| From | ADL Campus <[email protected]> |
| Subject | 🚨Campus Crisis Alert |
| Date | September 13, 2024 2:52 PM |
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Good morning and welcome to the Campus Crisis Alert. If you want to subscribe,
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sign up here.
1. 📰 Top Stories
Michigan. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel filed criminal
[link removed]
charges on Wednesday against 11 people who participated in anti-Israel protests at the University of Michigan in spring. Two of the defendants were charged with trespassing for “failing to vacate the [on-campus] encampment” which police officers cleared on May 21. Another seven defendants were charged with both trespassing and obstructing a police officer, a felony, with prosecutors saying they “attempted to halt or push back the police by making direct contact with the officers’ bodies.” The final two defendants, one university alum and one unaffiliated with the school, are accused of attacking a pro-Israel counter-protester on April 25, with one defendant
facing an additional charge of “ethnic intimidation.” In a statement, AG Nessel said “The right to free speech and assembly is fundamental [...] However, violent and criminal behavior, or acts that trample on another’s rights, cannot be tolerated." We applaud the AG for holding people accountable for their actions against Jewish students.
~~~~~
SUNY Purchase. President Milagros Pena of the State University of New York (SUNY) Purchase
[link removed]
announced that she would leave the position at the end of the academic year. Pena angered anti-Israel protesters on campus because she cleared an encampment earlier this year. At the same time, she also came under criticism for how she handled complaints of antisemitism on campus. Just this week, Esti Heller, a 2024 graduate of SUNY Purchase, authored an
[link removed]
op-ed in which she accused university leaders of violating student rights and rewarding antisemitic rhetoric. She described the
[link removed]
“empty promises” of Pena after an Israeli flag was vandalized and a Hillel sukkah was overturned. Esti lamented that the only voices being heard at the university’s negotiating table were those using threats and force. She continued by describing a time when she warned administrators and police that a group that has fundraised for anti-Israel terrorists planned to host an event on campus; she saw no response besides a quick “thank you.”
~~~~~
Macalester. Administrators at Minnesota’s Macalester College have unveiled a
[link removed]
portal for students, faculty and staff to submit feedback on a student proposal for the college to divest from several companies connected to Israel, including Volvo, Chevron, Intel and Barclays. This comes after College President Suzanne Rivera appointed an ad hoc Social Responsibility Committee (SCR) in April 2024 to review this proposal, as well as a student proposal to remove certain institutions from the college’s list of approved study-away locations. The SCR chose not to refer the study-away proposal to the board, saying it didn’t fall under the board’s purview. However, the SCR emphatically
[link removed]
recommended the board “give full consideration” to the divestment proposal, saying the relevant companies are “partly responsible” for suffering in Gaza and sharing their belief that “the College should not be associated with the conduct of the Israeli government and its private partners.”
DEEPER: BDS proposals are divisive, and as our
[link removed]
analysis shows, they’re counter-productive to the goals of universities and colleges.
~~~~~
Brown. More than 2,400 students, alumni, faculty, community groups and parents of students at Brown University have signed a letter to university leaders urging them to
[link removed]
uninvite an anti-Israel UN official from speaking at a September 16 event on the Rhode Island campus called “Anatomy of a Genocide: A Failure of the International System?” The
[link removed]
letter points to UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese’s frequent antisemitic and anti-Israel statements over the past decade, including several claims that people were being subjugated or controlled by the “Jewish lobby” and a statement that the victims of the October 7 massacre were “not killed because of their Judaism, but in reaction to the oppression of Israel.” Citing condemnations of Albanese from the governments of France, Germany, the United States and the UN, the signatories insist her “blatant antisemitism and support for terrorism against Jews and Israeli civilians places the Jewish and Israeli communities on campus in a fearful and
potentially dangerous situation.”
~~~~~
Northwestern. Northwestern University has
[link removed]
canceled fall quarter classes taught by Professor Steven Thrasher while Thrasher is investigated for his role in anti-Israel encampments last spring. The investigation will likely focus on Thrasher’s “objectivity” and his use of social media. Reports show Thrasher regularly promotes anti-Israel
[link removed]
rhetoric on social media, accusing Israel of “white supremacy and settler colonialism” and repeatedly comparing Israel to the Nazis.
~~~~~
NYU. New York University will hire its first-ever
[link removed]
Title VI coordinator by the end of the semester. The coordinator will oversee the university’s compliance with certain federal laws on discrimination and harassment, as well as on-campus Title VI complaints and investigations. One university spokesperson said the Title VI coordinator will help ensure “NYU responds adequately and consistently to allegations of discrimination and harassment based on all protected traits.” NYU is one of the first higher education institutions to create such a position, alongside schools like Stanford and Rutgers. Notably, this announcement follows a confidential settlement in a lawsuit filed by Jewish students who accused NYU of being
indifferent toward incidents of antisemitism since October 7.
