Jewish Students` Experiences in the Era of BDS: Exploring Jewish Diasporic Identity and Anti-Semitism on Canadian Campuses

There has been a notable increase in anti-Semitism on North American University campuses, not just as part of a new wave of anti-Semitic incidents, but associated with what could be viewed as a new kind of anti-Semitism. Campuses are becoming spaces for the “…propagation of anti-[S]emitism, often intertwined with a virulent anti-Zionism” (Norwood, 2011, p1). This “New anti-Semitism”, combines an “increasingly violent demonization of Israel and Zionism by elements of the international left, and the growing presence in Western societies of radicalized Muslim minority elements, has been widely discussed in recent years” (Yehonatan Tommer & Tzvi Fleischer, 2007, p1). This has occurred especially on various Canadian campuses.

This presentation is based on preliminary interview data with Jewish university students who are part of the Diasporic community in Toronto. The focus will be on students’ experiences with BDS and how it has impacted their post-secondary perceptions of the education system. The history of BDS will also be explored as well as research and scholarship that examines the global BDS movement.

This research also considers the Diasporic and transnational nature of these Canadian students who have attended Israeli Yeshivas, frequently travel to Israel, and reported having strong connections to Israel, and, in some cases, are dual citizens of Israel and Canada. Overall, the notion of Jewish identity and Diaspora are also explored in order to understand how these students approach BDS on their campuses and the effect it has on their overall identity related to anti-Semitism.