Harvard. In a pair of related stories at Harvard University, the school has agreed to cover the costs of the campus Hillel’s security measures, and has also shared data showing that disciplinary cases handled by the Harvard College disciplinary review board tripled last year. Unsurprisingly, the bulk of that spike represents cases involving students who violated school rules during anti-Israel occupations and encampments. Hillel’s leadership and students praised the financial commitment. Jewish student Jordan H. Mittler noted that recent actions in support of Jewish students have “lightened up the mood a bit more on campus. It’s definitely comforting knowing that Harvard’s getting involved.”

DEEPER: In ADL’s Campus Antisemitism Report Card, Harvard scored the kind of grade that wouldn’t get you into Harvard (a C grade), but the school has shown some improvements in support of Jewish students.

An anti-Israel ‘die-in’ at Harvard in 2023. (Source: Frank S. Zhou/Harvard Crimson)

~~~~~

Poll Shock. A new Harvard-Harris poll found that 60% of U.S. Gen Z voters (ages 18–24) support Hamas over Israel -- thankfully the only age group to favor the U.S.-designated terrorist group. The data reflects a sharp generational divide. The same trend was found in questions about hostage negotiations, with most Gen Z respondents backing a deal even if Hamas remains in Gaza. That said, majorities across all ages agree that Hamas must release hostages unconditionally. The August poll marks a troubling escalation since March, when only 48% of Gen Z sided with Hamas. The survey found that support for Israel remains solid across party lines: 82% among Republicans and 67% among Democrats. As for the Gen Z numbers? To borrow a phrase from the generation: “the math ain’t mathing.”

~~~~~

NYU. The theft of a mezuzah from a student’s doorway at NYU has been condemned as a hateful act, with the university responding swiftly and decisively. NYU’s VP for Global Campus Safety, Fountain Walker, called the incident “disgraceful, antisemitic misconduct” and emphasized that “NYU has zero tolerance for antisemitism and other acts of hate.” The case has been reported to both the NYPD as a hate crime and to NYU’s Title VI Coordinator. Support services have been offered to the affected student. The ADL NY/NJ regional office praised the university response: “We commend [NYU] for swiftly investigating, supporting the student and reaffirming its rejection of antisemitism. Such moments call for clear moral leadership.” In a heartening note, the leaders of the school’s Muslim Student Association posted a message of support to the Jewish community and called for information to solve the incident.

~~~~~

Washington, DC. The U.S. House Appropriations Committee advanced a funding bill that would bar federal dollars from going to universities that fail to address antisemitism on campus, requiring schools to adopt explicit anti-antisemitism policies and sanction those who engage in antisemitic acts. At the same time, the bill slashes nearly $50 million from the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR), which enforces Title VI protections. Jewish groups welcomed the tough stance on campus antisemitism but warned that cutting OCR’s budget undermines enforcement. “We appreciate the committee’s focus on the crisis of antisemitism in education,” said ADL’s Lauren Wolman. “But if Congress simultaneously defunds the very office charged with investigating and enforcing Title VI, those consequences may never be realized.”

👉 TAKE ACTION: Congress is considering cuts to the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights — the federal office that investigates antisemitic harassment and discrimination on our campuses. Click here to join ADL in urging Congress to protect the Office for Civil Rights.

~~~~~

Pennsylvania Universities. The bipartisan Pennsylvania duo of Sens. Dave McCormick and John Fetterman has written to the leaders of five major schools in the state to suggest that those schools cover security-related costs that have been falling more heavily on the shoulders of Hillels, Chabad and other campus Jewish groups since 10/7. The lawmakers’ letter says that “It is incumbent on all of us — especially our nation’s universities — to ensure vibrant Jewish life is not compromised or driven into the shadows.” They urged the schools to take on this fiscal commitment so Jewish organizations don’t have to divert funding from running programs to staying safe.

California. With antisemitism at an all-time high in California schools, Jewish students are facing unprecedented levels of bullying and harassment. Assembly Bill 715 aims to change that by strengthening anti-discrimination protections for all students, establishing teacher training and ensuring that curricula are free of antisemitism. ADL continues to play a leading role in mobilizing the community and in a statement, ADL California added: “AB715 is a foundational step toward fighting antisemitism in California classrooms and we will continue to work with lawmakers to protect Jewish students.”

👉 TAKE ACTION: Send a message to the California Senate Education Committee in support of AB715.

Plano, TX. The Attorney General of Texas, Ken Paxton, has announced an investigation of the Plano Independent School District (PISD) over concerns about antisemitic behavior. He called on the district to provide information about its policies and its process for handling reports of antisemitic incidents. Paxton said that “It is crucial that PISD take all necessary steps to combat antisemitism.” A district spokesperson responded that the district “unequivocally rejects antisemitism and all forms of hate.” ADL and partners have met with PISD leadership to support their efforts to mitigate these issues and prevent future ones by creating a layered, multi-year action plan customized to the district.

LEGAL HELP: ADL is a partner in the K-12 Antisemitism Legal Line for parents and other interested adults in CA, MA and NY to report incidents of antisemitic discrimination, intimidation, harassment, vandalism or violence occurring in K-12 schools.

~~~~~

A New Day for Day Schools. Jewish day schools are widely recognized as essential to the long-term health of North American Jewish life. But those schools face a serious leadership shortage -- nearly half of Jewish day school heads plan to retire within five years, and the pipeline of trained successors isn’t keeping up. The Jewish School Leadership Enterprise (JSLE) is working to address the gap by rethinking how the Jewish community recruits and supports its day school leaders. Experts warn that otherwise, day schools could face declining quality and reduced impact at a time when their role — combating antisemitism, fostering Jewish identity and nurturing future leaders — is more important than ever. Maybe now’s the time to consider a career move into education?

~~~~~

Science Olympiad. The International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA), recently held in India, was attended by hundreds of high school students from around the world. While Israel did not attend this year (and has in fact never attended since the event began in 2007), the organizers did see fit to bar Israel as a country from attending future versions of the event. Bear in mind that student medalists this year came from human rights luminaries like China, Iran and Saudi Arabia. Raising alarm about the IOAA decision to exclude Israel were hundreds of India’s faculty members and scientists, who wrote to the country’s Prime Minister that the decision was a “deliberate misuse of an international scientific platform for political ends.”

• Campus Community Advocacy Toolkit — From incident reporting and educational resources to letter-writing campaigns and Know Your Rights factsheets, ADL has clear steps for you to take action and effect change on college campuses.
• University Administration — Guidance and 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.
• General Campus Resources — ADL Backgrounders, Educational Programming, Research and Analysis and more.
• Campus Antisemitism Legal Line (CALL) (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 Advocacy Resources — Tools and knowledge to foster and advocate for a safe, inclusive and equitable school environment for all.
• K-12 Advocacy Resources for Independent Schools — Additional resources for members of independent K-12 school communities.
• 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.