~~~~~
New Semester, More New Policies. Universities across the United States are updating their campus
[link removed]
policies to better protect students from the violent and chaotic protests we saw in spring. While we can’t capture every new policy from every school, some of the key changes across campuses focus around time, place and manner restrictions. At Indiana University in Bloomington, students may no longer engage in “expressive activity” between 11 PM and 6 AM. Northwestern University has banned protests before 3 PM on weekdays, and Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania requires all rallies and demonstrations to wrap up within two hours. Like many other campuses, Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland now requires that students receive administrative
approval for protests, and at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, the university is now able to break up any demonstration that draws more than 25 people.
2. 🏆 Campus Champions
Ultimate Champion. Israeli UFC fighter Natan Levy taught a
[link removed]
self-defense class at Harvard University’s Chabad on Wednesday, demonstrating de-escalation techniques for the assembled students and aiming to “teach people to stand strong, to show confidence, to be proud of who they are, to never be ashamed of who they are and where they came from.” One Harvard student said “It’s a great initiative [...] Certainly, I know a lot of people have expressed concerns about feeling physically safe on campus at points,” while the Harvard Chabad President reiterated that this training comes “at a time when there’s sadly such an increase in hate directed towards the Jew and Israel.” Levy, who boasts an 8-2 UFC
record, is also an ambassador for StandStrong, a nonprofit that teaches self-defense to threatened communities. The group reportedly plans to host several more training sessions across the Boston area where Levy can flex his muscles -- and knowledge.
(Credit: Harvard Chabad)
3. 💪✡️ Am Yisrael Chai
Poutine Your Best Foot Forward. Roughly 20,000 people gathered in Montreal, Canada on Sunday to show their support for Jews and Israelis and call for the release of the hostages still held by Hamas. More than 10,000 people joined the
[link removed]
March for Jerusalem, organized by Federation CJA, walking through the city's main thoroughfares amid cheers from surrounding balconies and windows. Later, marchers enjoyed pizza and hot dogs provided by local kosher restaurants, and a booth organized by BringThemHome sold posters, cookies and yellow ribbons, with all proceeds going to Israeli causes. The event culminated in a festival where Israeli Eurovision representative Eden Golan performed her iconic song “Hurricane” to a sea of supporters.
(Credit: Eyal Yakoby | X/Twitter)
~~~~~
Negave Sunrise. “Why aren’t they growing
[link removed]
agave?” That’s what David Niewood asked during a 2016 visit to the desert home of Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion. From there, Niewood partnered with a former US ambassador who’d moved to central Israel, a Mexican expert in tequila who saw a sudden job opportunity in Israel as “God’s way of telling her she needed to get involved,” and a third-generation tequilero who learned from a DNA test that they were 30 percent Jewish. Together, they and others built Negave Estates, a company producing agave-based drinks like tequila in the Negev. Planting began on Negave Estates farms this month, and cases of Negave Iconic are already
available for pre-sale. The kosher-for-Passover drinks are expected to be delivered in time for Passover 2026. The former ambassador hopes Negave Estates will provide a way for people to “participate in rebuilding the Negev … [and] support something new in Israel for those who love tequila or love the viticulture scene.”
(Credit: Negave Estates)
4. 📣 Info and Action:
[link removed]
Not on My Campus
-
[link removed]
Students — how to take action, deal with antisemitism, and organize your community.
-
[link removed]
Alumni — how to organize a sign-on letter, answer a fundraising request, or write a letter to a university president.
-
[link removed]
Parents — write a letter about commencement, organize a dial day, or get help selecting a college for your student.
-
[link removed]
Glossary of Commonly Used Antisemitic Phrases Heard at Protests.
-
[link removed]
Campus Antisemitism Report Card — see the grade a college earned in this first-ever report card.
-
[link removed]
Report an Antisemitic Incident.
-
Are you a student or know one who needs legal help? Contact our
[link removed]
Campus Antisemitism Legal Line (CALL), run by ADL, Hillel, the Brandeis Center, and Gibson Dunn. Hundreds of incidents have been reported. You are not alone!
Do you have something to share with us? We are building this as we go — so please email us at
mailto:[email protected]
[email protected] with any suggestions, questions, photos, and videos.
[link removed]
Support Our Work
[link removed]
Subscribe to Our Newsletters
[link removed]
Read Our Blog and Follow Us
[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]
ADL, 605 Third Avenue, New York, NY, 10158
(c) 2024
[link removed]
Anti-Defamation League . All rights reserved.
