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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

Columbia. Columbia University is at the
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center of three major lawsuits filed this week in federal court. Faculty groups are suing the Trump administration for allegedly coercing the university into restricting protest rights and placing a Middle East studies department under oversight, following the cancellation of $400M in federal funding. Another suit seeks to block the deportation of non-citizen campus activists, including Palestinian graduate Mahmoud Khalil. Meanwhile, a third lawsuit, filed by victims of the October 7 Hamas attacks, accuses anti-Israel protest organizers of spreading Hamas propaganda and coordinating with a foreign terrorist group. More on that below...


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Student Groups or Hamas PR? Families of October 7 victims have filed a federal lawsuit accusing several Columbia-affiliated groups — including SJP, JVP, CUAD and Within Our Lifetime — of
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aiding Hamas’ propaganda efforts. The suit cites testimony from freed hostage Shlomi Ziv, who said his captors “bragged about having Hamas operatives on American university campuses” and showed him photos of Columbia protests. Plaintiffs allege the defendants supported Hamas through coordinated messaging, rallies and shell groups tied to the terror organization’s leadership. The lawsuit seeks damages under U.S. antiterrorism laws.


DEEPER: ADL has provided analysis of several of the groups cited in the article, including
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Within Our Lifetime,
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American Muslims for Palestine and
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National Students for Justice in Palestine.


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Northwestern. Northwestern Professor Steven Thrasher, a vocal anti-Israel activist, has been
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denied tenure and will not have his contract renewed in April 2026. Thrasher, who participated in campus encampments and was briefly charged with obstruction in 2024, alleges the decision was politically motivated and infringes on his free speech. His social media history includes anti-Israel remarks, comparisons of Gaza to Nazi concentration camps and apparent support for Hamas's Oct. 7, 2023, attacks. University leadership has previously denounced his advocacy for the BDS movement, and while Northwestern has not commented on the specifics of his case, a spokesperson has said Northwestern maintains confidence in its decision-making process.


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California. UC Davis has suspended its Law Students Association after the group passed a resolution
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boycotting individuals and entities with ties to Israel — a move the university said violated UC policy prohibiting discrimination and requiring viewpoint-neutral funding decisions. The suspension comes amid rising scrutiny: UC Davis is already under federal investigation for antisemitic harassment and discrimination. Chancellor Gary May emphasized that “no student, faculty or staff member should make any other Aggie feel unwelcome.” In response, the UC Davis chapter of the National Lawyers Guild criticized the administration for “disempowering students’ collective action.” The university reaffirmed that while peaceful expression is protected, violations
of policy and law will not be tolerated.

(Screenshot of May 2024 UC Davis Student Encampment | Source: KCRA)


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Hill Hearings. The U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee is
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holding a hearing today whose agenda is to "address the continued antisemitic attacks and harassment against Jewish students on college campuses," with speakers coming from a wide range of organizations: Carly Gammill of StandWithUs; Rabbi Levi Shemtov of American Friends of Lubavitch (Chabad); Charles Asher Small of the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism & Policy (ISGAP); Rabbi David Saperstein, director emeritus of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism and Kenneth Stern of the Bard Center for the Study of Hate. ADL's government affairs team has provided preparatory information to the legislators, including
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ADL data about campus antisemitism.


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Glasgow. Students at the University of Glasgow have set up an
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encampment outside the library, demanding the institution divest from Israel and the arms industry. Organized by the Glasgow University Justice for Palestine Society, the protest follows last week’s occupation of a university building and includes five students on hunger strike. Protesters argue that the university’s L6.8 million investment in arms companies like BAE Systems makes it complicit in Israel’s military response to Hamas terrorists in Gaza. The movement reflects similar anti-Israel encampments in the U.S., where protests have faced police crackdowns and legal battles.

2. 🏆 Campus Champions

Faith and Fellowship. A group of
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Christian university students toured Israel on a faith-based trip organized by Passages, marking the return of the "Christian Birthright" program since being suspended after 10/7. The faith-based trip aimed to strengthen participants’ connection to Israel and counter media distortions. Students visited historical and religious sites, met locals and engaged with the ongoing challenges Israel faces, including a stop at Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square. Heavily subsidized by Jewish and Christian donors, Passages plans to bring 700 students to Israel this year, reinforcing Christian support for Israel at a time of increased antisemitism on campus. Passages CEO Zach Bauer said,
“October 7 was a real awakening... about what is happening on our college campuses and the need to push back against the nonsense and lies against the Jewish people.”


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Maizels Tov. Yale University’s Program for the Study of Antisemitism — which was founded in 2011 as the country’s second college program dedicated exclusively to the study of antisemitism — has
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hired its first managing director. Scholar and author Linda Maizels, formerly with the U.S. State Department, will focus on expanding the
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Yale program’s programming and outreach to the Yale community. Maizels explains that “we want to find new ways to involve Yale undergraduate students” and will provide a haven for students who want to discuss antisemitism at a time when this topic is more urgent than ever.


3. 💪✡️ Am Yisrael Chai

Jews Welcome the Druze.
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Hundreds of Druze dignitaries from Syria visited Israel for the first time in 50 years, including the tomb of the Biblical Yitro in the Galilee. Approved by the IDF, the visit highlights deepening ties between Israel and the Druze community of southern Syria, especially in Sweida, where Israeli humanitarian aid is now reaching civilians. With Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Katz vowing to protect the Druze from jihadist threats, a new Druze militia has formed, rejecting Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS) authority. As more Druze fighters mobilize and Israeli support strengthens, there is speculation that Sweida could become an autonomous region allied with Israel, strategically
blocking jihadist expansion and reinforcing Israel’s regional security interests.


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More Maccabi Than Ever. The countdown to
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Maccabiah 2025 is on, with organizers calling it the most significant Games in history. Over 10,000 athletes from 40 countries will compete in Israel next July, joined by new sports like pickleball, paddle tennis, and a Maccabi Run racing series. For the first time, “Maccabiah City” will turn Tel Aviv into a public sports festival. At this week’s Maccabi World Union Congress, former hostage Sasha Troufanov gave an emotional speech: “This event represents the unity of people from around the world and the strength of the Jewish people.” The Games will also partner with the IDF Disabled Organization and include roles for Nova festival survivors — a symbol,
organizers say, of Jewish resilience and pride.

🎙 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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Mazel Talk: A Friend for Life – Levi Fox – University of Texas, Austin


At an early age, Levi befriended a group of Holocaust survivors. One of them in particular, Uncle Zoly, became like family. The two built a special relationship, and Uncle Zoly’s passion for life and the way he faced challenges left Levi with a powerful playbook.

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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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