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NEW YORK (Press Release) — Various investigations of the anti-Israel demonstrations on campuses across the nation are yielding results. |
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Harvard .On Thursday, the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce released a report detailing the findings of its investigation into antisemitism at Harvard University. It focused on Harvard’s Antisemitism Advisory Group (created to address rising antisemitism), some of its findings about pervasive antisemitism in and out of the classroom, failure to investigate these complaints, and then the wholesale refusal of the University to act on the very recommendations that the Advisory Group developed for them. READ: ADL’s full statement: “It’s inconceivable that the school would drag its feet if another minority group was being targeted, harassed, and in some cases, attacked, as Jewish students have been inside and outside the classroom at Harvard.” DEEPER: In December, Rabbi David Wolpe — Rabbinic Fellow at ADL — resigned from the Advisory Group. Read his reasons. TAKE ACTION: Tell Harvard to implement the Antisemitism Advisory Group’s recommendations now. DePaul. The curtain was also pulled back on the anti-Israel protests at Chicago’s DePaul University as the University released a report detailing the virulent antisemitism, harassment, vandalism, and damage that protesters have brought to the campus. Notable data include: 1 death threat, 34 reports of antisemitism, 25 academic disruptions, 77 reports of individual safety concerns, an estimated $180,000 in physical plant damages to the quad and surrounding areas, and 45 university events canceled. This report was issued on the heels of police clearing out the anti-Israel encampment yesterday morning. Thank you DePaul President Manuel for releasing a full account of the impact this encampment had on Jewish students and the entire campus community. It’s clear these protests were not peaceful. Other universities should follow your lead. WATCH: ADL Midwest’s Regional Director David Goldenberg visited the DePaul encampment earlier this month. Columbia. The third big reveal was an op-ed published in the Daily Spectator, the student newspaper of Columbia University, by the Ivy League school’s Task Force on Antisemitism. In this eye-opening essay, the authors say they will “recount real experiences of real people” to illustrate “patterns that need to be addressed.” They explain how “Zionism” has become “a general-purpose accusation” on campus such that “It is usually only Israelis and Jews who are asked to assure people, as the price of acceptance, that they are not ‘Zionists.’ That is about as clear-cut a case of discrimination as one can find.” The Task Force then details how Jewish students have been ostracized from student activities and harassed and attacked on campus as well as in class by faculty: “Jewish and Israeli students described being singled out in class by their teachers and subjected to public ostracism, in the name of making them answer for the supposed misdeeds of the Israeli government.” It’s worth reading the whole op-ed, and it’s imperative that Columbia’s leadership read it — and act, immediately. Haverford. A group of Jewish students, faculty, alumni, and parents from Haverford College in suburban Philadelphia filed a federal lawsuit accusing the liberal arts college of “maintaining — and even supporting — a hostile environment for Jews” and for breaching its contract with the students by failing to follow its own discrimination policies. One example they cite: college president Wendy Raymond reportedly told Jewish students that the massacre on October 7th should be understood as “people breaking free from their chains.” UW. University of Washington President Ana Mari Cauce called for the removal of the anti-Israel encampment after nearly 30 buildings on campus were defaced with what she described as “offensive graffiti.” In her statement, Cauce noted that some of the graffiti was “quite clearly both antisemitic and violent,” including messages such as “F** off Zionists” and calls to “kill your local colonizers.” She also expressed dismay, mentioning that the new graffiti was “an intentional escalation to compel the University to agree to their demands,” despite previous cordial discussions. READ ADL Pacific Northwest’s statement: “This [graffiti] is the result of the inaction by the Administration.”
CUNY. Many readers may remember the City College system in New York City (now the City University of New York) as a place that welcomed thousands of first-generation Jewish students. The times have changed. Kingsborough Community College, a branch of CUNY, canceled a Hillel-organized event for Israel’s Memorial Day due to anti-Israel protests and alleged security concerns. This decision, amid recent anti-Israel protests and inadequate protection for Jewish students, highlights the administration’s clear failure to safeguard its Jewish community. And at CUNY’s Hunter College, the Palestine Solidarity Alliance (PSA) shared an Instagram story featuring headbands from the terrorist group the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), paraglider imagery, and an inverted red triangle, accompanied by the caption “the resistance will find you.” Auraria Campus. On Tuesday, police arrested 12 people for trespassing, disturbing the peace, and interference at the campus shared by The University of Colorado, Denver, The Community College of Denver, and Metropolitan State University. While university leaders met with protesters, protesters pitched their tents inside the student center in an escalation with the university. The protests led to the campus being put into lockdown for about an hour. What Do Anti-Israel Student Organizers Really Want? In a new report, the ADL Center on Extremism examined the demands behind campus protests and found that demands extend beyond urging universities to call for a ceasefire or divesting from Israeli weapons manufacturers. Many protests have called for policies that would disrupt Jewish students’ lives and studies, even excluding them from campus. This escalation is part of a broader anti-Israel movement marked by exclusionary rhetoric, calls for ostracism, and eradication of Zionist individuals and organizations. |
| Campus Champions
On the Case. At Cleveland’s Case Western Reserve University, President Eric Kaler made clear that student protesters under investigation by the University will have their degrees withheld and are banned from attending commencement ceremonies on Sunday. Earlier this week, the University told these same students that they had hours to vacate student housing. University President Kaler also said that any activities related to protests between now and May 20 will require the approval of the University. What We Face. In a poignant reflection, Shira Ruderman, the executive director of the Ruderman Family Foundation, confronts the escalating crisis of anti-Israel protests on college campuses. Highlighting the broader implications beyond geopolitical tensions, Ruderman asserts that this is an issue striking at the core of American values and urges proactive accountability, by calling for a united effort to challenge the abuse of academic freedom and restore integrity to higher education. Looking for help dealing with antisemitism on campus? Check out ADL’s campus resources. |
| Am Yisrael Chai 💪✡️
Columbia Lions. As detailed above, Columbia University has been a difficult place for Jewish students these past several months. But joy remains. The main commencement ceremony was canceled; in response, Columbia/Barnard Hillel expanded its graduation lunch to welcome 320+ students and their families. And these Columbia grads wore special “bring them home” graduation stoles to remember all those held by Hamas in Gaza.
Cannes Lions. Laura Blajman-Kadar, a survivor of 10/7 who was at the Nova music festival, graced the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival wearing a dress with the words ‘bring them home now’ and featuring pictures of the hostages, two of whom are friends. Despite restrictions aimed at preventing “provocations” at the event, Blajman-Kadar said she felt empowered, knowing she was paying homage to her friends. * |
