Jewish students are a minority at Quinnipiac University, but the Peter C. Hereld House for Jewish Life allows all students to connect with the Jewish community on campus.
Still, anti-semitism exists across college campuses, and the Instagram account “jewishoncampus” shines light on the problem. On Sept. 6, the account posted an anonymous submission from a former Quinnipiac student about the school’s inability to accommodate Jewish students during the High Holidays.
Classes were not canceled for Rosh Hashanah this year. Quinnipiac’s Rabbi, Reena Judd, said this year many students told her they did not feel comfortable missing class so early in the semester. A lack of support from professors played a big role in those students’ decisions.
“When one person’s not taking (off for the High Holidays) it frequently says to non-Jewish people with authority is that ‘Hey, if this person isn’t taking the two holiest days of the year as a religious observance why should I make an effort for it?'” Judd said. “I could not get more blunt in my request to people with authority to help students on their religious journey.”
Mollie Lonardo, a 21-year-old business management major from Monmouth Beach, New Jersey, said she feels safe being Jewish at Quinnipiac. Despite her sense of safety, she remains hesitant to announce her religion on occasion because of her encounters with anti-Semitism.
“I feel that many people do not think twice before making jokes regarding the Holocaust and Hitler, as well as stereotypes,” Lonardo said. “I lived with someone who openly shared a video with me in which they pretended to be Hitler in a homemade video.”
Erika Givre, a 22-year-old earning her Master of Science in occupational therapy at Stony Brook University, is the former Hereld House student president. She endured anti-Semitism from her roommate in her first semester at Quinnipiac. Givre said she was disappointed with the university’s response.
“My (residential assistant) and building director did not communicate well with each other or us,” said Givre, a Melville, New York resident. “I met with the faculty leaders of student affairs, who did nothing but tell me to switch rooms. A whole investigation was put on by public safety which took the entire winter break. My roommate had to switch her room in the end of the investigation as they found she had done the anti-Semitic acts. I knew it was her all along. The only reason any action was taken was due to the clery laws. In my opinion, the bare minimum was done by faculty and staff.”
Givre said she started going to the Hereld House, which is also known as the Hillel House, in her sophomore year. She found comfort in the community there, especially Judd, who was supportive during her roommate situation.
“If it was not for the Hillel House and Rabbi, I probably would have transferred,” Givre said. “I had a hard time adjusting to college and finding a good group of friends due to several roommate issues. The Hillel House gave me a home away from home when I needed it the most.”
Derek Perone, a 20-year-old computer information technology major from Wilton, Connecticut, was raised Roman Catholic. Still, he is a regular at the Hereld House. He once went to the church on campus, but when Givre and another friend of his introduced him to Judd and the Hereld House, he found a “youth group” connection with the community that he said he never had.
“I just want to learn more and find a community where I feel a purpose and stronger vibe,” Perone said in an Instagram direct message. “Not to mention, I learned of stories of tensions between religions at QU and when I heard the messed up stories, I just felt safe and comfortable at the Hereld House. Even though I wasn’t raised the same, I love that it’s a safe place for me. Plus Rabbi Reena gives adequate advice/wisdom too. I love how the Hereld House is basically a private house to go to.”
Although Perone took initiative to learn about a new religion and culture, there aren’t many others like him. Givre and Lonardo both think Quinnipiac needs to do more to educate students on anti-Semitism. Givre also believes there needs to be more support and respect from the school toward the Jewish community on campus. She suggested Quinnipiac shares more information about the Hereld House and its events on social media.
Judd said people can educate others until they’re “blue in the face” but nobody can make someone religiously — or racially — tolerant. The Holocaust is taught to children so history doesn’t repeat itself. A poll from the President of the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany states “nearly two-thirds of young Americans do not know that six million Jews were murdered in the Holocaust, study finds.”
The more people know about anti-Semitism, the less likely it is to occur. The more people are aware of Judaism, the more likely people will stand up for Jewish people.
“Students don’t often know what being Jewish is about and what it stands for,” Judd said. “All you know is it’s not Christian, and Jews don’t do Jesus. That’s not something to necessarily stand up for, it’s something to sit down for. But it’s not a proactive thing, and it’s hard at any age to stand up for something when you don’t know much about it.”
Judd said she believes that Quinnipiac is comfortable for most Jewish students, partially because many Jewish students at Quinnipiac never experienced minority Judaism. She said that many Quinnipiac students come from areas with a large Jewish population.
Judd is a member of the department of cultural and global engagement at Quinnipiac but is not a member of religious life on campus because she said she has more in common with minority culture than with faith.
“When the school started to argue about these things to try and get a better understanding, I kept saying you’re leaving out this minority that blends in,” Judd said. “(Quinnipiac) heard it, they know, (Quinnipiac President Judy Olian) knows, they’re doing everything they can to keep this school staffed with a full-time, present, on-campus Rabbi.”
No matter what ethnic group or religion students may be a part of, the Hereld House is a place where everyone can become a part of a community, especially in times of hardship.
“I don’t know what to say when a student says I don’t come by because there’s no community,” Judd said. “Well, there’s no community because you don’t come by. What comes first, the chicken or the egg?”