Roughly 80% of Jewish college students worldwide have hid their religious identity "at least once" on university campuses, according to an Anti-Defamation League survey published Tuesday.
In the poll first reported by The Washington Free Beacon, 78% of respondents said they felt "the need to hide [their] Jewish identity from others at [their] university" at least once in the last year. Eighty-one percent of those surveyed said they kept their Zionist identity a secret at least once.
"This survey exposes a devastating reality: Jewish students across the globe are being forced to hide fundamental aspects of their identity just to feel safe on campus," Marina Rosenberg, ADL senior vice president of international affairs, said. "When over three-quarters of Jewish students feel they must conceal their religious and Zionist identity for their own safety, the situation is nothing short of dire."
The poll also showed that 34% of those surveyed knew a Jewish peer who had been physically threatened over the past year, with 19% saying that they knew a Jewish peer who had been physically assaulted. When broken down by gender, women were more likely (82%) to hide their Jewish faith from others compared to male respondents (73%).
The State Department continues to revoke the visas of those students who have broken the law. Of the over 6,000 student visas revoked this year, U.S. officials say roughly 200 to 300 were due to "terrorist-related activities," which includes those students who have engaged in protests against the war in Gaza — a movement where antisemitic sentiment is rampant.
The ADL survey was conducted from July 28, 2024, to June 20, 2025, with responses from 1,727 students from 60 countries. A margin of error was not provided.
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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