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Good morning and welcome to the Campus Crisis Alert, brought to you by the ADL Ronald Birnbaum Center to Combat Antisemitism in Education (CCAE). If you want to subscribe,
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sign up here.

1. 📰 Top Stories

Backing The Bruins. The new administration continues to escalate its efforts against antisemitism on campus, with the Department of Justice filing a court brief
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supporting Jewish students and faculty suing UCLA for alleged discrimination. The lawsuit claims that UCLA violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act by allowing anti-Israel protesters to harass Jewish students, block their access to campus and demand they denounce Israel to pass through certain areas. The Justice Department accused UCLA of attempting to "

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evade responsibility "
and emphasized that universities enabling antisemitic exclusion will face consequences. In response to the DOJ’s legal brief, ADL
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reaffirmed its support for the filing, saying it "highlights the need for full accountability and protection for Jewish students from harassment on campuses." The administration’s Federal Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, which is also investigating the entire University of California system, has warned of potential funding cuts. The move follows Columbia University losing $400 million in federal grants due to its handling of antisemitism allegations.

(Anti-Israel Encampment from 2024 | Source: Nicolas Greamo/Daily Bruin senior staff)


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Santa Barbara. In response to growing concerns about antisemitism, UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) has announced the formation of a
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Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Antisemitism to foster a safer, more inclusive environment for Jewish and Israeli-identifying students, faculty and staff. The committee will provide recommendations on education, training and campus policies to prevent antisemitism and promote respectful discourse. ADL California
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praised the initiative, with Santa Barbara Regional Director Joshua Burt stating, “This proactive initiative signals a meaningful initial commitment to addressing and combating antisemitism, laying the foundation for real progress.” UCSB leadership emphasized that the initiative aligns with UC system-wide policies against intolerance and will work alongside other efforts to improve campus climate. The committee, expected to be appointed soon, will consult with faculty, staff, students and alumni to ensure a broad and effective approach.


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Minnesota. Post-10/7, many departments at The University of Minnesota (UMN) issued controversial anti-Israel statements. In response, UMN Board of Regents recently approved a resolution
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restricting academic departments from making public statements on political or social issues unless directly related to the university’s mission. The decision has sparked faculty and student protests, citing concerns about free speech and academic freedom. Demonstrators disrupted the Board of Regents meeting, leading to one individual getting arrested for trespassing. Supporters said the policy protects the university’s neutrality, while critics warn it could suppress open dialogue. Board of Regents chair, Janie Mayeron said, “Official positions taken on these controversial issues by the units are perceived to be positions taken by the university and those positions can
have significant consequences to the university, both internally and externally,” University President Rebecca Cunningham will report on the policy’s impact in October. ADL Midwest
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welcomed the move, saying it “appreciates” the new policy.


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Pittsburgh. A majority of University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) students
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voted in favor of greater financial transparency and divestment from weapons manufacturers arming Israel amid the ongoing war in Gaza. In a Student Government Board election with record-high turnout, 80% supported disclosing Pitt’s endowment investments and annual audits, while 60% backed divesting from such weapons companies. However, the university has clarified that the Student Government Board does not represent the university or impact its financial decisions. While the vote reflects strong student interest, Pitt is not bound by the results, and the administration has not indicated any intent to act on the proposal. These demands align with the broader Boycott, Divestment, and
Sanctions (BDS) movement and follow past student-led divestment efforts at Pitt, including on fossil fuels and apartheid-era South Africa.


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Florida Universities. Florida legislators are supporting a
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new initiative to enhance security and support for Jews at three large state schools: the University of Florida, Florida State University and the University of South Florida. Sylvie Feinsmith, Executive Director of Hillel at South Florida, explains the goals of the program: “This initiative allows us to not only enhance security but also to invest in education and relationship-building, ensuring that misinformation and antisemitism have no place in our community.” ADL’s Florida Region
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praised the initiative as a step in helping Jewish students – and all students – learn in an environment without fear of harassment or intimidation, and as a model for other states.

(Anti-Israel protest on campus at Florida State in 2023. Source: Ben Grant/FSView)


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German Universities. A new report co-authored by the Jewish Student Union of Germany (JSUD) and AJC looks at the spiking antisemitic incidents at
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German universities. The report reveals that German Jewish students feel less safe on campus, and some are opting to hide their Jewish identity. Hanna Veiler, President of the JSUD, called for better prevention and intervention by the schools, adding that "Since October 7, many universities have ceased to be safe places for Jewish students.” This trend echoes similar findings among U.S. Jewish students as well as those in other countries.


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Glasgow. Around 30 students
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have occupied the Charles Wilson Building at the University of Glasgow, demanding the university sever all ties with the arms industry and enforce an academic boycott of Israel. The protest, led by the Glasgow University Justice for Palestine Society, accuses the university of complicity in war crimes through its L6.8 million investments in arms companies like BAE Systems, linked to Israeli military actions in Gaza. In addition to the occupation, three students have launched a hunger strike to increase pressure on the university. While the university supports peaceful protest, it emphasized the importance of respecting others' rights and maintaining a hate-free environment.

