IU Jewish Culture Center receives endowment to combat antisemitism

By ISABELLA VESPERINI, WFIU-WTIU

Philanthropists Jill and Ron Sedley have gifted the Indiana University Jewish Culture Center an endowment to help promote a welcoming and educational campus community and help combat antisemitism.

The center plans to host more events that will allow Jewish and non-Jewish students alike to interact and learn from each other and take part in IU’s First Experience program.

“A lot of students aren’t going to want to attend any intellectual or important thing when they have social lives and academic lives; they don’t have time for that,” said Lindsey Cooper, representative for Jewish on Campus Student Union in the Midwest region and president of Challah For Hungry Hoosiers chapter. “It costs money to fund things and we’re really appreciative.”

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Cooper said she was the only Jewish student out of 7,000 at her high school. She received many antisemitic comments when she got a Star of David tattoo.

“I didn’t think people cared that much; I’m still me,” Cooper said. “It was always ‘the Jewish one.’”

She said that her experience at IU as a Jewish student has helped her become a leader and even though she has not faced as much hatred, antisemitism is still present on campus. Mezuzahs have been torn down and burned and swastikas have been drawn.

“It’s terrifying,” Cooper said. “That’s not something you want to see, especially the first year when you’re living alone."

Rabbi Sue Silberberg, director of IU Hillel, the Jewish center on campus, said the center received the endowment as a response to the rise in antisemitism on campus – and across the nation.

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“We feel the best way to combat antisemitism is through education,” Silberberg said. “The more we interact with and meet other communities and teach about Judaism, the more we’ll be able to break down the barriers to hate.”

Hillel is part of an international organization that has been in Bloomington since 1938 and provides social and educational programs to all students. The Jewish Culture Center is one of six culture centers at IU was created two years ago to help educate people about Judaism, combat antisemitism and provide a home away from home. The endowment will further support these efforts to create a more welcoming and safe community.

“IU is making a groundbreaking statement that will hopefully be a model for other campuses,” Silberberg said. “With this recognition of the importance of Jewish culture, Jewish life and Jewish community, understand that antisemitism is a very serious problem that deeply impact Jewish students’ college careers.”