Tennessee. A tragic school shooting at Antioch High School in Nashville on Wednesday left two students dead and another injured. Authorities report that a 17-year-old student retrieved a firearm from a school bathroom before opening fire in the cafeteria, killing fellow student Josselin Corea Escalante and injuring another before taking his own life. The Metro Nashville Police Department continues to investigate a motive, with federal agencies assisting in tracing the firearm. Analysts from ADL’s Center on Extremism have identified a manifesto and social media accounts believed to belong to the shooter, which contain content associated with incel ideology, accelerationism, white supremacy, antisemitism and anti-Black sentiments. ADL's Southeast regional office extended condolences on social media, relaying the community's heartbreak over the senseless act of violence.

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Columbia. On the first day of the session at Columbia University, masked anti-Israel demonstrators burst into a classroom where a visiting professor from Israel was teaching a class. They held up a sign showing Hamas terrorists pointing guns titled “THE ENEMY WILL NOT SEE TOMORROW,” banged drums and chanted, then left to join demonstrators on the main quad and outside the school gates. Interim President Katrina Armstrong was quick to condemn them, saying the school would “move quickly to investigate and address this act.” ADL emphasized that “students should be able to learn without disruption and intimidation.”

👉 TAKE ACTION: Students deserve to feel safe and supported on campus. Please click here to join ADL in urging your Senator to cosponsor and swiftly pass the bipartisan Protecting Students on Campus Act.

(Demonstrators gathered next to Columbia's gates. Source: TheBartlett | Instagram)

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RISD. The Rhode Island School of Design's Board of Trustees voted on Jan. 9 to reject a student-led divestment proposal targeting companies affiliated with Israel. The decision, originally expected in March, follows months of activism, including a three-day building occupation by RISD Students for Justice in Palestine (RSJP). In a campus-wide email, the board stated the proposal “did not meet RISD’s divestment criteria”, emphasizing their focus on preserving the institution’s core mission. RSJP criticized the board’s decision, claiming the administration failed to engage with them in good faith.

(Source: Dana Richie)

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Cornell. Only the first day of Winter semester and Cornell University has already been marked by anti-Israel vandalism. Anti-Israel activists vandalized the Andrew Dickson White statue with slogans like “Divest from death” and “Occupation = death,” accompanied by red paint resembling blood. The incident mirrors similar acts of vandalism from the fall semester, when protesters targeted campus buildings with anti-Israel messages. Activists behind the graffiti called for Cornell to divest from companies tied to Israel’s defense sector, stating they will “organize until we see a liberated Palestine.” ADL is in touch with the administration and have been assured this matter is being taken very seriously.

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Michigan. Michigan’s Attorney General charged three anti-Israel protesters after they staged a "die-in" demonstration at the University of Michigan's “Festifall” event. The Michigan Attorney General's office stated that protesters were warned before arrests and noted alternative demonstration sites were available. The AG's press office wrote “multiple verbal warnings were issued that the group assembled on the Diag at that time for a political demonstration was committing a criminal violation and ample time was given to disburse before any arrests were effectuated.”

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Tufts. Responding to complaints filed by the website Campus Reform, the U.S. Department of Education will investigate Tuft University for its handling of reported antisemitic incidents. The government agency disclosed that it plans to “investigate whether the University failed to respond to alleged harassment of students based on national origin (shared Jewish ancestry) in a manner consistent with the requirements of Title VI.”

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Chapman. Chapman University has rescinded the MLK Community Service Award initially granted to its local chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) following backlash over the group's recent actions. University President Daniele Struppa apologized to the campus community, acknowledging that SJP’s activities in recent months were “incompatible with the spirit of Dr. King's approach.” Chapman’s DEI office shared the decision to rescind the award with ADL’s Orange County/Long Beach regional office during a meeting where the region expressed strong opposition to honoring a group that has glorified Hamas' October 7 attacks and advocated for the eradication of Zionism on campus. ADL commended Chapman’s leadership for taking corrective action but criticized the initial decision as an "insult to the Jewish community."

Speaking the Truth. Isaac Grand, a law student and CAMERA Fellow, discusses the rise of antisemitism in Western universities, where left-wing and Islamist antisemitism have converged to create an inescapable atmosphere of hostility. Grand highlights how this has made antisemitism on campus inescapable. Whether it’s antisemitism in student government communications, antisemitic posters, or anti-Israel stickers peppered in study cubicles and desks, there is widespread fear among Jewish students, with many concealing their identities. But Grand refuses to stay silent. He stands firm in his fight against antisemitism, stating, “As for me and the flood of hate in my email inbox, my problem won’t be resolved until we tackle antisemitism within our universities and media institutions seriously, and de-normalize this spreading hatred.”

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A Zeal for Speaking Up. “We are here. We’re Zionist. We’re proud, and you can’t scare us away.” That was Cal-Berkeley student Simone Beilen, speaking at a Club Z conference for Jewish teens. She and several other students described tense encounters on campus and the importance of speaking out. Fellow Berkeley student Shaya Keyvanfar talked about being the only Jewish senator in the school’s student government to vote against an anti-Israel resolution, and she was also able to convince another student senator to vote against it. She made an important point that “If you can change one person’s mind, you are making a difference.”

Tech Resilience in Times of War. As Israel faces ongoing economic and security challenges post-October 7, the resilience of its high-tech sector is proving vital for the nation's future. Institutions like Afeka Academic College of Engineering are ensuring that students called to military service can continue their studies through hybrid learning models, financial support, and academic flexibility. Afeka's "AsOne" student wartime support fund is an example of this; it aims to safeguard the next generation of engineers, underscoring the need for diaspora investment in Israel’s technological backbone. With nearly 20% of Israel's GDP reliant on high-tech, supporting these future innovators is essential for the country's long-term strength and economic stability.

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Reforming Attitudes About Israel. A trip to Israel by a contingent of U.S. Reform Rabbis highlighted how the 10/7 terrorist attacks opened eyes both in the United States and Israel. Delegation leader Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch said that his group was “uniformly well received” as they toured the country. A longtime advocate for strengthening ties with Israel, Hirsch emphasized that the attacks served as a sobering wake-up call for the Reform community—reinforcing the challenges and threats Israel faces. For Israelis, he noted, the attacks underscored the risks of isolation and the critical need for deeper connections with American Jews.

(Courtesy/Stephen Wise Free Synagogue)

• 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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