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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.


During the coming weeks, colleges and universities across North America will be on winter break. ADL's Campus Crisis Alert will send out an edition each Tuesday. We will publish additional special editions as needed based on the news. The once-a-week pace begins during the week of Dec. 16. We'll resume our daily edition on Jan. 6.

1. 📰 Top Stories

Private K-12 Schools. At the recent National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) People of Color Conference, several speakers used extreme, biased anti-Israel rhetoric, including falsely accusing Israel of “genocide” and downplaying the Hamas terrorist attack on 10/7.
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ADL and several other leading groups in the Jewish community wrote to the head of NAIS, as did many members of the ADL community via an email campaign. The NAIS President, Debra Wilson, then
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reached out yesterday to "express my profound remorse over the divisive and hurtful rhetoric expressed on stage at last week’s NAIS People of Color Conference in Denver. There is no place for antisemitism at NAIS events, in our member schools, or in society."
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ADL appreciates both the expressions of remorse from Wilson and the outline of new steps being instituted to avoid future incidents involving speakers at NAIS events.


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UCLA. The
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former chief of police at UCLA, John Thomas, is no longer affiliated with the university. Thomas was criticized for the slow pace of his response to an anti-Israel encampment in late April, which “grew large enough to block students from accessing parts of the school for several days,” as noted in the media. It is unknown if he was let go or resigned. He had previously been removed from the role of chief, and an alternate is serving as the interim chief until a permanent selection is made.

UCLA anti-Israel encampment in April 2024. (Photo Source: UCLA Daily Bruin)


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MIT. At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the
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Jewish Alumni Alliance issued an open letter criticizing President Sally Kornbluth for MIT’s campus climate for Jewish students and faculty. The letter highlighted anti-Israel
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incidents, specifically against Professor Daniela Rus. She was targeted by accusatory op-eds and "Wanted" posters of her that were plastered on campus. President Kornbluth did condemn these actions, but the alumni group alleges she has fostered a hostile environment. The alumni letter also included allegations of administrative bias, such as ordering students to remove Israeli flags while permitting Palestinian ones.


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LGBTQ+ Students. “Before the conflict, the Q Center felt welcoming,” said a Tufts University sophomore about the school’s LGBTQ+ center. “But after October 7, they publicly supported Palestine, and it made me feel really uncomfortable.” Jewish college and high school students are reporting feeling
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unwelcomed in LGBTQ+ groups, even when the students had long been involved in those same groups before the Hamas attack on 10/7. This rift is particularly striking when you note that Israel is widely seen as the most LGBTQ+ friendly country in its region.


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Harvard. Previously a site of anti-Israel protests, this week Harvard University was the host of Jewish Studies faculty from across the U.S. who gathered to
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reflect on a year of post-Oct. 7 antisemitism on campuses. Scholars shared concerns about hostility, exclusionary environments and how to maintain dialogue while protecting Jewish students. As Magda Teter of Fordham University asserted, “We have to relearn to disagree with each other, not to cancel each other.” While some noted a quieter semester, others recounted firsthand encounters with antisemitism, such as menacing threats and safety fears at protests.


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Wayne State. During a meeting of Wayne State University’s Board of Governors, anti-Israel groups presented a proposal
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pushing for divestment. The proposal did not garner comment from any of the board members, and a media report indicates that the protesters were visibly angry at the disinterest by board members. It is unclear whether the Michigan school has any Israel-connected investments in its endowment; school officials have not issued any information on this. The BDS effort comes months after the school was one of many across the country to host anti-Israel encampments during the Spring. Several demonstrators at the encampments were arrested at the time.

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


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Oklahoma. Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) at the University of Oklahoma held a “
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study-in” protest, demanding the school divest from companies that may have relationships with Israel. The group promoted the event on their social media, stating “OU funds weapons manufacturers, normalizes their presence on campus, and gives labor to them. Demand disclosure and divestment at our study-in.” The university has not yet made a statement about the protest, but did quickly remove posters and Palestinian flags the protesters scattered throughout the library.

2. 🏆 Campus Champions

Role Models. Brandeis University sophomore Josef Kay praises how the university and former President Ron Liebowitz’s
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handled antisemitism on campus post-10/7. Liebowitz condemned the 10/7 Hamas attacks and “derecognized” Students for Justice in Palestine for supporting terrorism. Despite isolated incidents, these measures have fostered a safe campus environment. Liebowitz’s approach is highlighted by the writer as a model of moral clarity and effective administration for universities grappling with campus antisemitism. Kay said, “It is not a matter of ability but rather of moral clarity and courage that has set our school apart from its peers.”


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Pearl Shines at Auburn. Auburn University men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl hosted his
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largest-ever annual Hanukkah celebration at his home, highlighting his ongoing commitment to celebrating Jewish traditions and fostering Jewish life on campus. Pearl, known for his leadership on and off the court, has been a champion of Auburn’s Jewish community, even spearheading initiatives like the “
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Birthright for College Basketball ” program, which took athletes and staff to Israel. His Hanukkah event, filled with latkes, family and friends, shows the pride Pearl takes in his Jewish heritage.

(Source: X | @coachbrucepearl)


3. 💪✡️ Am Yisrael Chai

A New Goal for American Athletes. Despite the ongoing war Israel is engaged in, a number of
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American athletes have decided to move to Israel to pursue professional careers. As Ryan Turell says, “It’s always been a dream of mine to play basketball in Israel professionally, ever since I was in high school.” Now he is playing in the Israeli Basketball Premier League after previously being the first Orthodox Jewish player to appear in the NBA G League. Another new pro athlete in Israel is Rachel Dallet, who is in the country’s women’s Premier League. She recalled a time when the missile sirens blared during practice: “There were two shelters in our facility, so we all — cleats and everything on, sweaty — sprint inside.”


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The Daily Postcard Project. Israeli artist Zeev Englemayer shares his emotional response to Oct. 7 through art in a new project called “
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Daily Postcard. ” With over 300 postcards, some of the art depicts “hostages learning yoga deep inside the airless tunnels of Gaza; a portrait of the American-Israeli hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin; Kfir Bibas blowing out candles on his first birthday cake; a flower seller near Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square.” The drawings, although sad and devastating, emit a sense of solace through the vibrant colors and shapes. In the beginning of his journey in this art project, Englemayer admitted that he created art that evokes grief and loss — understandably. But what he soon realized was that people needed art to bring back the feelings of comfort and joy.

(Source: Zeev Englemayer)

4. 📣 Info and Action:
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Not on My Campus

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



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