[link removed]
Contact ADL
[link removed]
Unsubscribe or Update Email Preferences
[link removed]
Privacy Policy
[link removed]
View email in browser —
[link removed]
Good morning and welcome to the Campus Crisis Alert. If you want to subscribe,
[link removed]
sign up here.
1. 📰 Top Stories
Michigan. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel filed criminal
[link removed]
charges on Wednesday against 11 people who participated in anti-Israel protests at the University of Michigan in spring. Two of the defendants were charged with trespassing for “failing to vacate the [on-campus] encampment” which police officers cleared on May 21. Another seven defendants were charged with both trespassing and obstructing a police officer, a felony, with prosecutors saying they “attempted to halt or push back the police by making direct contact with the officers’ bodies.” The final two defendants, one university alum and one unaffiliated with the school, are accused of attacking a pro-Israel counter-protester on April 25, with one defendant
facing an additional charge of “ethnic intimidation.” In a statement, AG Nessel said “The right to free speech and assembly is fundamental [...] However, violent and criminal behavior, or acts that trample on another’s rights, cannot be tolerated." We applaud the AG for holding people accountable for their actions against Jewish students.
~~~~~
SUNY Purchase. President Milagros Pena of the State University of New York (SUNY) Purchase
[link removed]
announced that she would leave the position at the end of the academic year. Pena angered anti-Israel protesters on campus because she cleared an encampment earlier this year. At the same time, she also came under criticism for how she handled complaints of antisemitism on campus. Just this week, Esti Heller, a 2024 graduate of SUNY Purchase, authored an
[link removed]
op-ed in which she accused university leaders of violating student rights and rewarding antisemitic rhetoric. She described the
[link removed]
“empty promises” of Pena after an Israeli flag was vandalized and a Hillel sukkah was overturned. Esti lamented that the only voices being heard at the university’s negotiating table were those using threats and force. She continued by describing a time when she warned administrators and police that a group that has fundraised for anti-Israel terrorists planned to host an event on campus; she saw no response besides a quick “thank you.”
~~~~~
Macalester. Administrators at Minnesota’s Macalester College have unveiled a
[link removed]
portal for students, faculty and staff to submit feedback on a student proposal for the college to divest from several companies connected to Israel, including Volvo, Chevron, Intel and Barclays. This comes after College President Suzanne Rivera appointed an ad hoc Social Responsibility Committee (SCR) in April 2024 to review this proposal, as well as a student proposal to remove certain institutions from the college’s list of approved study-away locations. The SCR chose not to refer the study-away proposal to the board, saying it didn’t fall under the board’s purview. However, the SCR emphatically
[link removed]
recommended the board “give full consideration” to the divestment proposal, saying the relevant companies are “partly responsible” for suffering in Gaza and sharing their belief that “the College should not be associated with the conduct of the Israeli government and its private partners.”
DEEPER: BDS proposals are divisive, and as our
[link removed]
analysis shows, they’re counter-productive to the goals of universities and colleges.
~~~~~
Brown. More than 2,400 students, alumni, faculty, community groups and parents of students at Brown University have signed a letter to university leaders urging them to
[link removed]
uninvite an anti-Israel UN official from speaking at a September 16 event on the Rhode Island campus called “Anatomy of a Genocide: A Failure of the International System?” The
[link removed]
letter points to UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese’s frequent antisemitic and anti-Israel statements over the past decade, including several claims that people were being subjugated or controlled by the “Jewish lobby” and a statement that the victims of the October 7 massacre were “not killed because of their Judaism, but in reaction to the oppression of Israel.” Citing condemnations of Albanese from the governments of France, Germany, the United States and the UN, the signatories insist her “blatant antisemitism and support for terrorism against Jews and Israeli civilians places the Jewish and Israeli communities on campus in a fearful and
potentially dangerous situation.”
~~~~~
Northwestern. Northwestern University has
[link removed]
canceled fall quarter classes taught by Professor Steven Thrasher while Thrasher is investigated for his role in anti-Israel encampments last spring. The investigation will likely focus on Thrasher’s “objectivity” and his use of social media. Reports show Thrasher regularly promotes anti-Israel
[link removed]
rhetoric on social media, accusing Israel of “white supremacy and settler colonialism” and repeatedly comparing Israel to the Nazis.
~~~~~
NYU. New York University will hire its first-ever
[link removed]
Title VI coordinator by the end of the semester. The coordinator will oversee the university’s compliance with certain federal laws on discrimination and harassment, as well as on-campus Title VI complaints and investigations. One university spokesperson said the Title VI coordinator will help ensure “NYU responds adequately and consistently to allegations of discrimination and harassment based on all protected traits.” NYU is one of the first higher education institutions to create such a position, alongside schools like Stanford and Rutgers. Notably, this announcement follows a confidential settlement in a lawsuit filed by Jewish students who accused NYU of being
indifferent toward incidents of antisemitism since October 7.
