Jews in America faced more than 25 anti-Jewish incidents per day last year — more than one per hour. All told, as the war in Gaza raged on and campus protests exploded across the country, 2024 saw the largest number of reported antisemitic incidents on record, with over 9,000 incidents of antisemitic assault, harassment and vandalism across the U.S., according to the Anti-Defamation League’s annual Audit of Antisemitic Incidents, which was released on Tuesday.

It is the highest level recorded since the ADL first began collecting data in 1979. 

2024 also marked the first year that Israel- and Zionism-related incidents made up a majority of all occurrences (58% of the total).

“In 2024, hatred toward Israel was a driving force behind antisemitism across the U.S., with more than half of all antisemitic incidents referencing Israel or Zionism,” Oren Segal, the ADL’s vice president of the ADL Center on Extremism, said in a statement. 

The immediate aftermath of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel and the start of the war in Gaza fueled a then-record breaking wave of antisemitic incidents, with 8,873 recorded by the ADL in 2023.

Such incidents increased by 5% in 2024, according to the antisemitism watchdog’s tally. The results mark an 893% increase over the past decade.

College campuses were the locations hardest hit by the rise in antisemitism, with 1,694 incidents recorded — an 84% increase compared to 2023. Campus antisemitism comprised 18% of all recorded incidents — a larger portion than in any of the group’s previous audits.

A spokesperson for the ADL told Jewish Insider that the group does not categorize anti-Israel rallies as antisemitic, per se. “Rather, we identify antisemitic activity that occurs at anti-Israel rallies,” the spokesperson said. “ADL only counts anti-Israel activity as an antisemitic incident when that activity meets our other criteria for antisemitic incidents and includes antisemitic expressions.”

“In fact, of the more than 5,000 anti-Israel rallies reported to us, we couldn’t find evidence for nearly half of them that they contained antisemitic elements or incidents and as a result, these were not included in our tally,” the ADL told JI, adding that “at each protest that ADL examined, all expressions of antisemitism were tallied as a single incident regardless of how often they were expressed.”

There was a 21% increase (196 incidents) in the number of assaults from 2023. Assault was defined as cases where Jewish people (or people perceived to be Jewish) were targeted with physical violence accompanied by evidence of antisemitic animus. Orthodox Jews were targeted in 30% of assaults. The 196 incidents targeted at least 250 victims; none resulted in fatalities. General antisemitic activity, including vandalism and harassment, also increased by 19% in public areas (3,452 incidents) and by 11% at business establishments, including Jewish-owned businesses. 

The states with the highest levels of incidents were New York (1,437) and California (1,344). Their largest cities, New York City (976) and Los Angeles (297), also reported the most incidents in their respective states. 

“This horrifying level of antisemitism should never be accepted and yet, as our data shows, it has become a persistent and grim reality for American Jewish communities,” ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said in a statement. “Jewish Americans continue to be harassed, assaulted and targeted for who they are on a daily basis and everywhere they go. But let’s be clear: we will remain proud of our Jewish culture, religion and identities, and we will not be intimidated by bigots.”

A few categories saw declines in antisemitism in 2024 compared to the previous year. These include antisemitism by white supremacist groups, which decreased by 17%; and a 26% reported decrease in public K-12 schools. (The ADL noted that due to fear of being bullied, it is likely that many school children do not report antisemitic incidents.) 

The ADL’s audit has been criticized in recent years for changing its methodology of what constitutes an antisemitic incident while still comparing data year-to-year. After Oct. 7, it began including “expressions of opposition to Zionism, as well as support for resistance against Israel or Zionists” — for instance, spray painting “Free Gaza” — which resulted in a significant increase in the number of incidents in the 2023 audit, although figures would still be more than double compared to 2022 regardless of the change. The 2024 methodology is the same as the 2023 methodology.

“Following the explosion of anti-Israel activism which included radical attacks on Zionism and people who support Israel, ADL has begun counting some of those expressions in the audit when they cross the line into antisemitism,” an ADL spokesperson told JI, adding that the group makes an effort not to “conflate general criticism of Israel or anti-Israel activism with antisemitism.”

“Legitimate political protest, support for Palestinian rights or expressions of opposition to Israeli policies is not included in the audit,” the spokesperson said. “Although the context of certain language may evolve over time, this does not prevent us from comparing audit data to previous years. It is a reflection of the time and our data is still comparable year over year.”

After an annual conference on combating antisemitism in law featured speakers affiliated with anti-Zionist organizations last week, the Anti-Defamation League, one of the event’s sponsors, announced a policy shift on Wednesday. 

The antisemitism watchdog’s future participation and sponsorship in the conference “will be contingent on our ability to exclude such extraordinarily inappropriate speakers,” the group told Jewish Insider. 

The fourth annual Law vs. Antisemitism conference, which was held this year at UCLA for two days beginning on March 23, included University of Toronto law professor Mohammed Fadel; Thomas Harvey, a civil rights lawyer representing Faculty for Justice in Palestine; and Ben Lorber, a former campus coordinator for Jewish Voice for Peace. Attendees told JI that several of the speakers used the event to promote anti-Israel and antisemitic rhetoric — including a panel where Fadel “defined Zionism as an ideology of Jewish ethnic supremacy.” 

When JI originally reported on the event on Tuesday, a spokesperson for the ADL declined to weigh in on any of the controversial speakers, instead noting that the group was “pleased to co-sponsor the conference and to support bringing legal academics and representatives of Jewish organizations together to discuss these issues.” 

“The organizers deserve credit for productively calling attention to ways in which the legal system can help address antisemitism,” the ADL said. 

But the following day the ADL — which did not have a role in selecting speakers — suggested there will be a change of course going forward in its sponsorship of the event, which it has helped fund since the inaugural conference in 2021. 

