'My heart cries out to all of the Jewish students': Local Rabbi offers thoughts on college protests

Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - "Columbia University is my alma mater. This is very difficult. My heart cries out to all of the Jewish students there."

Rabbi Alex Lazarus-Klein of Congregation Shir Shalom joined WBEN on Wednesday to react to the growing unrest and protests at Columbia University, and many other universities due to the ongoing war in Gaza.

What are we witnessing?

"I don't think it's deliberate anti-Semitism," said Lazarus-Klein. "But it's creating a hostile environment for a lot of Jewish students, which I don't think the protestors realize. This makes class settings on these universities extremely dangerous."

He acknowledged that protests on a college campus are normal.

"Columbia University has had protests for decades, but the intensity has
really caught many off guard. No one in my circle was expecting this," he noted.

The protests have prompted Columbia to switch to online classes for the remainder of the semester.

"This was a topic of discussion at our Passover table. We were very disturbed at what was happening and unsure how to proceed."

Lazarus-Klein added that he is scared for his congregants that have children away at school. His own children are younger. He called it a very trying time.

Inspired by ongoing protests and the arrests last week of more than 100 students at Columbia University, students from coast to coast are gathering by the hundreds on campuses, setting up tent encampments and pledging to stay put until their demands are met.

The students are calling for universities to separate themselves from any companies that are empowering Israel’s military efforts in Gaza — and in some cases from Israel itself.

"I really don't think a lot of the students wrapped up in this understand the type of threat and harassment this is to our community. Being a Jew in America, I've never experienced life as being unsafe. This is a very trying time."

The Jewish community is a minority, representing less than 2% of the American population. Yet it is one of the most targeted religious communities in the country.

What is the path forward ?

"We're more than six months past Oct. 7, the Hamas attack on Israel. One of the most traumatic days in Jewish history. I would have predicted that we would be in a different period, a calming period. I wish I knew what lies ahead," said Lazarus-Klein.