In the wake of rising antisemitism on college campuses across the United States, initiatives like the Safe Space program have emerged as vital resources for Jewish students. Spearheaded by Beatie Deutsch, program manager of United Against Antisemitism (UAA) and supported by Cross River Bank, the initiative seeks to combat hate by fostering community, mentorship and empowerment.
For ultra-Orthodox marathon champion and UAA Program Manager Beatie Deutsch, the mission is deeply personal. “A really powerful way to support students against antisemitism is through community,” she told Ynetnews.
Beatie Deutsch United Against Antisemitism Program
(Video: Liron Sharon)
“Having them connect with other students and recent alumni who are going through the same situation so that they feel like they're not alone and that they have resources and mentorship and support. That's what we're creating with our new initiative and our online community.”
Before excelling as a marathon athlete, Deutsch spent over a decade working with college students and young professionals, helping them navigate their Jewish identities. After October 7, she felt an urgent call to action. “I knew I needed to do something tangible to combat the terrible antisemitism we're all experiencing and to bring the Jewish people together,” she said.
“I was so grateful to have this opportunity and supported by Cross River to create more unity and community and empower Jewish students to feel proud about what it means to be Jewish, because ultimately that is the antidote to antisemitism, to give Jewish people all over the world that connection.”
One of the biggest challenges Jewish students face, according to Deutsch, is a lack of information and confidence in speaking up. “A lot of times students don't feel like they themselves have the answers to speak up,” she noted. “And there's an insecurity around, ‘I'm just an ordinary student, how can I use my voice?’”
To address this, the UAA has launched a live speaker series featuring both student leaders and prominent influencers. “Every single one of them has shared this message that they didn't all start out with platforms and that you don't need to have a platform to use your voice,” Deutsch explained.
The initiative also provides curated resources, making it easier for students to find answers to their questions. “Ultimately, I think when you know you're not alone and that other people are there to support you, that really is the key to the challenge on campus. The most important thing: you're not alone.”
The initiative has garnered significant support from Cross River Bank, whose public affairs manager, Uriel Goldberg, stressed the bank’s longstanding commitment to Israel. “Cross River has always been very supportive of Israel,” Goldberg explained.
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“In 2014, we set up an R&D center in Israel. Our founder and CEO Gilles Gade, was here on October 7. He’s also a volunteer paramedic and went down south, evacuating injured under fire. He witnessed the horrors of October 7 firsthand,” he recalled.
“When he went back to the U.S., he also witnessed the wars going on in the universities. It's a topic which is very close to his heart, which is close to all of us, so he decided to get involved in the project," according to Goldberg.
Since its launch, the Safe Space initiative has already made a tangible impact. Deutsch highlighted the work of the program’s student board, which has helped expand its reach.
“We have a really incredible board of students who were involved on their own campuses, but by bringing them all together they've been able to encourage students on campuses without actually established programs on their campus and without any organization on their campus to get involved in something, and they've brought their friends.”
The live speaker series has also proven transformative. “It was really amazing to see how many students from different places were tuning in and listening,” Deutsch recalled.
“We had Professor Shai Davidai as our first guest who was kicked off Columbia University's campus. And it's really powerful when you see how, using the online community, you can reach people that otherwise never would have access to this.”
While the ultimate goal is for such initiatives to become unnecessary, Deutsch and Goldberg recognized the importance of their work in today’s atmosphere. “Let's hope this initiative will be unnecessary, but meanwhile, it's so significant in the U.S. nowadays,” Deutsch said.
Through the Safe Space initiative, Jewish students are finding strength in community, tools to combat hate and a renewed sense of pride in their identity. As the program continues to grow, it stands as a testament to the power of unity and resilience in the face of adversity.