People have been asking me recently — as a senior, are you sad to leave Binghamton?

My answer used to be a resounding yes — I made friends, built a community and challenged myself at Binghamton. Since Oct. 7 though, Jewish students, myself included, have experienced antisemitism and hate to such a degree, as described later, that the answer to this question has shifted to a no. The friends I made and the communities I involved myself in turned on my Jewish identity. My “friends” started posting that the Israelis deserved the atrocities of Oct. 7 and that the “freedom fighters” were justified and correct in their actions. The community I surrounded myself with in a pre-health multicultural club turned on me. The members of the E-Board I was a part of for two years — and an intern for a semester prior — started making their resentment of my identity clear. They took no notice of the correct pronunciation of my Hebrew name, made major events on Saturday despite my constant warning that Jewish observant students would not be able to participate and forced me to collaborate with an irrelevant pre-professional organization that openly calls Israel a genocidal state. I left after being told that my political stance could not come before my service to the organization. I left because my moral values and Israeli and Jewish identity will always come before serving an organization that claims to be multicultural and professional.

My story is not unique. My friend left his cultural club’s E-Board after multiple anti-Israel and antisemitic statements were published claiming to represent the club of which he was a leader. Another friend applied to be on the E-Board of an organization based on artistic skill and was ghosted after the club requested to follow her on Instagram and found that she had posted photos of herself in Israel. This club has gone on to make multiple political statements supporting the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) organization. Finally, according to another student, a Jewish student was reported by fellow students and suspended from using GroupMe after promoting a purely Jewish event with no political affiliation.

I share these experiences in the wake of the passing of the BDS resolution by the Student Association (SA) Congress. Many of the speakers who spoke in favor of the bill claimed to understand antisemitism and how anti-Israel rhetoric allegedly does not promote antisemitism. I am writing to bring to light the marginalization that I and my Jewish friends have felt since Oct. 7 to help others understand the fear your Jewish friends have about BDS. We fear that the passing of this resolution has begun a change in campus climate that will promote further hate and division. As has been explained, “BDS often gives rise to tensions in communities — in the [United States], we see it particularly on college campuses — that can result in the isolation and intimidation of Jews and supporters of Israel. With the focus on negating Israel and its supporters, BDS campaigns may create an environment in which antisemitic actions and expressions may be emboldened.” Jewish students have war on their minds constantly — always wondering whether it will be them and their family and friends in America or their family and friends in Israel who get hurt next because of their identity.

Regardless of your opinions of the wars in the Middle East, show your Jewish friends that you support them and their culture. If you are on the E-Board of an SA chartered organization, keep these stories in mind when you hesitate to include Jewish, Israeil or Zionist students for political reasons. Let’s work together to create a united student body through dialogue, collaboration and valuing one another’s cultures and friendships.

Yael Bruk is a guest columnist and a senior double-majoring in biology and philosophy.

Views expressed in the opinions pages represent the opinions of the columnists. The only piece that represents the views of the Pipe Dream Editorial Board is the Staff Editorial.