Sarah Lawrence. Masked anti-Israel protesters have taken over a campus building at Sarah Lawrence College in New York and are currently occupying it after having barricaded themselves in. The National Students for Justice in Palestine group claims that this is part of a wider campaign, and praised the demonstration, saying “we DEMAND that they disclose their financial investments and they DIVEST FROM DEATH.” A news report indicates that campus security is monitoring the situation. ADL’s NY/NJ regional team criticized the protest, noting that “This does nothing to foster peace between Israelis and Palestinians; it only disrupts life on campus and fosters an increasingly hostile environment for Jewish students and faculty on campus.”

(Protesters at Sarah Lawrence. Source: National SJP | X/Twitter)

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CUNY. The City University of New York announced a Freedom of Expression Working Group to create a systemwide free speech policy for its 25 campuses, addressing tensions between combating hate, campus safety and free speech. This follows criticism over handling waves of protests against Israel, allegations of antisemitism, and prior legal disputes on free speech. The initiative aligns with other efforts, like an advisory council on Jewish life and a center for inclusion.

DEEPER. Those protests at CUNY schools in the previous school year cost CUNY at least $3 million in damages and added security.

(An SJP campaign targeting Hillel at CUNY. Source: Baruch SJP | Instagram)

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Minnesota. The Minneapolis Federation of Teachers (MFT) is facing a backlash for inviting Taher Herzallah, a speaker with a history of antisemitic remarks, to lead a seminar for public K-12 school educators titled “Being an Educator in a Time of War & Genocide.” Herzallah is a grad student and teaching assistant at the University of Minnesota who has called Jews "enemy No. 1” and said that “Israelis have to be bombed.” The invitation sparked condemnation from Minneapolis’ Mayor and from Jewish leaders, who are demanding the event’s cancellation. The Minnesota JCRC put the issue clearly: “We cannot have someone who says that Jews are ‘enemy No. 1’ training public school teachers.”

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Virginia Universities. A Virginia House committee held a hearing to study how the state’s universities are handling campus protests and free speech. This comes after angry anti-Israel protests in the spring at five universities that resulted in more than 125 arrests and raised tensions on campus. Kiera Schneiderman, student body president at Virginia Tech, testified that when she visited the encampment site, she and others were met with chants of “shame” and witnessed a crowd chasing a Jewish student. She also reported three students were punched in the face. House Majority Leader Charniele Herring said that the committee is laying the groundwork for potential future legislation.

DEEPER. For this hearing, ADL’s regional office submitted important testimony providing recommendations.

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Stanford. Stanford University has announced a new plan to help students get support after bias-related incidents while addressing free speech concerns, scrapping a previous effort. Stanford is one of many schools that saw extensive campus anti-Israel demonstrations during the previous school year. The new plan uses federal Title VI guidelines to provide a framework for reporting incidents that may raise concerns under Title VI. Using a form on Stanford's website, community members can report any incident of harassment or discrimination, “[initiating] the process of addressing the concerns raised in the report.” While this is an important and welcome step, the university must continue to provide a mechanism by which students can continue to report bias-related incidents that may not give rise to Title VI concerns but nevertheless warrant action by the Administration.

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Edinburgh University. The Justice for Palestine Society (EUJPS) at the University of Edinburgh is facing disciplinary actions after several recent disruptive events: threatening staff and the Principal, occupying campus buildings, blocking entrances and entering the library after being banned. The university has condemned the actions of EUJPS as “completely unacceptable" and said that it would not tolerate "bullying, intimidation and offensive behavior, both online and in person." The university is investigating EUJPS for their use of threatening language towards the administration on social media.

Unbalanced Coverage. Post 10/7, Jewish student campus journalists are forging ahead to cover campus unrest even as they face increasing challenges navigating bias, identity, and safety in the wake of anti-Israel activism and rising antisemitism. Their concerns about biased coverage have often been dismissed. Campus protests, and calls for divesting from Israel or shutting down Jewish organizations further heightened tensions. Despite personal risks and backlash, these Jewish journalists have worked to document complex events, striving for accuracy and integrity.

DEEPER. Jewish and pro-Israel students at Canadian universities face marginalization in campus newspapers dominated by anti-Israel narratives. In response, students have launched independent platforms to amplify Jewish voices and advocate for balanced representation.

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Don’t Shy Away. France’s Bernard-Henri Lévy recently completed a North American campus tour where he addressed growing anti-Zionism and antisemitism at universities. Highlighting challenges faced by Jewish students, Lévy urged them to defend Jews and Israel despite rising hostility. Lévy encouraged students to confront this hatred, emphasizing Israel’s multiethnic democracy and the moral dangers of contemporary antisemitism on campus. “Explain to these ignoramuses that half of the Jewish founders of Israel were indigenous and that, if the others did indeed often come from Europe, they weren’t conquerors but refugees.”

The Healing Powers of Horses. Anita Shkedi, a therapeutic riding instructor, is offering the healing powers of equine therapy to 10/7 survivors. A free program called Transcending Trauma gives combat veterans, trauma survivors and their families the opportunity to heal through grooming and riding horses. Shkedi gave the example of an Israeli paramedic who served in Gaza and Lebanon post 10/7. After a tough first few sessions, he “became more communicative and said he felt more emotionally open and positive.” Sixty combat veterans, twenty Nova music festival survivors and other victims of trauma stemming from 10/7 and its aftermath are taking part.

(Equine therapy at Transcending Trauma. Photo by Anita Shkedi)

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Sealing the Spotlight. A rare Mediterranean monk seal named Maya made waves last week, with the State of Israel’s official social media account chiming in after she was sighted near Rosh Hanikra. The sighting of this elusive animal marks at least her fifth return to Israel since 2010. These seals, critically endangered, have become symbols of hope, with Maya and Yulia, previously captivating Israelis. The name “Maya” which derives from the Hebrew word for water, reflects one of Israel’s greatest resources and technological accomplishments.

(Source: Avinoam Berdes, @rashut_hateva via @Israel on X/Twitter)

• 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.
• Faculty and Staff — support for impacted faculty and staff, and guidance on how to discuss what constitutes antisemitism and anti-Zionism, and how to provide help to students and colleagues.
• 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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