Temple. “Today, I am pleased to share that Temple has resolved the investigation through a voluntary resolution agreement.” This statement by Temple University President John Fry came after a lengthy investigation by the U.S. Department of Education regarding responses to incidents that impacted Jewish students. In the settlement, the university agreed to several new actions including more training for Temple’s investigators and students, faculty and staff; a climate survey; and continued internal review of incident responses. The school is also required to provide reports to the Department of Education for the next two years. ADL’s regional office commended Temple for its proactive steps while noting that the settlement findings “revealed gaps in addressing shared ancestry harassment.”

(Anti-Israel protest at Temple, August 2024. Source: Kayla McMonagle/Temple News)

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Trinity. On Thursday, Trinity College in Connecticut rejected calls to adopt BDS. The Board of Trustees explained their fiduciary responsibility and found that the proposal “would create too much risk for the institution and potentially compromise its ability to carry out its primary educational mission” for future generations. Trinity joins a growing list of schools that have resisted BDS demands, noting the divisiveness of the movement and the significant financial risks divesting could entail.

DEEPER: A report by ADL affiliate JLens estimates that universities could lose billions in future returns if they capitulate to BDS initiatives.

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UCLA. The Cultural Affairs Commissioner (CAC) of UCLA’s undergraduate student association faces allegations of antisemitism and discrimination after a petition filed by a Jewish student accused her of directing her office to reject Jewish applicants during its fall 2024 hiring cycle, which would violate university policies and state and federal laws. Screenshots included in the complaint show the CAC urging staff to research applicants for ties to “Zionism” and citing a “no hire list .” The petition came from a former student president of UCLA Hillel who claims these practices unfairly targeted Jewish students, as all three applicants, including herself, who mentioned their Jewish faith were reportedly denied positions. UCLA Hillel Executive Director Dan Gold noted that his organization is reviewing the evidence and added: "This must end – students and faculty must be held accountable for their hateful and discriminatory actions against Jewish Bruins.” The UCLA undergraduate student association’s judicial board is set to review the case.

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Ireland. An American college student studying in Ireland was attacked in an allegedly antisemitic assault in a bar. The student, who was wearing a Star of David necklace, was confronted by three men who asked him if he was Jewish and then attacked him when he said he was. The victim says that he was punched multiple times before security intervened. He added that he heard one of the other people in the bar say “The Jews in Amsterdam – they got what they deserved.” The attack is now under police investigation. Talking about the attack and other incidents, Israel’s Ambassador to Ireland said that “the Jewish community (and) the Israeli community are not feeling safe – this is antisemitism.”

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Oxford University (UK). The renowned Oxford Union student debate society voted in favor of a proposition that Israel "is an apartheid state engaged in an active genocide of Palestinians” after an acrimonious debate between pro- and anti-Israel speakers. The event turned hostile, with jeering and insults from the audience targeting the pro-Israel speakers. Unfortunately, Oxford and its debate society did not support an open discussion, with one of the pro-Israel speakers asserting that “the evening was a shameful and grotesque mockery of educated debate.”

Speaking Up by Getting Out. Zahava Feldstein recently took a big step to lean into her Jewish identity when she dropped out of her PhD program at Stanford University. Feldstein highlighted the antisemitism from classmates, professors and administrators. She cited accusations linking Zionism to white supremacy and personal attacks on her heritage and beliefs. Efforts to address these incidents were dismissed. Feldstein explained: “So I will be leaving a PhD program at Stanford University because daily antisemitism is too rampant, aggressive and isolating. I will be leaving a PhD program at Stanford invigorated to join my American Jewish community in the fight against antisemitism.”

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Higher Ed. Higher Anxiety. For Jewish high school seniors, college applications now come with added worries about campus safety and antisemitism post-Oct. 7. Once a search for intellectual growth, the college decision process now includes weighing how schools handle antisemitism, the strength of their Jewish communities, and responses to the “Academic Intifada ” fueled by post-Oct. 7 protests. While elite schools face heightened scrutiny, students are also looking at less politicized campuses and alternative paths like Israeli universities. Experts encourage seniors to think critically about how they define success and to push back against the oversimplified ideologies taking hold in higher education.

DEEPER: Explore ADL’s Campus Antisemitism Report Card to see how schools measure up in addressing hate.

(Far From) Home Cooking. Many Israelis who were evacuated from dangerous areas spent months living in hotels, or with family far away from home. One project helping these displaced Israelis feel at home was the Open Kitchen Project, in which hosts opened their home kitchens to the refugees so they could cook meals that were important to them. As a project director, Matan Choufan, said: “It amazes me how much the kitchen is a key ingredient in creating a sense of security.” You can try cooking from the Open Kitchen Project’s list of recipes cooked during the program. The meals show the diversity of Israel, ranging from Moroccan potato pie to Persian beet ash soup.

(Source: Open Kitchen Project)

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Ambulance Accounts. The United Hatzalah ambulance volunteers who were on the ground on 10/7 have a unique perspective. Itzik Kara, a former combat medic, remembers the day in sharp detail. He, alongside a married couple and a nursing student, heroically jumped into action to treat wounded soldiers and victims. They were on the battlegrounds with no hesitation: treating a pregnant kibbutznik who had escaped the terrorists, young children who were traumatized with fear and more. As Kara recalled, “only [the next day] did I realize what danger we were in on Oct. 7. We were concentrating so hard on caring for the wounded, that even though we saw the murdered bodies and we heard the rockets, we somehow had the ability to ignore them and keep working.”

• 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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