“It’s deeply troubling that the organizers of this conference invited a former JVP coordinator and other problematic speakers without consulting us,” the ADL said. “JVP is despicable and too far outside the mainstream to be a credible participant. Our future sponsorship and participation in an otherwise important conference will be contingent on our ability to exclude such extraordinarily inappropriate speakers.”

Miriam Elman, executive director of the Academic Engagement Network, which works to combat antisemitism within universities and also sponsored the conference, told JI earlier this week that had she been aware of the lineup, “I would have pulled our funding.”  

“I’m all in favor of dialogue and debate,” Elman said. But she believes that the selection of speakers “crossed a red line.” 

Other Jewish sponsors of the event — UCLA Hillel, UCLA Alan D. Leve Center for Jewish Studies and Yeshiva University’s Cardozo School of Law (which is slated to host next year’s conference) — did not respond to requests for comment from JI about the speaker selection.

In 2025, all it takes to answer any factual question, no matter how trivial — Who won the 1974 World Series? Where was Taylor Swift born? — is a quick Google search and, usually, a click to Wikipedia, which has 62 million pages in English alone. But a new report from the Anti-Defamation League urges people to think twice before using the popular free encyclopedia, arguing its administrators have failed to prevent biased editors from manipulating entries related to Israel and Judaism. 

Wikipedia is maintained by an army of volunteer editors, many of whom have spent years amassing knowledge of the site’s wonky rules in order to keep its pages up-to-date and accurate. But that honor system is vulnerable to bias. The ADL found that a group of 30 editors collaborated to insert anti-Israel and antisemitic narratives and falsehoods into articles, working together in a way that may have violated Wikipedia’s policies.

“Despite Wikipedia’s efforts to ensure neutrality and impartiality, malicious editors frequently introduce biased or misleading information, which persists across hundreds if not more entries,” the report stated.

For instance, the main Wikipedia entry on Hamas was edited to downplay the Palestinian group’s terrorist activity. A subhead that was formerly ‘violence and terrorism’ is now just ‘violence’ — a change that was made on Oct. 19, 2023. ADL researchers found that the first reference of Hamas as a terrorist organization was pushed further down in the lead section, and the description of the Oct. 7 attack no longer mentions the total number of people who were killed during the massacres. Numerous other details about the attacks were also removed.

In the section titled, ‘The 2018-2019 Gaza border protests,’ an editor removed a reference to a 2018 NPR interview with a Palestinian in Gaza who was preparing to launch an incendiary balloon with a swastika on it.

A series of edit wars on Wikipedia’s main Zionism page has, since 2022, sought “to reframe Israel’s founding,” according to the report. After one editor changed the language used to describe the goal of Zionism and the Zionist movement, the editor put a 12-month discussion moratorium in place, which keeps other editors from making edits to the language.

The report issued recommendations toward policymakers, toward private companies that rely on Wikipedia’s information and toward Wikipedia itself, with the gist of its suggestions amounting to a plea to those actors to take antisemitism seriously. 

An ADL spokesperson declined to say whether the leadership of Wikipedia has been willing to engage with the group. A spokesperson for the Wikimedia Foundation, the nonprofit that operates Wikipedia, said on Monday that the organization was “not asked to provide context that might have helped allay some of the concerns raised.”

“Though our preliminary review of this report finds troubling and flawed conclusions that are not supported by the Anti-Defamation League’s data, we are currently undertaking a more thorough and detailed analysis,” the spokesperson said.

After the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks, Wikipedia — like social media and other platforms where Internet users go to access information — became a proxy fight for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and digital battles emerged over how its story is told to news consumers. 

A group of Wikipedia editors voted last summer to rate the ADL as an unreliable source on matters related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and antisemitism, which brought concerns about reliability and editorial integrity at the world’s largest encyclopedia to the public eye. 

In the aftermath, the ADL tried to raise the issue with leaders at the Wikimedia Foundation. Wikimedia, which has for years taken a hands-off approach to content moderation, was not responsive to concerns from Jewish advocates. More than 40 Jewish organizations wrote to Wikimedia last June urging reform. 

The problem has not receded, according to the new ADL report. If anything, it has become more entrenched. The biased anti-Israel editors — described by the ADL as “bad faith editors” — are much more active than the average editor on Wikipedia, even more so than those who edit other controversial topics. 

These “bad faith editors” attacked other editors deemed hostile to their cause in Wikipedia discussion forums, and they often used “Zionist” as a slur to tar their opponents. They would make edits on other pages, on unrelated content, to avoid detection.

On pages dedicated to major historical events, like several Israel-Arab wars or peace negotiations, editors would make “extensive edits” in “tone, content and perspective” to advance an anti-Israel narrative, the report found.

“The larger pattern of changes demonstrates a systematic effort to skew numerous Wikipedia entries to promote a set of narratives critical of Israel, often delegitimizing Israel’s existence and actions,” the report stated. Wikipedia has a policy against advocacy, and the ADL argued that this pattern of edits violates that policy. The advocacy group’s key recommendation for Wikipedia is for the encyclopedia to enforce higher content standards and stronger moderation guardrails, although such a request is likely an impossible bar to clear, given Wikimedia’s leniency toward its editors.

“The values of Wikipedia and the Wikimedia Foundation reflect our commitment to integrity and accuracy, and we categorically condemn antisemitism and all forms of hate,” the Wikimedia Foundation spokesperson said. “Content added to the site must be presented, as far as possible, without editorial bias.”

“As we have shared previously, Wikipedia is a constantly evolving, living encyclopedia based on principles of neutrality, which means content added to the site must be presented, as far as possible, without editorial bias,” they added. “Wikipedia includes more than 65 million articles and is edited by nearly 260,000 volunteers from across the world.” 

The ADL seemed to identify only limited opportunities for government officials to impact the state of affairs at Wikipedia. Policymakers “should prioritize raising additional awareness of antisemitism, and structural issues, within Wikipedia,” the ADL argued, writing that they should use their convening power to bring together academics, computer scientists, civic leaders and Wikipedians to study the issue further. 

