values and our belief in the land of Israel and the people of Israel. I encourage students to wear their Jewish identity with pride and to get involved in Jewish life on campus."
To create lasting change, Kestenbaum calls for accountability from universities and support from the wider Jewish community. He urges donors to withhold donations until universities take concrete action to protect Jewish students, and he encourages Jewish parents to demand clear plans of action from universities to ensure their children's safety.
As the battle against campus antisemitism continues, Kestenbaum's voice remains a beacon of hope and a call to action for Jewish students and their allies everywhere.
