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Doug Emhoff talks antisemitism with Jewish students at Arizona State 

The convening comes a month after Emhoff met with Jewish leaders in Washington to discuss the issue

Courtesy

Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff meets with Jewish students at Arizona State University

While on a trip to the Grand Canyon State with his wife, Vice President Kamala Harris, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff met on Thursday with Jewish students at Arizona State University in Tempe to discuss campus antisemitism.

The roundtable came a week before Emhoff is set to travel to Poland and Germany for events commemorating International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports.

“The second gentleman heard directly from students about the work they are doing to confront antisemitism and promote tolerance,” a White House official told JI. “Mr. Emhoff talked about the importance of living openly as a Jew and the administration’s all-of-government approach to combating antisemitism.”

Student Bella Schneider told JI that one focus of the conversation was how to include Jewish students in conversations about diversity and inclusion on campus. “The conversation went really well. I personally discussed situations in which the Jewish students are often left out of conversations about diversity and inclusion and our experiences as a minority group aren’t taken seriously,” Schneider said. “Mr. Emhoff made me feel very heard and seen in this situation, and less alone as a Jewish student and leader.”

The discussion was facilitated by Hillel at ASU, which is home to 3,500 Jewish undergraduates. The 10 students who participated in the event shared their concerns about antisemitism and being a minority on campus, according to Hillel. 

“Judaism teaches us to hold ideas that may seem opposing but are actually two equal truths,” said Debbie Yunker Kail, director of Hillel at ASU. “Hillel and Jewish life at Arizona State University have never been stronger or more vibrant, and antisemitism is on the rise nationally and locally. Today’s visit was a welcome opportunity to share how current college students experience both truths.”

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