Search engines and the large language models being used to train artificial intelligence programs should limit their use of Wikipedia, the ADL argued — and in particular, they should try to avoid citing Wikipedia as a source, instead directing users to more reputable sources. Users should be warned that Wikipedia is an unreliable source. 

A spokesperson for the ADL maintained that the report is not meant to be a repudiation of how Wikipedia currently operates. Rather, it is intended to be a very public reminder to Wikipedia “to apply its policies at scale, to prevent malicious manipulation.” 

“We are not advocating for the abandonment of Wikipedia,” said Daniel Kelley, the interim head of the ADL’s Center for Technology and Security. “We want Wikipedia to address these issues, but we would urge people to use caution with contentious articles.” 

Jewish Insider’s Tamara Zieve contributed to this report.

The atmosphere for Jewish students on college campuses nationwide has somewhat improved in the last year, according to the Anti-Defamation League’s second annual Campus Antisemitism Report Card, released on Monday.

Several universities saw significant improvement in their scores compared to last year’s report card — which was released as antisemitism roiled campuses in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel and ensuing war between Israel and Hamas.

Forty-six percent of previously graded schools improved, while only 9% declined. The ADL gave 36% of schools an “A” or “B” in this year’s report card, up from 23.5% in 2024. It assessed 135 schools — 50 more than last year — using 30 evaluation criteria to assign letter grades from A to F.

“While many campuses have improved in ways that are encouraging and commendable, Jewish students still do not feel safe or included on too many campuses,” Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL’s CEO, said in a statement. “The progress we’ve seen is evidence that change is possible — all university leaders should focus on addressing these very real challenges with real action.”

Despite modest improvement, Greenblatt cautioned, “Every single campus should get an ‘A’, this isn’t a high bar — this should be the standard.” He called on “all university leaders [to] focus on addressing these very real challenges with real action.”

The schools that received “A” grades were Brandeis University, CUNY Queens College, CUNY Brooklyn College, Elon University, Florida International University, University of Alabama, University of Miami and Vanderbilt University. 

Failing schools — those that received “F” Grades — were California Polytechnic State University, DePaul University, Evergreen State College, Haverford College, Loyola University New Orleans, Pitzer College, Pomona College, Portland State University, Scripps College, The New School, University of California Santa Barbara, University of Illinois Chicago and University of Minnesota.

Twenty percent of schools received a “D,” including Barnard College, where a staff member was assaulted and sent to the hospital last Wednesday by anti-Israel demonstrators who stormed the college’s main administrative building.

The ADL released its first campus report card in April 2024 — and a revised version two months later.

The schools selected for the report card were among the country’s top liberal arts colleges, in addition to schools with the highest enrollment of Jewish students, according to the antisemitism watchdog group. 

At the time, Shira Goodman, senior director of advocacy for the ADL, told Jewish Insider that the idea to rank universities’ handling of antisemitism came about prior to Oct. 7. But the attacks sped up the process, Goodman said, noting that “when there are problems in the Middle East, it tends to increase antisemitism at home.” 

Some Jewish leaders and organizations, including Hillel, the most prominent group serving Jewish students on college campuses, which typically has a good relationship with the ADL, criticized the inaugural report card. “We do not believe it is constructive or accurate to try to assign grades to schools,” Adam Lehman, Hillel’s CEO, told JI at the time. “Efforts to do so, however well-intended, produce misleading impressions regarding the actual Jewish student experience at those schools.”

Nearly 4,000 attendees are expected to pack the Jacob Javits Convention Center in Manhattan on March 3-4 for the Anti-Defamation League’s annual Never Is Now summit at a contentious moment, as the global Jewish community contends with historic levels of antisemitism and political fault lines exacerbated by a second Trump administration. 

“Indeed, you’ve seen us speak up when we think elected officials or political figures have gotten it wrong and you’ve seen us praise them when we think they get it right. So we’re watching the Trump administration very closely,” the group’s CEO, Jonathan Greenblatt, told Jewish Insider in a joint interview — together with KIND Snacks founder and former CEO Daniel Lubetzky — one week ahead of the ADL’s signature event. 

Lubetzky, who sold KIND for $5 billion in 2020 — but emphasized that it’s not unusual to still find him handing out the fruit and nut bars — now leads several ventures, including the creation of a platform called “Builders,” a “movement to build a future where flexible thinkers and problem-solvers — ‘Builders’ — counteract the destructive effects of extreme views.” He also is on the board of OneVoice Movement, whose objective is to build ties between Jews and Arabs in Israel and between Israelis and Palestinians, and is a “Shark” on ABC’s “Shark Tank.” He is slated to receive the ADL’s Courage Against Hate Award at the summit.

Greenblatt praised President Donald Trump for several actions that he has taken in the month since returning to the White House. “The executive order on antisemitism was incredibly important. The new task force by the DOJ is important. It shows the full force of the Justice Department is on this issue. And the announcement of investigating universities is also incredibly important. They are demonstrating a proactive posture and one that is appropriately aggressive,” he said. 

“There may be things related to the fight against antisemitism that we disagree with, and as appropriate we’ll call that out. Right now we’re pleased by some of the early signs that relate to fighting antisemitism.” 

But Greenblatt didn’t shy away from calling out other recent displays of antisemitism around the globe. 

He was quick to condemn former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, who last week sparked controversy at the CPAC conference with a gesture resembling a Nazi salute. “He’s been open in celebrating a whole spectrum of right-wing extremists we find incredibly problematic,” Greenblatt told JI. 

“Mocking the concern of people who are concerned by the rise of extremism is a real problem. Diminishing the legitimate considerations of people in Europe or America who are alarmed by this intensification of extremism is really alarming. I’m not surprised to see him doing those things and I hope he’ll do better.” 

