Talia Dror, a student at Cornell University, recently testified at a hearing held by the university following a series of antisemitic incidents. As the Vice-President of Finance for the Cornellians for Israel group, her story has resonated with traumatized Jewish student communities feeling unsupported by their institutions. Dror, who described herself as the child of an immigrant who fled Iran after facing religious persecution, shared her experience of coming to America dreaming of being able to raise a Jewish family openly. She recounted the antisemitism her family faced and how it continued to affect her even in the United States. Dror also described how a massacre in Israel was celebrated by students, professors, and administrators at Cornell, leading to an environment where Jewish students felt threatened. She also highlighted the response of Cornell’s administration to the situation, expressing disappointment in the lack of support for Jewish students. Dror noted that the threats made against Jewish students were investigated by the police, and the perpetrator was a fellow student at Cornell. A heartfelt call for better support for Jewish students on American campuses was made by Dror at the hearing.
