Columbia. Columbia University is “on the right track” to regain $400 million in federal funding, according to Education Secretary Linda McMahon. This comes after Columbia agreed to key demands from the Trump administration, following the funding's cancellation due to antisemitism concerns. Columbia's actions include enhanced security measures, academic reviews and restrictions on masked harassment. The Federal Task Force to Combat Antisemitism had announced the funding freeze on March 7, citing campus climate concerns. While final negotiations are still pending, McMahon said she’s had “great conversations” with Columbia’s interim president and emphasized the university’s responsibility to ensure Jewish student safety. ADL welcomed Columbia’s planned changes to curb antisemitism, adding that “Columbia must be held accountable for putting these commitments into action. Such practices must protect free speech and academic freedom but not extend to rule-breaking actions.”

~~~~~

UCLA. During last week’s University of California regents meeting, held at UCLA, dozens of anti-Israel protesters gathered to push for BDS and shout slogans like “We will honor all our martyrs.” Some of the protesters invaded a nearby campus building to hang banners, including one comparing the campus police and Israeli military to the KKK, and were quickly expelled from the area. At the same time, attorneys representing a previous batch of anti-Israel protesters at UCLA announced a lawsuit against the school, the police and counter-protesters claiming that counter-protesters threw fireworks and tear gas at the protesters’ encampment and that law enforcement was slow to intervene.

Anti-Israel protesters outside a UC board meeting. (Source: Daily Bruin)

~~~~~

Florida. A University of Florida student was arrested last month for aggravated stalking after confronting a Jewish individual in a convenience store, making antisemitic remarks and simulating shooting gestures, according to Gainesville police. The victim reported ongoing antisemitic harassment from the alleged stalker, who is currently held without bond.

~~~~~

Cambridge (UK). The University of Cambridge has been granted a four-month High Court injunction barring Israel-Palestine protests from parts of its campus through July 26, citing a “real and imminent risk” of disruptions to graduation ceremonies. The UK university had previously sought a five-year ban, which was rejected, but successfully returned to court for a shorter-term measure focused on safeguarding campus events. The judge ruled that the order strikes a fair balance between the rights of the university and protesters. A university spokesperson emphasized that the goal was not to suppress lawful protest but to prevent occupations that could interfere with academic operations.

A Moving Mosaic. In response to a global surge in antisemitism since 10/7, Israel's Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Ministry has launched a $1 million emergency initiative to support Jewish students in Europe and Latin America. The program is operated in partnership with Mosaic United, a nonprofit that is supported by the ministry; the initiative funds organizations in the UK, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Mexico and Argentina in order to improve student safety, establish campus safe spaces and provide tools to counter antisemitism and promote Israeli advocacy.

~~~~~

Stronger Than Ever. Chabad on Campus International recently hosted Pegisha Europe, a gathering that brought hundreds of Jewish students from over 40 European universities to celebrate Shabbat in Budapest. The weekend was filled with Jewish unity, inspiration and unforgettable experiences, including a performance by musician Alex Clare, immersive tours of Budapest’s historic Jewish Quarter and a night cruise on the Danube. With students and Chabad Directors coming together, this was a timely celebration of Jewish pride and connection amidst rising antisemitism on campuses across Europe.

DEEPER: Click here to see a video recap and be inspired.

(Source: Chabad on Campus International)

Shalom on the Range. An Israeli tech startup has just begun deploying drones — aka “autonomous flying cowboys” — on cattle farms in Brazil. But the sky is the limit for BeeFree Agro, whose CEO (and former cowboy) Noam Azran says: “We’ve just started with our first paying customers. But these are the biggest customers in the world and so it’s a very fast ramp-up from where we are now to hopefully by the end of the year taking over a good portion of the industry, at least in Brazil.” The drones can track each cow to keep an electronic eye out for issues like a hole in the fence, a difficult calving or a trapped animal that the ranchers can then fix.

Drone images tracking livestock. (Photo courtesy of BeeFree Agro)

~~~~~

Sababa State of Mind. The World Happiness Report recently released their annual list of the happiest countries in the world, ranking Israel eighth. Despite the ongoing military struggle with Hamas and other terrorist entities, Israel remains in the top 10 though it did drop from the fifth spot since last year. A big reason for the top-tier ranking is that Israel excels in social connections and holds the highest happiness ranking in the Middle East. Finland, Denmark and Iceland top the list. The report was graded on factors like social support, income and freedom, and was released to coincide with the UN’s International Day of Happiness last week.

• 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.
• K-12 Advocacy Resources — Tools and knowledge to foster and advocate for a safe, inclusive and equitable school environment for all.
• 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.
• University Administration — Guidance & Best Practices for making campuses safer and more inclusive.
• Campus Antisemitism Report Card — See the grades of 135 universities, the current state of antisemitism on campus and how colleges and universities are responding.
• Chai-er Ed Podcast — ADL’s campus podcast, brings you firsthand stories from Jewish students navigating today’s college campuses.
• General Campus Resources — ADL Backgrounders, Educational Programming, Research and Analysis and more.
• 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.
• 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.
• Report an Antisemitic Incident.

Do you have something to share with us? Please email us at [email protected] with any suggestions, questions, photos or videos.