In Strasbourg, Jews practice discreetly, avoiding public displays of religion to avoid potential attacks.
In the heart of May, Nolan found himself saying adieu to his beloved fishmonger. "He let me know he'd skip the Eurovision since Israel was participating," Nolan recounts, a young man from Alsace."Then he chimed in about his dislike towards Jews." At that moment, Nolan, a temporary employee at the University of Strasbourg, remained silent, never revealing his own Jewish heritage. He's learned the hard way that subtle discrimination often slips through in the ordinary flow of life. "I didn't have the best run during my adolescent years," he shared, remembering the derogatory taunts—"dirty Jew"—he endured, fifty kilometers northwest of Strasbourg, as early as high school.
Beneath his sand-toned polo shirt, his Star of David remains hidden. "My father instilled in us the idea of keeping religious symbols concealed, no provocations," Nolan explained. For him, who shuns public transportation, the ability to stroll the streets of Strasbourg without fear is priced at this privacy. Of course, it's not today that...
As for the University of Strasbourg, traces of antisemitic incidents have recently surfaced. In June of the same year, Samy Amokrane, the former president of the UNI Strasbourg student union, faced exclusion for a year due to creating and distributing antisemitic and sexist photomontages within the UNI Strasbourg group[5]. His removal from a "cohesion stay" for the Service National Universel, a program designed to instill civic and republican values in youth aged 15 to 17, followed soon after, as the prefecture intervened[5].
While direct records of antisemitic experiences from Jewish temporary workers at the University of Strasbourg remained elusive, the broader context in France paints a worrisome picture of rising antisemitism within universities[1]. Investigations into Nazi salutes and antisemitic incidents began popping up since early 2025, suggesting an environment where such acts are becoming more visible and scrutinized in French higher education institutions[1].
- Nolan, reflecting on the University of Strasbourg, noted the concerning rise of antisemitic incidents within the university, as seen in the exclusion of Samy Amokrane for his antisemitic actions.
- Although he hasn't shared his personal experiences, Nolan's observations indicate that politics, including general-news topics like crime and justice, may have a significant impact on the increasing antisemitism within French universities, particularly when it comes to the University of Strasbourg.
