Touro enrollment surges as pandemic of campus antisemitism spreads

As pro-Hamas protests and anti-Jewish offenses continue to erupt on American campuses, Touro University is welcoming a record high number of students for the fall 2024 semester.

Touro’s Lander Colleges, devoted to observant Jewish communities, saw an average increase of more than 35% in overall enrollment of new students and a nearly 60% rise in transfer students.

Students who transferred from Ivy League schools, and from state universities in Florida, Maryland and New Jersey, reported high levels of discomfort being Jewish on secular campuses since Oct. 7. Many who seek careers in medicine, dentistry and the health sciences are turning to Touro University where they have the opportunity to continue their professional studies in an environment that respects their values.

One such student is 20-year-old Adam Commer of Livingston, NJ. After a gap year at Ashreinu in Israel, Commer enrolled as a freshman at Rutgers University where he planned to study biology in preparation for a career in dentistry.

Commer reports that things started to change early on last year.

“Right after Oct. 7, the Jewish students started organizing vigils for Israel and at the same time, Palestinian students were protesting and bashing us,” he said. “We tried to talk peacefully but they were having none of it. They felt their ‘truth’ was the only point of view. When I came back to school after Pesach, I was greeted by an encampment and couldn’t get to my classes safely as they had blocked off the path. This was the last straw for me.”

With the support of his family, Commer said he decided to transfer to Touro’s Lander College of Arts & Sciences. Now a pre-dental student at Touro University, Commer is “thrilled to be able to be an observant Jew on campus” while pursuing his dream career.

He said Touro appealed to him because of the opportunity to continue on to professional school — the Touro College of Dental Medicine — “that offers state-of-the-art training in an environment that’s in sync with my values.”

Commer has hundreds of peers at the Lander Colleges who are on the path to medical and dental school and planning to continue in the Touro University system.

“We are proud to welcome all of our new students to Touro and offer a safe haven to Jewish students at this volatile time,” said Dr. Alan Kadish, Touro University President. “No one has to give up on their academic or professional aspirations because of the unrest on campuses.”

Kadish said Touro’s expanded offerings include seven medical schools, two dental school campuses, seven physician assistant programs, and top-rated programs in health sciences.

“Beyond health sciences, Touro’s accounting CPA program is one of the top in New York State and students can pursue any and all careers they choose at Touro — from prelaw and education to finance, technology, cybersecurity and more,” Kadish said.

Dr. Marian Stoltz-Loike, dean at Touro’s Lander College for Women, shared that “the significant increase in enrollment at Lander College for Women in Manhattan is part of the upward trend we have been seeing over the last few years, accelerated because of the fallout of Oct. 7th around the country.”

“For prospective and current students, Lander College for Women offers academic excellence and Torah values, which is what our students seek in an educational experience,” she said.

For more information on Touro’s Lander Colleges, visit touro.edu/landercolleges