Jews & Universities

Education is a Jewish Value

Judaism has a long and rich history of valuing learning and education. The Jews, as a diasporic people, have relied on studies to keep us connected. According to tradition, the familial line of Abraham began studying with Noach, ten generations before Abraham.  


Presumably, even though the Torah had not been “given,” they studied the Divine knowledge and instruction as communicated to Adam, Noah, and others.

Formal Jewish Education

After the Torah was given, the Torah and the oral traditions were passed on from generation to generation. 


During the 2nd Temple era, there were large Batai Midrash (houses of study) led by the great sages of the day. The teachings of these academies were recorded in the Mishnah and baraitah. After the destruction of the 2nd Temple, Batai Midrash sprung up everywhere the Jews migrated - to six continents, and recently even to Zoom!

Jews at University: Early European Universities

In Europe's Middle Ages, groups of Christian intellectuals began to be regarded as a sort of scholastic guild or corporation. These groups became known as universities.


Jews were not welcomed at early European universities, which led to a Jewish desire to build their own universities. This proved impossible due to rampant antisemitism and government opposition.

Jews At University: Enlightenment Era

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the barriers to Jewish study were still very firm. European universities and hospitals carried on a boycott of Jewish physicians. It was difficult for a Jew in the 18th century to become a university lecturer, even on a temporary basis and in a subject such as the Hebrew language.


During the Enlightenment, the European attitude toward opening higher education to Jews began to change. Jews could enroll their children at public schools and men could attend universities. In general, however, the change didn't happen in actual practice. During the course of the 19th century, young Jews began to attend European universities, at first slowly and then increasingly.

Jews at University: Modern Era

During the early 20th century, young Jews interested in new fields of knowledge, such as psychology, sociology, experimental physics, and linguistics, brought about calls for their services when universities expanded their areas of teaching and research. The spread of the media of publication brought the work of Jewish scholars to the attention of academic audiences everywhere.


In the 1930s, Nazi racial doctrines began to apply to universities and Jewish professors, research workers, and students fled to other countries, especially to the United States, Canada, England, and Mandate Palestine. In fact, many educational institutions enabled Jewish academics to escape Nazi Europe.

Jews at University: In The USA

As early as the 18th century, Jews studied at Harvard, Yale, the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia, and Brown University. 


Jewish students did not always gain admission to the colleges and professional schools of their choice. Many institutions restricted the admission of members of minority groups, including Jews. These quotas were rarely admitted to by university higher-ups, but they were a persistent feature in numerous private institutions. 


Restrictive admissions and social practices at universities began to yield to concentrated public criticism after World War II.

Jewish Universities

In response to admission quotas as well as the rise of Israel as a Jewish state, many formal universities have been founded by Jews. These include:


Jewish Universities in America:


Founded on Jewish Values:


Jewish University in Israel:

Antisemitism on Campus in the USA

According to the ADL-Hillel Campus Antisemitism Survey (2021):


"Antisemitism has been a problem on college and university campuses for decades. But while the climate for Jewish students had been improving for many years, we are seeing an alarming new uptick in the number of reported antisemitic incidents across the country. Swastikas, Nazi symbols and other antisemitic graffiti have been reported on numerous campuses, and antisemitic tropes hurled at Jewish students have made headlines...


This survey establishes that antisemitism remains a consistent and serious concern for Jewish students on college campuses across the United States. Jewish students – like all students – deserve to feel safe and accepted in their college communities. College is a time where students have the opportunity to grow, explore their identity, challenge their ideas about the world, and learn and engage with those who are different from them. However, Jewish students cannot do this when they fear for their safety and feel the need to hide their Jewish identity from others.


There have been an alarming number of reported antisemitic attacks and incidents on college campuses in recent years, but this survey suggests the true extent is even more alarming, as most incidents and microaggressions go unreported.

University officials have an obligation to keep their students safe and provide a learning environment where all students can thrive, free from harassment."