When Elon Musk made a similar gesture at Trump’s inauguration last month, the ADL defended him, but later condemned his series of Nazi jokes on social media. 

The ADL chief executive also expressed concern over the far-right party Alternative for Germany — which has been plagued by antisemitism, with some of its members embracing Holocaust denial or minimization — surging to second place in Germany’s elections over the weekend. Greenblatt said on that issue, he looks “to the leadership of the German Jewish community,” adding, “their concerns are shared by us.”  

On the decision to honor Lubetzky — who previously served on the ADL’s board of directors — Greenblatt described the entrepreneur as “a person who has had extraordinary success in the business community, has a significant public profile and he’s choosing to focus his attention on how we use entrepreneurship and investment to spearhead outcomes in the Middle East.” 

“It’s very important for all CEOs to have zero tolerance towards any act of antisemitism,” Lubetzky told JI. “We need to be much more focused as a Jewish community on bringing out our universalistic goals to make this a better world within the context of also understanding our goals to fight hate against Jews.” 

Lubetzky intends to translate his success in entrepreneurship into combating antisemitism and peacebuilding in the Middle East through multiple avenues; beginning with, he said, investing in Israeli start-ups through the investment platform he launched in 2023, Camino Partners. He also pointed to a project he developed several years ago called the Builder’s Blueprint. “The methodology is to address how to find a way to rebuild Gaza in a way that the keys are handed to the builders and not the destroyers,” Lubetzky said.

“What I do know is following Oct. 7, it’s time to say what needs to be said — speak upfront about the issues, don’t be diluted,” Lubetzky told JI. “Support builders and make sure you stand up against destroyers. A lot of people are committing their lives to building, but the problem I noticed is a lot of people think you either need to fight the bad guys or build bridges. We need to do both.” 

Members of Bowdoin University Students for Justice in Palestine who set up an anti-Israel encampment last week inside the college’s student union building are now facing disciplinary action from the school — including prohibition from attending classes pending permission from the dean’s office.

At Columbia University last month, administrators launched an investigation — together with law enforcement — just hours after anti-Israel demonstrators used cement to clog the sewage system in the School of International and Public Affairs building and sprayed the business school with red paint. 

Days before that, Columbia suspended a student who participated in a masked demonstration in which four people barged into a History of Modern Israel class, banged on drums, chanted “free Palestine” and distributed posters to students that read “CRUSH ZIONISM” with a boot over the Star of David.  

The University of Michigan announced last week that Students Allied for Freedom and Equality, the campus’ SJP chapter, would be suspended for up to two years. Weeks earlier, George Mason University barred the leaders of its SJP chapter from campus for four years after they were caught vandalizing a university building.  

The recent crackdowns on SJP and its affiliated groups — along with other episodes of anti-Israel extremism on campus — are the latest indication that university administrators are approaching antisemitic incidents with a new seriousness since the Trump administration issued executive orders aimed at deterring campus antisemitism.   

Several campus leaders welcomed the shift. For too long “there were no consequences,” said Mark Yudof, chair of the Academic Engagement Network and the former president of the University of California system. “The new Trump administration is very serious and I’ve told [certain universities] they are in jeopardy.” 

“Many of these campuses are at risk,” Yudof told Jewish Insider. In response, “they are saying SJP can have chapters, but they’re violating rules by preventing people from crossing campus or doing overnight encampments or occupying the library.”

Yudof called the Title VI settlements that came in the final days of the Biden administration “relatively weak” and noted that university requirements could “become much stricter in terms of what they need to do by way of enforcement” if the remaining complaints are settled. 

Even with the recent investigation and suspension at Columbia, the university’s Hillel director, Brian Cohen, noted that other university investigations remain open, such as ones against students involved with the encampments and the takeover of Hamilton Hall last April. “These cases should have been resolved months ago, and many of the students involved in those cases remain on campus and continue to break university rules,” Cohen said. “Complicating this all is that despite the best efforts of Columbia’s Public Safety Department to identify students who violate university rules and policies, they are hamstrung by university policies that allow students to conceal their identities.” 

Trump claimed during his 2024 campaign that, if reelected, U.S. universities that failed to address antisemitism would lose accreditation and federal support. In the weeks leading up to Trump’s return to the White House, a number of universities rushed to settle antisemitism complaints with the Biden administration’s DOE in its final days. 

Weeks after Inauguration Day, Trump issued an executive order calling on every federal agency and department to review and report on civil and criminal actions available within their jurisdiction to fight antisemitism. 

Under the executive order, the Department of Justice is directed to review existing antisemitism cases and prepare to more actively bring legal action against those who commit acts of antisemitism in violation of federal civil rights laws. The Department of Education is directed to conduct a thorough review of pending Title VI complaints and investigations. The order also “demands the removal of resident aliens who violate our laws,” according to a White House fact sheet. 

Days later, the DOJ announced a new multi-agency task force whose “first priority” will be to “root out anti-Semitic harassment in schools and on college campuses,” according to an announcement by the department. The DOE also took its first major action under the new administration to combat antisemitism by launching investigations into alleged antisemitic discrimination at five universities — Columbia University; the University of California, Berkeley; Portland State University; Northwestern University and University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. 

“Any student group that openly and continually violates campus rules and/or the law must be held accountable,” Sara Coodin, American Jewish Committee’s director of academic affairs, told JI. “We are glad to see administrators taking steps to enforce their rules and regulations that are meant to foster campus environments welcoming to all students.” 

A spokesperson for the Anti-Defamation League echoed that the group is “pleased that many universities are now holding student organizations accountable for violations.” 

“We have been calling for the last 16 months for universities to enforce their policies and codes that govern conduct of students, faculty and student organizations,” the ADL said in a statement to JI, noting that because these types of disciplinary cases often take some time to move through the processes, “it is difficult to attribute recent action to the new administration.”

