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NCA Task Force Report. ADL, AJC, and AEN are raising alarms over the National Communication Association’s Task Force
report, which manages to turn a review of academic freedom into a grab bag of politicized claims about Israel and Zionists. The report waves over extensive evidence of antisemitism on campuses, gaslights the lived experiences of Jewish students and employees and leans heavily on conspiracy tropes about hidden “Zionist” influence steering academia. It even flirts with academic boycotts while insisting it is defending scholarly freedom. The groups are urging NCA to scrap the politicized document and replace it with one rooted in facts, not fringe ideology.
TAKE ACTION: Urge Congress to Expose Antisemitism in Professional Academic Associations.
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Michigan. In a win for Jewish students and a needed reality check for the Central Student Government (CSG) of the University of Michigan, CSG President Eric Veal Jr. explained his veto of an anti-Israel BDS bill. ADL applauded
Veal’s thoughtful comments, in which he called the bill an overreach bringing “profound divisiveness” and said that “The passing of such a polarizing resolution adds to an already highly volatile and hostile atmosphere.”
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CSG President Eric Veal Jr. (Source: Caleb Rosenblum/MICHIGAN DAILY) |
DEEPER: Not sure what BDS is all about? See ADL's Guide to Understanding and Countering BDS Calls.
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Penn. The results of a new campus-wide survey from the University of Pennsylvania’s Hillel paint a complicated picture for Jewish life on campus. The good: 96% say they are proud of their Jewish identity. The bad: 31% have felt the need to hide that identity. The opportunity: With 40% of students calling it difficult to be Jewish at Penn, NOW is the time for Hillel and other campus groups to double down on priorities like ensuring fairness in the classroom and celebrating Jewish joy.
DEEPER: Getting ready to consider colleges? One helpful resource is ADL’s Campus Antisemitism Report Card, which assesses how 135 schools including Penn are addressing antisemitism.
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California. Antisemitic graffiti has been popping up at UC Berkeley’s
University Village family housing, forcing staff to scrub off “hateful,” “deplorable,” and “violent” messages in recent weeks. Albany law enforcement and UC Berkeley confirmed multiple incidents targeting Jewish residents. The cycle has been a grim routine: document, report, remove, repeat. Police are investigating all leads, and campus leaders are urging residents to report any fresh graffiti. In short: antisemitic vandals have been busy, and everyone else is now stuck doing cleanup duty for their cowardice. In the midst of this, Albany Mayor Robin D. López stepped up with a powerful, condemnation of this hate, earning thanks from ADL Central
Pacific. As Regional Director Marc Levine put it, “His leadership sends a powerful message that hate has no place in our community.”
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Florida. A federal judge has ordered the University of Florida to reinstate a law student who posted “Jews must be abolished by any means necessary,” ruling the expulsion likely violated his First Amendment rights. The student had also submitted seminar papers defending race-based nationalism and, according to the court, “seems to enjoy provoking others.” UF Hillel
addressed the ruling, saying Jewish students deserve a campus free from threats and antisemitic violence. The university, which suspended and later expelled the student, said in articles that it does not comment on ongoing litigation, although the ruling indicated they had until December 1 to have him return to class.
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Supporting Mental Health. Within weeks of 10/7, Hillel at the University of British Columbia brought in a mental health counselling intern. And then another. And then both of those reached capacity as students coped with worry and isolation. Now, with demand still high, Hillel at BC has expanded again, offering both a part-time clinician and full-time registered counselor to ensure no student is left waiting for support. A
recent study of Jewish students in the U.S. and Canada shows how important this kind of support is: students who seek help are faring better than those who try to cope just by avoiding hostile situations.
DEEPER: Want to know more about the mental health challenges of campus antisemitism? Watch this recent ADL webinar that brings together experts to provide practical strategies, resources, and support systems.
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United Kingdom. A professor at the University of East Anglia (UEA) is under fire for rejecting a visiting scholar request. This rejection was not because of qualifications, but because the applicant was… you guessed it… from an Israeli university.
Never mind that the scholar was an Arab Israeli. The professor called it a “personal position,” citing pressure from Palestinian colleagues. UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) isn’t having it, demanding the university investigate the blatant discrimination, reconsider the application and take steps to ban academic boycotts. Refusing a researcher based on nationality? Not only is that not activism, it’s illegal under the UK’s Equality Act, and if true the school could soon find itself in legal hot water. | 
