NEWS UPDATE:

In another violent attack on the Jewish community that comes on the heels of the deadly shooting at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., fifteen people, including an 88-year-old Holocaust survivor were injured in a firebombing assault on a peaceful event in Boulder, Colorado. The “Run for Their Lives” gathering takes place weekly to raise awareness of the Israeli hostages who are still held by Hamas. The suspect, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, of Colorado Springs, allegedly told law enforcement that he committed the attack because he wanted to “kill all Zionist people and wished they were all dead.”

Our hearts go out to those who were injured in this latest heinous antisemitic attack, as well as the families of the couple slain in D.C.

For ADL insights and resources about the attacks and the threat environment for the Jewish community, please go to ADL.org.

Dartmouth. Protesters held an anti-Israel sit-in last Wednesday at Dartmouth College, taking over the reception area of the president’s office. Demanding that the school revisit a BDS proposal that had been soundly rejected, the protesters stayed for several hours. A statement by the college’s leadership said that a security officer and a staff member were injured during confrontations with protesters. The school said that some protesters were not students and also alleged that the demonstrators tried to “steal and photograph files.” At least one student has been suspended from the college “out of concern for the safety of the community and functioning of the educational environment” since that sit-in, according to a letter from the school that the Dartmouth newspaper reviewed.

Dartmouth sit-in. (Source: Alesandra Gonzales / The Dartmouth)

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University of California System. In a recent media appearance, senior Trump Administration official Leo Terrell, who leads the DOJ’s antisemitism task force, vowed that “Massive lawsuits against [the] UC system are coming. Expect hate crime charges filed by the federal government. Expect Title VII lawsuits.” The University of California system includes 10 campuses across the state. Rachel Zaentz, a UC spokesperson, said of the pending lawsuits: “We have been, and plan to continue, cooperating with the Administration. Antisemitism has no place at UC or anywhere else in society.” UC also recently published a list of their actions to address antisemitism.

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Penn. A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit against the University of Pennsylvania that claimed the school failed to adequately respond to campus antisemitism. The plaintiffs claimed that Penn violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act by fostering a hostile environment for Jewish students. Judge Mitchell Goldberg ruled there were no allegations suggesting Penn acted with antisemitic intent to harm the plaintiffs or Jewish students on campus and noted the university had taken steps to address the reported incidents. While two of the claims may be refiled in an amended complaint, the judge found that the plaintiffs largely failed to present sufficient legal grounds.

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MIT. At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's 2025 commencement, senior class president Megha Vemuri delivered an unsanctioned speech condemning the university's ties to Israel. Wearing a red keffiyeh, she praised student activism supporting Palestinian rights and called for MIT to sever financial connections with Israeli institutions. The speech elicited a polarized response, with some attendees applauding and others protesting. In response, MIT said that Vemuri had been “deliberately and repeatedly misleading Commencement organizers” and the school barred her from participating in further graduation events, citing her disruption of the ceremony.

Megha Vemuri speech. (Source: MIT video)

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Bowdoin. The U.S. House Education and Workforce Committee is threatening to subpoena Bowdoin College, while accusing the school of failing to comply with requests for documents related to campus antisemitism and disciplinary actions tied to the encampments. In a letter, committee members criticized Bowdoin for offering only generalized summaries and publicly available materials, rather than the specific disciplinary records and agreements sought by the committee. Although the college eventually submitted 225 pages of documents, committee leaders deemed them insufficient and set a June 16 deadline for full compliance, warning that subpoenas would follow if the information were not provided.

Boulder Strong. A welcomed editorial from The Daily Camera student newspaper at the University of Colorado, Boulder summarizes the appropriate response to the horrible antisemitic attack that occurred over the weekend in Boulder. As the piece says, “...let’s be angry and sad and hurt and confused. Let’s mourn and grieve and come together as a community. Let’s uplift each other. Let’s support the victims and their families in every way we can. Let’s condemn antisemitism and hate in all their forms. And, difficult as it is in this disquieting moment, let’s remember that we cannot eradicate hate with more hate.”

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Leadership in Action. Julio Frenk, newly appointed chancellor of UCLA and former president of the University of Miami, is making combating antisemitism a focus. Known for his prompt and unequivocal condemnation post-10/7, Frenk established a firm stance on antisemitism and campus protest conduct, implementing clear policies and consequences. At UCLA, he has suspended Students for Justice in Palestine chapters for misconduct, launched an antisemitism task force reporting directly to him, and committed to enforcing protest rules. Frenk said “My position has been that, with all transparency and humility, we need to acknowledge that we have an antisemitism problem in universities. Denying it would be dishonest.”

Need to Know. The Hadassah organization has released its latest list of “18 American Zionist women you should know.” The honorees are wide-ranging, from prominent actress Patricia Heaton to Anila Ali, the board chair and president of the American Muslim and Multifaith Women’s Empowerment Council. Ali noted that she was comforted by the Jewish community after facing post-9/11 hatred, and explained that “I learned how to fight hate from the Jewish people. How could I not help the Jewish community?”

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Holy Cheesecake. Celebrity chef and food personality Jamie Geller embarked on a delicious mission to find the best cheesecake in Jerusalem just in time for Shavuot, the Jewish holiday known for its dairy delights. Sampling everything from a perfectly balanced ricotta cheesecake to a showstopping fig and goat cheese creation, Geller brought her signature charm and discerning palate to the streets of Israel’s capital. Along the way, she highlighted the rich cultural and culinary diversity of the city’s bakeries and cafes, proving that cheesecake in Jerusalem isn’t just dessert—it’s a spiritual experience.

• 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.

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