“But as we have said, fighting antisemitism requires a whole-of-society approach and we welcome the focus and actions from the Trump administration to combat antisemitism on campus,” the statement said. 

Cary Nelson, former president of the American Association of University Professors, emphasized that cracking down on SJP activity does not suppress political speech. “An SJP chapter that has its campus recognition withdrawn can still post messages on Instagram or X, so its group speech rights remain intact,” Nelson told JI. “Students and faculty remain free to endorse SJP messages.” 

“Moreover, some banned SJP chapters continue to organize campus events,” Nelson said. “But the bans cancel campus funding and send the message that violating laws or campus regulations have consequences, including public condemnation.” Nelson also pointed out that even with the new rules, on many campuses, SJP’s faculty partners, Faculty for Justice in Palestine, retain recognition and can function as SJP surrogates.

Jewish Americans and Israeli Americans have a significantly harder time getting a first response from an employer when applying to jobs, according to new research published on Wednesday by the Anti-Defamation League. 

The report highlighted that since the Oct. 7 terror attacks in Israel Jews in America may be missing out on job opportunities “just because of their identity.”

The study involved a field experiment independently conducted by Bryan Tomlin, a leading labor economist, who applied via Craigslist.org for 3,000 administrative assistant job postings  between May 2024 and October 2024 using resumés that were identical except for certain characteristics specific to Jewish identity —  including a “female sounding” name that signals if the applicants were Jewish American (Rebecca Cohen), Israeli Americans (Lia Avraham) or American with Western European backgrounds (Kriste Miller). 

Tomlin found substantial discrimination, with Jewish American job candidates needing to send 24% more applications to receive the same number of positive first responses from prospective employers as Americans with Western European backgrounds when applying to the same role; Israeli Americans — who were clearly marked as American citizens in the study — needed to send 39% more applications.

“This study shows that Jewish and Israeli Americans may be missing out on job opportunities just because of their identity, not their qualifications, and it provides a start toward quantifying some of these more subtle but still harmful symptoms of antisemitism,” Tomlin said in a statement. “Without the benefit of a study of this kind, it is difficult, if not impossible, to prove adverse treatment in the labor market based on one’s religion or cultural identity.”

The results of the labor study appear to track with anecdotal evidence from other areas of American life, such as the publishing world and the mental health field, suggesting that Jews are facing widespread antisemitism.

While the study overall depicted negative treatment across the U.S., results varied by U.S. city, with Israeli Americans faring worse across all markets other than New York City and Philadelphia.  

Matt Williams, vice president of the Center for Antisemitism Research at the ADL, told Jewish Insider that the research was based on an increase of anecdotal labor discrimination that has been reported to the ADL. “We had heard that there were people who had been in limbo, unable to make it past the first round of interviewers,” he said. “It’s a brutal job market right now, and part of our hypothesis [looked at that]… but what we’ve just found is evidence of system-wide discrimination.” 

The results were a sharp contrast from a study conducted in 2014, on the heels of a decade-long downward slide in antisemitism in America. Research a decade ago from the University of Connecticut that looked at the American South found that “Jewish applicants received significantly higher employer preference rates” than applicants of all other religions. 

“In many ways, my job is to try to figure out how to get us back to 2014,” Williams told JI. “It’s been a long evolution and a lot of Americans have a negative perception of Jews and their proximity to power… as we see younger Americans start to take managerial positions and have more power over employment, that’s the sort of thing we are starting to see color the labor market.” 

“This is groundbreaking evidence of serious antisemitic discrimination in the labor market,”

ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said in a statement on the new study. Greenblatt urged employers “to take anti-Jewish and anti-Israeli prejudice more seriously to have a workplace that works for everyone.”

The good news, Williams said, is that labor discrimination is solvable to some extent. “Employment discrimination is both a signal of a larger set of problems, and also something we have the remedies, legally, to address. We have a set of tools that we don’t have to develop to deploy, which is huge because when you’re talking about changing public opinion or conspiracy theory belief, those tools are much harder to develop. Employment discrimination, we’ve got tons of state and federal rules and regulations,” Williams said. 

The research did not dig into specific industries where antisemitism may be more or less prevalent. “That’s absolutely a future study,” Williams said, adding that a more extensive look into the impact of geography, as well as beginning to explore antisemitism in the housing market, will follow. 

On the one-year anniversary of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, the home of University of Michigan President Santa Ono and several locations — with ties to either Jewish individuals or organizations with connections to Israel — became the latest targets in a spate of antisemitic vandalism that have plagued the state throughout the year. 

Even as the attacks have been aimed against high-profile victims or leading Jewish institutions, one prominent Jewish leader in the state is calling out the state’s political leadership for muted reactions in their condemnation of  the vandalism and other recent incidents, noting that few have used the power of their office to speak out against a spasm of antisemitism affecting the state.

Following the spate of antisemitic incidents in Michigan, which is a key battleground state in next month’s election, local Jewish community leaders remain divided about how the response is being handled. 

“I’d definitely like to see more of a crackdown” from elected officials, Rabbi Asher Lopatin, director of community relations at the Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor, told Jewish Insider. 

On the morning of Oct. 7, Ono’s home, the home of University of Michigan chief investment officer, Erik Lundberg, and the offices of the Michigan Israel Business Accelerator and the Jewish Federation of Detroit were spray-painted with words including “intifada” and “coward.” The group that took responsibility for the four acts of vandalism, Unity of Fields, formerly known as Palestine Action U.S., wrote that it targeted “businesses to universities.” 

“We reject all financial support for the Israeli regime,” the group said in a statement on Telegram. 

“There are a lot of incidents and it’s hard for [politicians] to even understand where they are all coming from,” Carolyn Normandin, regional director of Anti-Defamation League Michigan, told JI. Normandin emphasized that law enforcement, on the other hand, has responded promptly and worked closely with the ADL to investigate incidents. 