2. 🏆 Campus Champions

New Home, Same Strength. One year after anti-Israel protests rocked Emerson College, the school is facing a
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sharp drop in enrollment, with some Jewish students citing an increasingly hostile climate as their reason for transferring. Students like Meira Fiber-Munro left after experiencing ostracization, harassment and feeling unsafe discussing their identities. “Certain people had started to conflate Judaism, or even just having an Israeli identity, with being violent or supporting genocide,” said Fiber-Munro. Despite this, Emerson Hillel and the Hillel Council of New England are working to rebuild Jewish life on campus. The college has strengthened policies on protests and free speech, and Hillel has doubled its outreach efforts. “It’s been a lot quieter” said
Miriam Berkowitz Blue, executive director of the Hillel Council. While some students have found safer environments elsewhere, others are determined to stay and create a more vibrant and vocal Jewish community at Emerson.


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SafeU & Sound. Secure Community Network (SCN) recently launched SafeU – a
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training program designed to give Jewish students practical safety skills. With interactive sessions featuring security experts, students will review video footage of actual incidents and learn to assess risks, navigate protests and identify exit routes. The program is meant to foster confidence and preparedness rather than fear. With campus security concerns at an all-time high, SafeU empowers students to make informed decisions and react effectively in emergencies. SCN’s director of campus safety said, “College years are meant to be some of the best and most formative times in a young person’s life. Our goal is to equip Jewish students with the tools to fully embrace
that experience while giving them the confidence to respond effectively in an emergency.”


3. 💪✡️ Am Yisrael Chai

A Cloud of Cash. Israeli tech startup Wiz, a rapidly growing company in the field of security for cloud computing, is being acquired for a
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hefty $32 billion. This would be the largest acquisition in Israel's history, and the biggest by Alphabet, Google’s parent company. Wiz was just founded five years ago and is now based in New York; it has offices in Israel. It is the latest in a wave of Israel tech ‘unicorns’ to be scooped up. (A unicorn is a tech startup that is valued at over a billion dollars and is privately owned).


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From Tragedy to Taboonia. Raif Rashed,
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a Druze engineer from Usfiya, Israel, had no plans to open a kosher restaurant in New York City until tragedy altered his path. After moving to New Jersey in 2019 for work, Rashed visited Israel in October 2023 to assist his brother Radda, who ran a catering business called Taboonia. While working at an event—the Nova Music Festival—Rashed was separated from his brother in the chaos. Though his brother survived, Rashed witnessed Hamas fighters burning an ambulance where his friend Erick Peretz and Peretz’s 16-year-old daughter, Ruth, had taken cover. Their bodies were identified 12 days later, among the more than 380 victims of the attack. In the wake of this tragedy,
Rashed returned to New York and opened a Druze restaurant, also named Taboonia, in the Garment District, now seeking kosher certification as a tribute to his brother’s legacy.

🎙 Podcast

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Chai-er EdTM, ADL’s campus podcast, hosted by activist and former student leader Luda Isakharov, uncovers the realities of Jewish life on campus — the challenges, the victories and the unshakable resilience of Jewish students confronting hate head-on.


🎧
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Tune in weekly and be part of the conversation.


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Episode 2: Courage – Noah Lederman at Columbia University


In this episode of Chai-er Ed, we sit down with Noah Lederman, a student at Columbia University, who was physically assaulted near campus. Noah shares his story as a cautionary tale, but also as a beacon of inspiration on how a leader can be born out of darkness.

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Listen HERE

4. 📣 Info and Action:
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Not on My Campus

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Campus Community Advocacy Resources — From social media shares to letter writing campaigns, ADL has clear steps for you to take action and effect change on college campuses.
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K-12 Advocacy Resources — Tools and knowledge to foster and advocate for a safe, inclusive and equitable school environment for all.
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University Faculty and Staff — Support for impacted faculty and staff, guidance on how to discuss what constitutes antisemitism and anti-Zionism and how to provide help to students and colleagues.
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University Administration — Guidance & Best Practices for making campuses safer and more inclusive.
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Campus Antisemitism Report Card — See the grades of 135 universities, the current state of antisemitism on campus and how colleges and universities are responding.
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Chai-er Ed Podcast — ADL’s campus podcast, brings you firsthand stories from Jewish students navigating today’s college campuses.
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General Campus Resources — ADL Backgrounders, Educational Programming, Research and Analysis and more.
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Campus Antisemitism Legal Line (CALL) — College or university students, professors, or employees who want to report campus incidents of antisemitic discrimination, intimidation, harassment, vandalism or violence that may necessitate legal action can report to CALL for legal support.
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K-12 Antisemitism Legal Line — Parents and other interested adults in California, Massachusetts and New York can report incidents of antisemitic discrimination, intimidation, harassment, vandalism or violence occurring in K-12 schools to the K-12 Antisemitism Legal Line.
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Report an Antisemitic Incident.

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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