~~~~~
New Semester, More New Policies. Universities across the United States are updating their campus
[link removed]
policies to better protect students from the violent and chaotic protests we saw in spring. While we can’t capture every new policy from every school, some of the key changes across campuses focus around time, place and manner restrictions. At Indiana University in Bloomington, students may no longer engage in “expressive activity” between 11 PM and 6 AM. Northwestern University has banned protests before 3 PM on weekdays, and Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania requires all rallies and demonstrations to wrap up within two hours. Like many other campuses, Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland now requires that students receive administrative
approval for protests, and at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, the university is now able to break up any demonstration that draws more than 25 people.
2. 🏆 Campus Champions
Ultimate Champion. Israeli UFC fighter Natan Levy taught a
[link removed]
self-defense class at Harvard University’s Chabad on Wednesday, demonstrating de-escalation techniques for the assembled students and aiming to “teach people to stand strong, to show confidence, to be proud of who they are, to never be ashamed of who they are and where they came from.” One Harvard student said “It’s a great initiative [...] Certainly, I know a lot of people have expressed concerns about feeling physically safe on campus at points,” while the Harvard Chabad President reiterated that this training comes “at a time when there’s sadly such an increase in hate directed towards the Jew and Israel.” Levy, who boasts an 8-2 UFC
record, is also an ambassador for StandStrong, a nonprofit that teaches self-defense to threatened communities. The group reportedly plans to host several more training sessions across the Boston area where Levy can flex his muscles -- and knowledge.
(Credit: Harvard Chabad)
3. 💪✡️ Am Yisrael Chai
Poutine Your Best Foot Forward. Roughly 20,000 people gathered in Montreal, Canada on Sunday to show their support for Jews and Israelis and call for the release of the hostages still held by Hamas. More than 10,000 people joined the
[link removed]
March for Jerusalem, organized by Federation CJA, walking through the city's main thoroughfares amid cheers from surrounding balconies and windows. Later, marchers enjoyed pizza and hot dogs provided by local kosher restaurants, and a booth organized by BringThemHome sold posters, cookies and yellow ribbons, with all proceeds going to Israeli causes. The event culminated in a festival where Israeli Eurovision representative Eden Golan performed her iconic song “Hurricane” to a sea of supporters.
(Credit: Eyal Yakoby | X/Twitter)
~~~~~
Negave Sunrise. “Why aren’t they growing
[link removed]
agave?” That’s what David Niewood asked during a 2016 visit to the desert home of Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion. From there, Niewood partnered with a former US ambassador who’d moved to central Israel, a Mexican expert in tequila who saw a sudden job opportunity in Israel as “God’s way of telling her she needed to get involved,” and a third-generation tequilero who learned from a DNA test that they were 30 percent Jewish. Together, they and others built Negave Estates, a company producing agave-based drinks like tequila in the Negev. Planting began on Negave Estates farms this month, and cases of Negave Iconic are already
available for pre-sale. The kosher-for-Passover drinks are expected to be delivered in time for Passover 2026. The former ambassador hopes Negave Estates will provide a way for people to “participate in rebuilding the Negev … [and] support something new in Israel for those who love tequila or love the viticulture scene.”
(Credit: Negave Estates)
4. 📣 Info and Action:
[link removed]
Not on My Campus
-
[link removed]
Students — how to take action, deal with antisemitism, and organize your community.
-
[link removed]
Alumni — how to organize a sign-on letter, answer a fundraising request, or write a letter to a university president.
-
[link removed]
Parents — write a letter about commencement, organize a dial day, or get help selecting a college for your student.
-
[link removed]
Glossary of Commonly Used Antisemitic Phrases Heard at Protests.
-
[link removed]
Campus Antisemitism Report Card — see the grade a college earned in this first-ever report card.
-
[link removed]
Report an Antisemitic Incident.
-
Are you a student or know one who needs legal help? Contact our
[link removed]
Campus Antisemitism Legal Line (CALL), run by ADL, Hillel, the Brandeis Center, and Gibson Dunn. Hundreds of incidents have been reported. You are not alone!
Do you have something to share with us? We are building this as we go — so please email us at
mailto:[email protected]
[email protected] with any suggestions, questions, photos, and videos.
[link removed]
Support Our Work
[link removed]
Subscribe to Our Newsletters
[link removed]
Read Our Blog and Follow Us
[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]
ADL, 605 Third Avenue, New York, NY, 10158
(c) 2024
[link removed]
Anti-Defamation League . All rights reserved.
[link removed]
Contact ADL
[link removed]
Unsubscribe or Update Email Preferences
[link removed]
Privacy Policy
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