In a statement to JI, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said that “the antisemitic graffiti on the headquarters of the Jewish Federation of Detroit, homes of university leaders, and places of business around the state is cruel and abhorrent.”

Whitmer, a Democrat, continued, “On the one year anniversary of the October 7th attack, we must continue rising above actions that aim to divide us and instill fear in our communities.” Whitmer’s office did not immediately issue a press release about the incident. 

Last month, ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt criticized Whitmer for not speaking up more aggressively against antisemitism — after Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) insinuated in an interview that the state’s Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel was only prosecuting anti-Israel protesters who broke the law because she was Jewish. 

“Governor Whitmer, when your attorney general prosecutes people for violating the law, harassing Jews, and attacking police officers, it’s in the interest of public safety. When a congresswoman accuses the attorney general of prosecuting protestors simply because she’s Jewish, it’s bias,” Greenblatt said on X. 

Lopatin added that it was “very disappointing that when Nessel courageously said the state would prosecute people who violate the law, she did not [initially] get support from Whitmer and some elected officials.” 

“She did get support from most of the congressional delegation and that was helpful,” Lopatin continued. 

(A Whitmer spokesperson later issued a follow-up statement offering a clearer defense of Nessel, without specifically defending the Michigan attorney general’s prosecution of the anti-Israel protesters. The statement did not mention Tlaib.)

“Whichever side you’re on, everyone respects decisiveness and being forthright in saying what is right and wrong,” Lopatin said. “This kind of weak response to people violating the law and intimidating others—  I don’t think that this weak response gains anybody’s respect on any side of the political spectrum.” 

“Politicians would do themselves a favor if they took a strong stand against illegal actions, whether against Jews or anyone else,” Lopatin said. “I think everyone – including in the Arab American community – are picking up on the weakness. If society condemns something, that means all of the politicians and leaders, then it diminishes.” 

Michigan has been an epicenter of antisemitic activity in recent months. Earlier this month, more than 100 households across close to a dozen Detroit suburbs received antisemitic flyers. The flier drops are “done by a cowardly group who operates – most of the time – just within the law,” Normadin said. “These are deceitful bad actors whose only goal is to sow hatred toward the Jews… I hope police find some of the people responsible and that they are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” 

Last month, a Jewish student at the University of Michigan was attacked —  resulting in minor injuries — in what the Ann Arbor Police Department described as “a bias-motivated assault.” 

Meanwhile, in June, the exterior of University of Michigan Board of Regents member Jordan Acker’s law office was vandalized overnight with the phrases “FREE PALESTINE,” “DIVEST NOW,” “F***YOU ACKER” and “UM KILLS” scrawled on the walls, walkway and front window.  Acker, who is Jewish, was also targeted by masked anti-Israel demonstrators one month earlier outside of his home as Acker, his wife and three daughters were asleep. 

In the spring, the University of Michigan campus was host to an anti-Israel protest encampment that lasted for nearly four weeks and was ultimately broken up by police. Ono said that this year, the university will have “zero tolerance” for any efforts to reestablish encampments. 

While “more needs to be done to set boundaries” to prevent these types of incidents around the state, Lopatin said, at the University of Michigan, “there’s been an improvement,” compared to last year when the school was a hotbed of anti-Israel activity. Lopatin is the father of two University of Michigan students who were recognized in March at an Honors Convocation that was disrupted by anti-Zionist demonstrators.

“I’m happy to see President Ono speaking out much faster and more forcefully,” Lopatin said. “I think he has done a good job with not allowing protesters to intimidate Jewish people.” 

A Jewish student at the University of Michigan was attacked early Sunday morning in what the Ann Arbor Police Department described as “a bias-motivated assault.” 

The 19-year-old student, who has requested that his identity not be disclosed, was walking near campus and in proximity to the Jewish Resource Center on Hill Street, at approximately 12:45 a.m. when a group of unknown males approached from behind and asked if he was Jewish, according to a police report. When the victim replied yes, the suspects reportedly proceeded to assault him. The suspects then fled the area on foot. The victim suffered minor injuries and did not require hospitalization.

The Anti-Defamation League announced it will offer a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspects. “ADL is horrified to learn of an alleged antisemitic assault on a Jewish UMich student,” the group’s CEO, Jonathan Greenblatt, tweeted. 

Rabbi Davey Rosen, CEO of the University of Michigan Hillel, told Jewish Insider that Hillel staff met on Monday morning with detectives from the Ann Arbor Police Department (AAPD) and is convening a joint meeting Monday afternoon with AAPD, the University of Michigan Police Department and additional Jewish organizations on campus and in Ann Arbor.

“These meetings follow recent antisemitic incidents that have targeted Jewish students and the Hillel community,” Rosen said. 

Based on the rise of antisemitic incidents last year around Michigan’s campus, Michigan Hillel increased its security presence at its facility before the new academic year began. The added security measures, Rosen said, include “organizing walking groups and ride shares for students who do not feel safe traveling alone” and “encouraging students to reach out to the Hillel team for support and to report any concerns or incidents to the University Dean of Students office.” 

“We take bias-motivated crimes very seriously and have assigned this incident to our hate crimes detective,” the AAPD said in a statement, adding that the department is asking for tips as there is currently “limited information on the suspects.” 

AAPD Chief Andre Anderson said in a statement that the department has talked to the University of Michigan police staff, “and our goal is to discuss safety over the next few weeks.”

“There is absolutely no place for hate or ethnic intimidation in the City of Ann Arbor,” Anderson said. “We are committed to vigorously investigating this and other hate-motivated incidents and will work with the County Prosecutor’s office to aggressively prosecute those who are responsible.” 

In a campus-wide letter on Monday, the university’s president, Santa Ono, condemned the incident. “Antisemitism is in direct conflict with the university’s deeply held values of safety, respect and inclusion and has no place within our community,” Ono said.  

