BREAKING: New Campus Incident Report. In a report released this morning, the ADL Center on Extremism found there were more than 2,000 anti-Israel incidents from June 1, 2023 to May 31, 2024 on US college campuses. That represents a 477 percent increase compared to the prior year, and it includes a record 28 assaults (compared to zero the year before), 1,418 protests and actions, 360 instances of verbal or written harassment, 201 instances of vandalism and 80 BDS resolutions — just nine of which were voted down. The report also identifies common themes like the “veneration” of groups like Hamas and Hezbollah, misinformation around October 7 and attacks against centers for Jewish campus life. “The antisemitic, anti-Zionist vitriol we’ve witnessed on campus is unlike anything we’ve seen in the past,” said ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt. “Administrators and faculty need to do much better this year to ensure a safe and truly inclusive environment for all students.”

👉 TAKE ACTION: Urge your governor to put in place a comprehensive strategy to counter antisemitism.

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Michigan. Just past midnight Saturday into Sunday morning, a 19-year-old male University of Michigan student was assaulted by a group of individuals after they asked if he was Jewish, and the student replied that he was. Thankfully, according to a statement by the Ann Arbor Police Department, the student suffered only minor injuries and did not require hospitalization. This incident was assigned to the Ann Arbor Police Department’s hate crimes detective. “There is absolutely no place for hate or ethnic intimidation in the City of Ann Arbor,” said Ann Arbor Police Chief Andre C. Anderson. “We are committed to vigorously investigating this.” University of Michigan President Santa Ono: “We will ask that perpetrators be held accountable for their actions. We stand firmly against antisemitism and all bias-motivated behavior.”

ADL is offering a reward of $5,000, funded by the Mizel Family Foundation, for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible.

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USC. Marking the first major demonstration since last semester’s encampments, 150 anti-Israel protesters marched through the center of University of Southern California’s campus during USC’s career fair on Thursday. Demonstrating as part of Students for Justice in Palestine’s “Day of Action,” the protesters chanted and stood with signs including one that read “Long Live the Student Intifada.” USC police officers fenced off the Tommy Trojan statue to protect it, and carefully monitored the protesters including moving them to one area to prevent them from blocking the flow of pedestrian traffic.

DEEPER: Learn more about what the call for intifada means.

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Washington. A Thursday meeting of the University of Washington Board of Regents about employee unionization was disrupted by protesters demanding UW divest from companies linked to Israel. One Jewish speaker was heckled as he outlined how “Jewish students were subject to chants about not being part of this community: No Zionists should be allowed at the UW, violent graffiti and all the rest.” The Board Chair was ultimately forced to clear the room, and campus police escorted the Board and the University’s president out of the room amid growing chants from protesters. The Board released a statement after the event, condemning how Jewish speakers were “shouted down” and reiterating that “Attempts to intimidate members of the UW community or members of the public will not influence the Board’s decision-making process.”

(Credit: X/Twitter)

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Chapman. Dozens of anti-Israel demonstrators reportedly protested in Chapman University’s Attallah Piazza on Thursday following a Tuesday announcement that the University’s Board of Trustees would not divest from companies linked to Israel. Organized by Students for Justice in Palestine, the protest featured speakers from Jewish Voices for Peace OC, as well as a self-avowed anti-Zionist Jewish student. On Wednesday, Trustee Jim Burra released a statement explaining the Board of the Orange, California school has a “fiduciary responsibility to preserve and grow the endowment,” and University President Daniele Struppa quickly followed, saying “I fully support his statement.” After the protest, one SJP member said “We’re not done [...] Our presence on campus is just gonna keep growing.”

(Credit: Emily Paris, Photo Editor | The Panther)

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Emerson College and Suffolk Univ. More than 100 anti-Israel demonstrators including students from Emerson College and Suffolk University and members of Students for Justice in Palestine marched through downtown Boston on Thursday to protest ADL’s efforts to combat on-campus antisemitism, with protesters holding signs that read “Drop the ADL” and “Zionism out of our education.” At one point, protesters blocked a main intersection for roughly 15 minutes. Protesters criticized Emerson’s use of ADL resources in developing programs to combat antisemitism and ADL’s partnerships with local law enforcement. This protest comes as Emerson recently announced new policies on campus protests, as well as ongoing collaborations with ADL and Hillel International.

(Credit: WCVB)

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Penn. An anti-Israel student group has claimed responsibility for vandalizing the University of Pennsylvania’s iconic Benjamin Franklin statue with red paint on Thursday morning. Thursday’s vandalism follows protests earlier in the week when Penn students and faculty, as well as outside groups, marched to the National Constitution Center, the site of the presidential debate, chanting “student intifada” and “say it clear, say it loud, Hamas you make us proud.”

(Credit: X/Twitter)

Stand Proud. In a powerful open letter to Jewish students all over the world published in the Jerusalem Post on Wednesday, Yana Naftalieva, the president of the World Union of Jewish Students called for Jewish students to embrace their Jewish identity and underscored that “living through historic times requires courage and strength.” She lamented how recent months have “left many Jewish students feeling like outcasts, reminiscent of the challenges faced by previous generations,” but “When tested, we responded with unity and determination, proving our strength and resilience, no matter in which country our campus was.” Reminding students that they’re supported by 44 national Jewish student groups around the world, Yana encouraged Jewish students to “be even more proud of our identities” this year.

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Abbott’s Elementary Guidance. Texas Governor Greg Abbott wrote to Texas institutions of higher education on Thursday, reiterating that “antisemitism is never acceptable in Texas and there is zero tolerance for acts of antisemitism on Texas college and university campuses.” The letter reminded schools of Abbott’s recent actions directing all higher education institutions to update their policies to codify a definition of antisemitism, establish punishments for policy violations and ensure these policies are enforced. Governor Abbott also foreshadowed the need for Texas colleges to “stay vigilant” as we approach the one-year anniversary of the October 7 massacre, saying it is “imperative” that school leaders take all necessary steps to “ensure a safe environment for Jewish staff, students, and faculty.”

Jews in Space. 460 miles above Earth’s surface, Jewish tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman made history last Thursday by performing the first-ever private spacewalk. He now joins an elite group of spacewalkers that previously only included professional astronauts. The CEO of Shift4 Payments, Isaacman had teamed up with SpaceX to test the company’s new spacesuit. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson described the mission as “a giant leap forward for the commercial space industry,” while Isaacman reflected that “Back at home, we all have a lot of work to do. But from here, it sure looks like a perfect world.”

(Credit: Associated Press | X/Twitter)

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Jews on TV. A big mazel tov to Alex Edelman for winning an Emmy last night for “outstanding writing for a variety special” for his work on “Just for Us.” This one-man show revolves around Edelman’s infiltration of a white supremacists’ meeting, and explores issues of identity and antisemitism – in addition to being hilarious. Mazel tov, Alex.

DEEPER: Watch Alex Edelman at ADL’s Never is Now conference last year, discussing where to draw the line in comedy.

• Students — how to take action, deal with antisemitism, and organize your community.
• Alumni — how to organize a sign-on letter, answer a fundraising request, or write a letter to a university president.
• Parents — write a letter about commencement, organize a dial day, or get help selecting a college for your student.
• Glossary of Commonly Used Antisemitic Phrases Heard at Protests.
• Campus Antisemitism Report Card — see the grade a college earned in this first-ever report card.
• Report an Antisemitic Incident.
• Are you a student or know one who needs legal help? Contact our 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!

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