Dear John,

There is a crisis on college campuses and at K-12 schools — and ADL needs your immediate support to help ensure the safety of all students as they head back to school.

You saw it all over the news.

While students headed for graduation last school year, we watched in horror as antisemitism swelled.

At the time, students were harassed, threatened, spat on and physically assaulted. They were subjected to antisemitic vandalism, watched their classmates glorify terrorism against Jews and heard chants calling for the destruction of the State of Israel.

It’s no wonder so many Jewish students no longer feel safe on campus.

Many students were left questioning their choice of schools because of antisemitic and anti-Zionist activity on campus. ADL created a Campus Antisemitism Report Card to assess how well colleges have responded to antisemitic activity on their campuses. Sadly, more than a third of the schools received a D or F.

In K-12 schools, Jewish students have also seen a shocking increase in antisemitism. Between 2022 and 2023, ADL recorded more than two times the antisemitic incidents in K-12 schools, according to ADL’s Audit of Antisemitic incidents.

Dozens of families in a school district in California have requested transfers out of the district due to severe antisemitic bullying of their children, including fear of mob violence and being physically assaulted at school. In one instance, a high school bathroom was vandalized with the words “Kill Jews.”

Many students said they removed their Star of David necklaces and no longer wear Jewish camp t-shirts. They are hiding their Judaism while they move through school in fear.

This is simply unacceptable for students at any grade level!

John, as an important member of our ADL community, your first gift today will help ensure students at colleges, universities and in K-12 schools feel safe this school year.

Every student — from the youngest to the oldest — deserves a safe and inclusive environment.

We need your urgent support for our efforts to achieve commitments to no tolerance for antisemitism on college campuses and at K-12 schools.

Your gift as this school year starts will help:

• Urge colleges and universities to take ADL and our partners’ recommended actions to counter antisemitism on campus.
• Help Jewish students feel safe through our Not On My Campus initiative complete with tools and resources for students, faculty, parents and alumni to address antisemitism on their campus.
• Continue to assess how colleges and universities are responding to antisemitic and anti-Zionist activity on campus through our Campus Antisemitism Report Card.
• Ensure students in K-12 schools can address bias and feel safe through ADL’s No Place for Hate^® and Awareness to Action^® programs.

Thank you for helping to fight antisemitism and hate directed at students of all ages.

Make your gift today.

Sincerely,

Frederic L. Bloch

Senior Advisor

ADL