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Michigan. On April 22, anti-Israel protesters at the University of Michigan established an encampment on the Diag at the heart of campus. Despite the protesters blocking public places, vandalizing the campus, destroying property, disrupting classes and the Honors Convocation, and then threatening University Regents at their homes, nothing was done — until yesterday. After warning protesters repeatedly, UMich police removed the encampment; there are reports of some arrests. In an email to the University community, UMich President Santa Ono did not mention antisemitism or the harassment of Jewish students once, but did write: “To be clear, there is no place for violence or intimidation at the University of Michigan. Such behavior will not be tolerated, and individuals will be held accountable.”

Harvard. The Harvard Jewish Alumni Alliance (HJAA) released a comprehensive report exposing the deep-seated antisemitism within Harvard’s academic and social spheres, predating October 7, 2023. The report shares first-hand accounts describing how Jewish students were bullied and harassed by other students without protection from the Harvard administration. From the report: “Jewish and Israeli students face ostracism and harassment not only from peers but also from faculty and teaching staff.”

DEEPER: Read the full report.

Dartmouth. In a disappointing move, the Dartmouth College Faculty of Arts and Sciences voted 183-163 to censure President Sian Leah Beilock for her decision to ask for police support in bringing a swift end to the growing anti-Israel encampment on May 1, a move that led to the arrest of 89 people. Religion professor Christopher MacEvitt introduced the motion, condemning Beilock’s decision to involve the police. The motion seems to hold no purpose, but to further divide faculty at the New Hampshire college, as an administrator present shared that the measure has no formal consequences.

UC Santa Cruz. On Monday, 1,500 graduate student workers at University of California, Santa Cruz walked off the job in protest of the University of California system’s handling of anti-Israel protests. The strike, part of a rolling series organized by the United Auto Workers Local 4811, impacts 48,000 graduate student workers across all 10 University of California campuses, including teaching assistants and researchers. Student workers striking are not teaching, conducting research, or grading, and are withholding data and have no plans to return to work until the union reaches an agreement with the university. University officials have condemned the strike, calling it unlawful and in violation of the union’s labor contract. And while many universities have concluded for the semester, keep in mind that the Banana Slugs of Santa Cruz have class and finals until June 13.

Wesleyan. Protestors at Wesleyan University in Connecticut cleared their encampment on Monday evening after the University gave in to many of their demands. Among Wesleyan’s capitulations are: offering SJP protesters a meeting with the trustee members of the Investment committee, re-examining study-abroad programs, career services, and other academic ties to Israel, and offering “amnesty” to these anti-Israel protesters. Adding insult to injury, Wesleyan’s statement failed to acknowledge or offer any support of Jewish students there.

READ: ADL Connecticut’s statement.

UIC. After 17 years, Professor Barbara J. Risman says she no longer recognizes her “beloved academic home,” the University of Illinois at Chicago where she was a distinguished professor of sociology and co-chaired the university-wide committee on faculty equity. She told the Times of Israel, “The demonstrations are never framed as being about ending the war, helping Gazans, or rebuilding Gaza; all things I could get behind. Instead, everything is framed as an assault on the right of Jews to have a homeland. That’s when I personally feel attacked. That’s when it becomes antisemitic.” She discussed how two departments of the University issued statements after 10/7 in solidarity with Hamas, and how she received confidential praise from other faculty for speaking out against antisemitism on the campus.

Campus Champions

Biden. On Monday, the White House celebrated Jewish American Heritage Month at a reception, and in an address there, President Biden took a firm stance against the nationwide rise of antisemitism on campuses: “In America we respect and protect fundamental rights of free speech to protest peacefully, that’s America, but there is no place on any campus in America, any place in America, for antisemitism, for hate speech that threatens violence of any kind against Jews or anyone else.” Biden also highlighted that the U.S. Department of Education has reminded colleges that antisemitism is prohibited discrimination under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and will be investigated aggressively. In other news from the event, according to reports, the White House served brisket-stuffed dates among other glatt kosher delicacies at the reception.

Philly Pride. In other Delaware Valley news, this past weekend, ADL’s Philadelphia Regional Director Andrew Goretsky was honored with the Dean’s Outstanding Alumni Achievement Award from George Washington University. Before coming to ADL more than two years ago, Andrew had leadership roles at Arcadia University, GW, and Maryland. Mazel tov, Andrew!

Am Yisrael Chai 💪✡️

Little Women of Valor. Spotted on Capitol Hill and at the White House last week were 11 second-grade students who make up the Jewish Girls Rights Club at Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School in Chicago. Equipped with clipboards with their talking points, the pint-sized advocates met with Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby, and other public officials. As one of their mothers explained to Jewish Insider: “They just think that things should be fair for girls and for Jews. They notice that there’s never been a female president, and there’s never been a Jewish president.” In 24 years, these girls will be eligible to serve as Commander-in-Chief!

(Jewish Insider)

At Duke, Tents Mean Basketball Season. For weeks earlier this year, the Duke University campus in Durham, North Carolina was dotted with ramshackle tents and occupants who refused to budge…that is, until they got their season tickets for Duke basketball! While other elite universities have had vocal and often violent anti-Israel protests, Duke has not. It has not had an encampment like other elite universities. Jewish students have felt significantly less threatened and intimidated than at other schools. Duke students have covered the center of campus with 1,200 Israeli flags to represent those killed on Oct. 7, they’ve placed empty Shabbat tables outside of the student center for the hostages being held in Gaza, and they’ve covered a bridge on campus with posters of those still missing. As the Forward reported: “On admitted students day, a mom walked over to the club’s table and asked Schwenk, another leader, whether she was scared to be Jewish at Duke. Schwenk was blasting Omer Adam, an Israeli pop star. The club was flying a huge Israeli flag and students stopped to wrap tefillin. ‘Look at us,’ she told the mom. ‘Do we look scared?’”

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