Yasmeen Ohebsion attended Tulane University to pursue higher education and earn a degree. Last May, she graduated from Tulane with more than just a diploma — she became an activist.
A few weeks ago, Ohebsion launched Our CampUs United, a student-led online platform designed to equip Jewish students with resources, strategies and community support, partnering with human rights activist and business leader Mandana Dayani.
The platform provides straightforward guides with email templates and advocacy tools tailored to real student experiences, aiming to foster confidence, pride and resilience. It also seeks to create a connected student community.
“The best part for me is that on our website we outline dozens of incidents of antisemitism,” Ohebsion told The Journal. “[It includes situations] like being singled out by professors, professors canceling class to accommodate students attending anti-Israel rallies or professors attending those rallies themselves, professors refusing to allow Jewish students to take exams that were scheduled on Jewish holidays and more. Our guide covers all of those incidents and provides the students with a step-by-step guide.”
The 23-year-old student experienced some of these incidents firsthand. She claimed that she had been singled out in class by professors and that her grades were affected due to her Zionism. Some professors openly stated in class that Israel is a white supremacist apartheid state, that it doesn’t have the right to exist, and they allegedlyeven justified the actions of Hamas. Jewish students were left horrified as they listened to these lectures.
Ohebsion was also targeted by other students who opposed her activism.
“I was chased across campus by students who screamed repeatedly, ‘F— you Jew, F— you Jew,’” she said. “I literally ran into the Jewish Studies building in tears. Several of my Jewish friends were physically assaulted that day on campus. One of them was hospitalized because his injuries were so severe.”
The bullying didn’t stop there; it continued with text messages and on social media. Some came from people she didn’t know, some came from students in her class who sent her antisemitic DMs. “It really felt like it was coming at me from all directions,” she said.
Ohebsion is a first-generation American. Both of her parents are Iranian. Her father’s family immigrated to the U.S. after the Iranian Revolution, while her mother’s family made aliyah to Israel at the same time. She said it didn’t make sense to her to stay silent and accept the situation. She wasn’t willing to be oppressed and bullied, just as her family would have been had they remained in Iran. So she decided to fight back in the best way she knew — through activism. She even testified in front of Congress, letting the world know about her and other Jewish students’ experience on campus.
A few months after October 7, she was contacted by Dayani, an activist who had been following her and was impressed by her courage to stand up for herself and fellow Jewish students.
“Mandana wanted to help, she gave me advice and supported me and really was such an anchor to me. She was someone I looked up to. We discussed everything that was going on and stayed in close touch.”
After Ohebsion graduated, the two met and brainstormed ways to support Jewish students across the country, leading her to found Our CampUs United.
“Every Jewish student should have the tools, knowledge and support they need at their fingertips,” said Ohebsion said. “I think it’s so important for students to know that there are other students who truly have their backs and understand what they are going through.”
The response had been overwhelming. Ohebsion said she had received dozens of messages from students across the U.S. It was clear that these students needed a platform to help them cope with everything happening on their campuses. They needed guidance — someone to tell them how to respond and what to say.
“Last night, we were on the phone with ten students from UT [(University of Texas) Austin] discussing the work that we’re going to do there. Our CampUs United is built by students for students. We have 10 founding members, among them people like Shabbos Kestenbaum and Eden Yadegar, people who testified before Congress and appear regularly in the media and are the trailblazers of advocacy on our campuses.”
The appeal of the new platform lies in the fact that it was created by students who personally understand the challenges their peers face. This firsthand experience allows them to provide the kind of support students genuinely need. Ohebsion emphasized that those behind Our CampUs United are trusted by their fellow students, many of whom have said that the platform’s approach deeply resonates with them.
The appeal of the new platform lies in the fact that it was created by students who personally understand the challenges their peers face.
“We’re planning events like taco truck and ice cream truck nights, bar nights, wine nights and yoga classes,” said Ohebsion. “[These are] more traditional college events that young people want to attend, which can also serve as a way for Jewish students, their allies and friends to connect and have a good time in a less heavy and intense setting.”
Even though her college experience wasn’t what she had expected it to be, she came out of it much stronger. “Nothing could have prepared me for that, but I’m also so glad that I was loud and proud in my Jewish identity. It was definitely hard on me and my family at times, but I was always taught to be a proud Jew.”
With its launch, Our CampUs United is calling on Jewish students and allies to join the movement — to share their experiences, use the tools available and build a stronger, united front against antisemitism.
For more information, visit www.ourcampusunited.com
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