Karol Markowicz sits down with Dr. Yossi Sheffi, MIT professor and author of Unsafe at MIT: A Chronicle of a Campus War on the Jews, for a candid conversation about antisemitism, campus activism and what Jewish students have experienced at one of America’s most prestigious universities.

Sheffi explains why he decided to document events at MIT, including interviews with roughly 50 students, and argues that although conditions on campus have improved, an undercurrent of antisemitism and harassment remains. He describes Jewish students being excluded from study groups and discusses why that can have a particularly serious impact in engineering programs built around collaborative work.

Karol and Sheffi also tackle a question facing Jewish parents: Should their children still attend elite universities where antisemitism has become a concern? Sheffi discusses alternatives, the difference between undergraduate and graduate education, and efforts by Jewish faculty and students to build stronger communities and academic partnerships. 

Plus, Sheffi discusses the response he's received since publishing Unsafe at MIT, why he believes speaking out is worth the consequences, and the life philosophy that guides him: do the right thing regardless of whether people applaud or vilify you.