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but also an ethnic or national identity , federal antidiscrimination law generally prohibits your university from treating you differently because you are Jewish . Additionally , many state and local laws explicitly prohibit discrimination on the basis of religion in educational settings as well .
DEFINING ANTISEMITISM
A recent and particularly useful tool for identifying and combating discriminatory treatment of Jews is the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (“ IHRA ”) definition of antisemitism . IHRA is a coalition of 35 governments , including the United States , that promotes Holocaust education , research and remembrance . Its definition of antisemitism , which has been widely accepted by governments and Jewish communities around the world , identifies antisemitism as “ a certain perception of Jews , which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews ,” and explains that “[ r ] hetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non- Jewish individuals and / or their property , toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities .” That definition was adopted by the State Department in 2016 , and today all federal agencies are required to consult the IHRA definition when determining whether an incident reflects anti-Jewish discrimination .
As the IHRA definition suggests , antisemitism may be expressed overtly through actual or threatened violence against Jews , destruction or vandalism of Jewish property , and derogatory remarks about Jews . While instances of overt antisemitism are rare on college campuses , they do occur . And unfortunately , because antisemitism is on the rise across the country , you may want to get involved in fighting against antisemitism off-campus as well .