Queens College. An online lecture by an Israeli law professor at Queens College in New York was Zoombombed with appalling antisemitic messages including “kill all the Jews” and “go back to Auschwitz.” The professor, Yofi Tirosh, managed to hide her distress as she and a moderator removed the disruption and she finished her presentation, but she shared in an interview that she was shaken by the hostility. The university was quick to both fix the incursion and to vigorously condemn the attack, and the school is now working with law enforcement to investigate the issue. They will also improve their settings for Zoom presentations, so that such an incident cannot be repeated.

DEEPER: Overall, Queens College has an A grade in ADL’s Campus Antisemitism Report Card. Professor Tirosh also deserves an A for the graceful way she handled the hate.

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Berkeley. Fake “wanted” posters criticizing University of California Regents Jonathan “Jay” Sures and Richard Leib as “vocal” or “proud” Zionists were discovered on the University of California, Berkeley campus this month. Campus staff quickly removed the flyers described by Berkeley spokesperson Dan Mogulof as “disturbing and threatening” and university police have opened an investigation to identify the culprits, whose connection to the campus is unknown. UC’s systemwide leadership condemned the incident as unequivocally antisemitic, affirming its commitment to the safety and support of Jewish community members while pledging full backing for Berkeley’s inquiry.

'Wanted' poster images targeting UC Regents. (Source: StopAntisemitism | X)

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Berkeley...again. UC Berkeley has turned over the names of roughly 160 students, staff and faculty to the federal government as part of a Department of Education Office for Civil Rights investigation into alleged campus antisemitism. Acting under direction from the UC Office of the President, the university released personal information of individuals with a “potential connection” to reported incidents, according to school spokesperson Janet Gilmore. The university added that "UC is committed to protecting the privacy of our students, faculty and staff to the greatest extent possible, while fulfilling its legal obligations.” Officials have not disclosed which campus offices supplied the data or how those flagged were identified.

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Duke. Jerry Seinfeld raised eyebrows at Duke University after his observation that compared anti-Israel protesters to the KKK. He was on campus as a surprise speaker to support an event with a former Israeli hostage of Hamas, Omer Shem Tov. Seinfeld has been a vocal champion of the hostages, including meeting with their families in Israel. Shem Tov, who was welcomed to the stage at Duke by a standing ovation, talked about spending over 500 days trapped in Gaza after being taken captive at the Nova music festival, and about how hope had kept him alive. The campus event was primarily hosted by Chabad at Duke.

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Northeastern + Harvard. The Ruderman Family Foundation has introduced a new mobile mental health program to help college students cope with increasing mental health challenges and a rise in antisemitism on campus. The program is starting at Northeastern and Harvard, with plans to expand to other Boston-area colleges. The Harvard version of this program is available thanks to the support of the school’s Chabad. The initiative uses mobile wellness vans, which provide a confidential and accessible space for students. The vans are staffed by licensed Jewish therapists who offer culturally sensitive care, including Hebrew-speaking options. This initiative aims to address a critical need for accessible mental health services, especially given the significant increase in antisemitic incidents reported on college campuses.

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Michigan. The University of Michigan recently held a special discussion on antisemitism, which was the first in the new “Samantha Woll Dialogue forum series dedicated to combating religious hate and oppression.” During the event, Interim President Domenico Grasso affirmed the university's commitment to supporting Jewish students and tackling antisemitism, which has led to a federal investigation of UMich and 59 other higher education institutions for Title IV violations. A central topic of discussion was whether the university should adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of antisemitism. The next event in the series, "Is Tolerance Enough?", is scheduled for September 30.

A Broadside Against BDS. “In higher education, the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) for many decades has been the gold standard for impartiality. No more.” This quote comes from a lacerating op-ed by two leaders of the Academic Engagement Network (AEN) as they denounced comments by Todd Wolfson, head of the professional association for professors. Wolfson had embraced anti-Israel BDS goals in his public statements, and the new op-ed points out that he is pushing his group in a direction that forfeits their claim to represent all faculty.

DEEPER: The AEN and ADL recently released a letter calling on the AAUP to back away from Wolfson’s comments that run the risk of “silencing dissent and undermining the very academic freedom it purports to defend.”

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If You Build It, They Will Thrive. In a recent op-ed, Lisa Eisen of Schusterman Family Philanthropies stresses the importance of investing in the college campus environment to ensure that campuses remain "safe and hospitable for Jewish students, students connected to Israel and students who want to learn about Israel." The piece gave a sobering reminder that a significant number of Jewish students feel unsafe on campus and are hesitant to express their identity or views on Israel. Eisen argues for a multi-faceted approach to this issue. She cites examples of this work, including Hillel's new pilot program to place staff on campuses to advocate for Jewish students and help universities improve policies. The article also mentions the Israel Institute, which is bringing Israeli scholars to campuses and making courses on Israel available to over 5,000 students.

DEEPER: For more on this tense time on campus, read a survey of thousands of Jewish and non-Jewish students that was conducted by ADL, Hillel International and College Pulse. How has the campus climate changed for students since 10/7?

• 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.

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