Antisemitism and anti-Israel activity has roiled the University of Michigan campus repeatedly since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. In June, the exterior of the university’s Board of Regents member Jordan Acker’s law office was vandalized overnight with the phrases “FREE PALESTINE,” “DIVEST NOW,” “FUCK YOU ACKER” and “UM KILLS” scrawled on the walls, walkway and front window. The incident was the second time since Oct. 7 that Acker, who is Jewish, has been targeted by anti-Israel demonstrators. 

Last week, nine anti-Israel demonstrators and two counter protesters were charged for their involvement in incidents relating to anti-Israel protest encampments that sprung up on the university in the spring.

Columbia University President Minouche Shafik announced her resignation on Wednesday, days before the start of the school year — and months after the end of a chaotic school year that saw her testify before Congress about antisemitism and navigate the unruly fallout of the first anti-Israel encampment in the nation. 

Dr. Katrina Armstrong, CEO of Columbia’s Irving Medical Center, will serve as interim president, a university spokesperson confirmed to Jewish Insider. A source familiar said Armstrong has already been in touch with Hillel leadership at Columbia. 

News of Shafik’s resignation was first reported by the Washington Free Beacon’s Eliana Johnson. Shafik is the fourth Ivy League president to step down in the last year amid rising anti-Israel activism on campuses, following the University of Pennsylvania’s Elizabeth Magill, Harvard’s Claudine Gay and Cornell University’s Martha Pollack.

“I have had the honor and privilege to lead this incredible institution, and I believe that — working together — we have made progress in a number of important areas,” Shafik, who only started in the role in July 2023, wrote in an email to the Columbia community. 

“However, it has also been a period of turmoil where it has been difficult to overcome divergent views across our community. This period has taken a considerable toll on my family, as it has for others in our community. Over the summer, I have been able to reflect and have decided that my moving on at this point would best enable Columbia to traverse the challenges ahead,” she wrote.

Following the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, Columbia, like other American universities, saw an uptick in antisemitism and targeting of Zionist students. But in an April hearing before the House Education and the Workforce Committee, Shafik avoided the kind of viral moment that dogged her colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania, Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 

But when she went back to Manhattan, she faced the first anti-Israel encampment at an American university. Her decision to call in the police to break up the demonstration set off a wave of anger among many students and faculty members on campus and sparked dozens of other solidarity encampments at other universities. 

From there, her leadership was under a microscope. Following a number of antisemitic incidents related to the encampment, several members of Congress from both parties went to Columbia to speak to Jewish students and show solidarity.

In a statement, the Anti-Defamation League said it is “saddened that the leadership of another flagship university has crumbled under the weight of antisemitism on its campus,” calling on the school to move quickly to fill the leadership vacancy before the fall semester.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), in a statement first shared with JI, cheered Shafik’s decision to step aside: “As a result of President Shafik’s refusal to protect Jewish students and maintain order on campus, Columbia University became the epicenter for virulent antisemitism that has plagued many American university campuses since Hamas’ barbaric attack on Israel last fall.” 

“I stood in President Shafik’s office in April and told her to resign, and while it is long overdue, we welcome today’s news. Jewish students at Columbia beginning this school year should breathe a sigh of relief…We hope that President Shafik’s resignation serves as an example to university administrators across the country that tolerating or protecting antisemites is unacceptable and will have consequences,” Johnson added.

Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC), the chair of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, said that, under Shafik’s leadership “a disturbing wave of antisemitic harassment, discrimination, and disorder engulfed Columbia university’s campus” and students were allowed to break the law with impunity.

“Columbia’s next leader must take bold action to address the pervasive antisemitism, support for terrorism, and contempt for the university’s rules that have been allowed to flourish on its campus,” Foxx continued, 

Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), a prominent member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, crowed, “THREE DOWN, so many to go,” adding that her “failed presidency was untenable and that it was only a matter of time before her forced resignation.”

She added, “We will continue to demand moral clarity, condemnation of antisemitism, protection of Jewish students and faculty, and stronger leadership from American higher education institutions.”

Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) told JI that the resignation was “long overdue.”

“I have been calling for President Shafik to be ousted or resign ever since her abysmal failure to condemn Columbia’s antisemitic outbursts or ensure the safety of Jewish students on her campus,” Lawler said. “Let this be a lesson to all who waver in the face of evil.”

Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) said that “when President Shafik failed to enforce the code of conduct and protect Jewish students just trying to walk to class safely, she failed at her job and allowed a hostile, antisemitic environment to escalate.”

He asserted that similar treatment of any other minority group would have been quickly stopped by school administrators and that signs reading “go back to Poland” displayed just outside Columbia’s gates when he visited the campus have stuck with him.

Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) called Columbia “ground zero for campus antisemitism in NYC,” urging the new leadership to “summon the moral clarity and the moral courage to confront the deep rot of antisemitism at Columbia’s core.”

But Columbia’s problems didn’t stop with the encampment. In late April, student protesters occupied a campus administrative building, leading to hundreds of arrests by police. (The charges have since been dropped against most student protesters.) 

Two days later, President Joe Biden condemned unlawful protests at U.S. universities. “Destroying property is not a peaceful protest. It’s against the law. Vandalism, trespassing, breaking windows, shutting down campuses, forcing the cancellation of classes and graduation — none of this is a peaceful protest,” he said in a White House address in May. “It’s against the law.”

In May, the faculty of arts and sciences — which was mostly supportive of the anti-Israel encampment — approved a vote of no confidence in Shafik. 

Columbia made news earlier this month when three deans who had been placed on leave over exchanging antisemitic text messages resigned. 

And as recently as this week, lawmakers demanded that the school reimburse the New York Police Department for costs incurred in clearing the encampment on the Columbia campus.

