—
[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

Pitt. Following incidents at the University of Pittsburgh including a ‘Week of Rage,’ a ‘Banquet for Gaza’ held on Yom Kippur and multiple attacks on Jewish students, the
[link removed]
Pitt Faculty Assembly addressed antisemitism on campus. Robin Kear, the Faculty Assembly President, said, “I have heard urgent calls for increased attention to antisemitism efforts more broadly on campus” and Jennifer Murtazashvili, a Jewish professor, warned that the campus climate “has led to an environment where many of the Jewish students I’ve spoken to are hiding their identity.” The Faculty Assembly plans to launch a committee to respond to antisemitic incidents affecting Jewish students.


~~~~~

UCLA. At the same time an antisemitism task force at the University of California Los Angeles released a harsh report on the environment for Jewish students and staff during the previous school year (see below for much more on this report), the school now faces a
[link removed]
lawsuit claiming that the school stifled the First Amendment rights of anti-Israel protesters when it shut down an encampment in April. After ignoring the university's notice that the disruptive encampment was an 'unlawful assembly,' over 200 people were
[link removed]
arrested. Replying to the lawsuit, UCLA noted that "the encampment that arose on campus this spring became a focal point for violence, a disruption to campus and was in violation of the law. These conditions necessitated its removal."

[link removed]
(Source: Fox32 TV)


~~~~~

Toronto. The hidden cost of encampments can sometimes be found in the spreadsheets. At a recent University of Toronto board meeting, the administration revealed that dealing with the anti-Israel encampment this spring cost the school
[link removed]
$4.1 million, with expenses due to everything from increased security to property damage to lost parking revenue. Another cost of the protests has been the peace of mind of Jewish students. As Hillel Ontario CEO Seth Goren
[link removed]
noted, as Canadian universities face new protests this year, "Our hope is that moving forward, the university will understand that appeasement of people who are engaged in extreme, dangerous, hateful conduct doesn't work."


~~~~~

SJP Chapters. A
[link removed]
new ADL report on anti-Israel activists who have glorified Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar after his death notes that dozens of chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine and other campus groups were among those explicitly supportive of Sinwar after his death. For example, a posting in a City University of New York student Telegram channel said of Israel’s removal of terrorist leaders, “Hundreds more will rise to take their place…Indeed it is a Jihad of victory or martyrdom.”

(Source: Left: University of California, Berkeley, SJP. Right: Central Florida SJP | Instagram)


~~~~~

Minnesota. Protests continued at the University of Minnesota as demonstrators gathered outside Hennepin County Jail, calling for the release of
[link removed]
11 pro-Palestinian activists arrested last week after occupying an administrative building. The original protest at Morrill Hall, where protesters spray-painted security cameras and barricaded exits, aimed to push the university to divest from companies supporting Israel. University President Rebecca Cunningham condemned the disruption, stating that “destruction of property” is not legitimate protest. Minnesota Hillel emphasized its commitment to the safety of Jewish students during this time.


~~~~~

Faculty. Faculty at a number of schools are rallying against new restrictions on campus protests, which they see as attempts to stifle dissent and academic freedom.
[link removed]
Following last spring’s encampments and protests, some universities implemented stricter guidelines, including limiting protest times and requiring pre-approvals for signs. Among the schools where faculty are voicing their dissent in support of the rights of anti-Israel protesters are Indiana University, Harvard, Northwestern, Columbia and Rutgers.


DEEPER: Earlier this fall, the American Association of University Professors ended its
[link removed]
longstanding opposition to academic boycotts, a move some say reflects anti-Israel sentiment. Critics, including former professor Ken Tashjy, believe this decision represents a troubling shift. "The current position of the AAUP is completely contrary to the concept of academic freedom."


~~~~~

Albanese Campus Tour. UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese — who
[link removed]
ADL reports has a deep record of antisemitism and anti-Israel bias — has been invited to speak on campus at several schools in the U.S. ADL has
[link removed]
alerted the schools about Albanese's well-known history of extreme rhetoric. Hen Mazzig, who runs the Tel Aviv Institute which fights antisemitism,
[link removed]
noted about her distortions: "Since Oct. 7, Albanese has consistently white-washed reports of the atrocities committed by Hamas."

2. 🏆 Campus Champions

Survival Story. Liron Hacohen, an Israeli Oct. 7 survivor,
[link removed]
shared her story at Rider University’s Hillel a year after the horrific attack by Hamas. This Hillel event brought in a diverse crowd to join the students, including the school’s President Gregory Dell’Omo, as well as members of a nearby synagogue. With support from all who attended the event, Hacohen bravely recounted what she endured that day in her home village of Kfar Aza: “It wasn’t heaven anymore. It was 100% hell.” She and her family spent 22 hours in hiding. We are grateful that Hacohen was rescued and has had the courage to talk about her experiences at several U.S. college campuses.


~~~~~

A Response is Bruin. Jewish students at UCLA faced a wave of harassment and antisemitic threats during recent anti-Israel protests. A
[link removed]
93-page report from UCLA’s antisemitism task force detailed incidents including physical assaults, a swastika drawn on a chalkboard, and disturbing signs like
[link removed]
“Israelis are Native 2 HELL.” Additionally, nearly 75% of respondents said antisemitism was treated less seriously than other forms of hate, and many expressed concerns about the university's response. Task force recommendations include more robust support for Jewish and Israeli students, stricter enforcement of campus and state policies, and a dedicated position for dealing with antisemitic and anti-Israel incidents.


3. 💪✡️ Am Yisrael Chai

Israelis Need a Hug. In the days after the 10/7 Hamas terror attack, a group in New York founded the
[link removed]
Israeli Hug Center to provide support for the Israeli families there. From support groups for mothers and babies to Hebrew music and discussions of being an Israeli parent in NYC, the center provides "a warm environment where you can feel at home," explains its founder, Erela Nornberg. As one Israeli mother noted, the noises and sirens of New York can be triggering for Israelis who are used to sirens and alerts as harbingers of possible attacks. But at the Israeli Hug Center, "you walk in and everyone is in the same exact place as you."

(Source:
[link removed]
Israeli Hug Center @ Congregation Rodeph Shalom)


~~~~~

An Olympic Bond Is Formed. Earlier this month, 160 Israeli children and teens who lost family members in the line of duty spent a meaningful day with Israel’s Olympic athletes in an event organized by the Olympic Committee of Israel and the
[link removed]
IDF Widows and Orphans Organization. Olympians guided the young participants through games and shared lessons of resilience and teamwork. “The natural connection formed between the children, teens and athletes through sports is a wonderful expression of Olympic values,” said Yarden Har Lev of the Olympic Committee of Israel.

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? Please email us at
mailto:[email protected]
[email protected] with any suggestions, questions, photos or videos.



[link removed](Now(),
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