Kentucky Antisemitism Task Force discusses college campus protests in latest meeting

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – As pro-Palestinian protests pop up across college campuses, including right here at the University of Kentucky, many Jewish students are trying to have their voices heard.

That’s why the Kentucky Antisemitism Task Force met on UK’s campus on Wednesday.

They are confronting reports of antisemitism within universities across the state.

The Anti-Defamation League said there have been six reports of antisemitism across Kentucky’s college campuses.

The league said four instances have been reported at the University of Louisville and at at least one case has been reported at UK.

“I think sometimes we’re quick to jump to wanting to support students, but we don’t ask them what support looks like or how we should be supportive,” said UK’s Dean of Students, Trisha Clement.

Clement said some of the ways UK is supporting Jewish students is by providing listening sessions and implementing a Religious and Spiritual Life Office for students to turn to.

“We have had conversations with both our Jewish students and our Muslim students, doing listening sessions with them, providing alternative programming if they needed it, and hearing from them what their experience is like both in and out of the classroom,” she said.

It was also announced that a subcommittee on antisemitism education is being developed.

“Our focus is going to be on antisemitism across the board, K-12, and higher education. People on both sides are going to disagree about policy issues, disagree about what’s going on in the middle east, but we can disagree without being disagreeable,” said task force chair Jonathan Miller.

Miller added those subcommittee members will be selected soon.

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