Brian Cohen, executive director of Columbia/Barnard Hillel, declined to comment on Shafik’s departure but praised Armstrong’s appointment as interim president. 

“I think very highly of Dr. Armstrong and I know many colleagues feel the same way,” Cohen told JI. “She is a strong leader — when there were issues that needed to be addressed at the Medical Center, Dr. Armstrong was quick to respond and to address the issues.”

Jewish Insider Congressional correspondent Emily Jacobs contributed to this report.

The Anti-Defamation League is urging the attorney generals of New York and Arizona to investigate WESPAC (Westchester Peace Action Committee) and the Alliance for Global Justice, accusing the anti-Israel nonprofit groups of potentially running afoul of federal law. WESPAC has been accused of funding anti-Israel encampments on campuses.

In letters to New York Attorney General Letitia James and Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, Steven Sheinberg, the ADL’s chief legal officer, highlighted that the AFGJ sponsors the Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, which Israel considers a subsidiary of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) terrorist group and which has supported Hamas.

“Samidoun’s status as a terrorist organization abroad, or at the very least its connection to known terrorist organizations, calls into question whether AFGJ and its board are exercising the appropriate level of oversight and control over its projects to ensure AFGJ’s charitable assets are being used consistent with its tax exemption,” Sheinberg wrote in his letter to James.

According to U.S. law, AFGJ is responsible for the activities Samidoun engages in, and can be held responsible for their activities, according to the letter.

“AFGJ’s administrative support and use of its own tax-exempt status permits Samidoun to operate in the United States and further potentially non-charitable aims under the guise of a public charity,” Sheinberg added.

The ADL further highlighted ambiguities around Samidoun’s activities, as well as AFGJ’s structure and legal status, as well as its financial activities.

In the letter to James, the ADL accused WESPAC of far surpassing its stated mandate of “current affairs education” by funding college campus protest groups that have distributed Hamas propaganda and supporting groups that have engaged in antisemitic harassment and expressed support for terrorism and the Nazis.

Sheinberg argued that these activities may exceed WESPAC’s authorized functions and bring into question whether it “truly has control and discretion over its funds.” He urged James to examine whether the state should block the group from engaging in such activities.

The letter also raises questions about whether WESPAC is a properly registered nonprofit; highlighting that there are discrepancies between its various IRS filings, the group does not appear to have properly filed required forms and has been vague in reporting its expenses.

According to the ADL letter, WESPAC has reported spending nearly $1.5 million on office expenses, has reported offering grants in excess of its total expenditures and has not reported its spending on fundraising efforts.

The letters appear to be the latest example in a trend of a growing legal strategy by the Anti-Defamation League in the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attacks. It recently filed a Federal Election Commission complaint against Jewish Voice for Peace and a lawsuit against Iran, Syria and North Korea over their support for Hamas.

In a letter sent to key members of the Senate and House Appropriations Committees on Friday, a coalition of 23 Jewish groups, spanning a range of political and denominational positions, urged Congress to “provide the highest possible funding” in 2025 for the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights.

The widespread support for funding for the office, known as OCR, is notable given political divisions over the issue on Capitol Hill. Democrats critical of Republicans’ approach to combating antisemitism on campuses have emphasized calls for increased funding for the office. Some Republicans, meanwhile, have downplayed the need for additional funding for the office, often arguing that it has the resources it needs but must better prioritize antisemitism cases.

But calls for increased funding span the political spectrum. In the 2024 funding process, a bipartisan group of 51 lawmakers urged Congress to provide funding in excess of the administration’s budget request for OCR.

House Republicans sought to cut funding to OCR, the office responsible for investigating complaints of antisemitism on campuses, for 2024. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona has said the office’s staff are severely overstretched, with each staffer working 50 cases in light of a post-Oct. 7 surge in complaints.

OCR received $140 million for 2024, the same funding it received in 2023, falling $37.6 million below the administration’s request. The administration requested $162 million for OCR for 2025.

“It is Congress’s responsibility to ensure that OCR has the resources it needs to conduct immediate and robust investigations into these complaints. OCR cannot protect the rights, safety and wellbeing of students if it does not have adequate resources to appropriately investigate and respond to its increased caseload,” the letter reads.

The signatories include the Anti-Defamation League, Alpha Epsilon Phi Sorority, Alpha Epsilon Pi, American Jewish Committee, B’nai B’rith International, Combat Antisemitism Movement, Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, Hadassah, Hillel International, Jewish Council for Public Affairs, Jewish Federations of North America, Jewish Grad Organization, Jewish on Campus, Olami, National Council of Jewish Women, Rabbinical Assembly, Sigma Alpha Mu Fraternity, Sigma Delta Tau, StandWithUs, Union for Reform Judaism, Orthodox Union, Zeta Beta Tau Fraternity and Zionist Organization of America.

They include liberal, nonpartisan and conservative-leaning Jewish groups, as well as groups representing the Reform, Conservative and Orthodox denominations.

The groups, the letter states, “reflect the depth and breadth of American Jewish life [and] are united in asking your urgent support to combat growing antisemitism on university campuses.”

The letter highlights data showing that cases of antisemitism on college campuses have “skyrocketed” since Oct. 7, and that OCR is facing “a surge in reported cases” alongside a reported 10% reduction in full-time staff.

The president of Emerson College became the latest university leader to face sharp criticism for his handling of the anti-Israel encampment protests after he offered to pay bail for protesters arrested at the Boston liberal arts school and requested that they not be prosecuted. 

Following the arrest last week of 118 “Gaza solidarity encampment” protesters, who camped out in tents for weeks in the middle of campus, Emerson President Jay Bernhardt sent a campus-wide email last week saying that the school “has continued to be supportive in multiple ways – sending staff to all the precincts and posting bail for arrested students, canceling and modifying classes so our community could process what had occurred, and providing additional care and support for our community to heal.” 

“The College will not bring any campus disciplinary charges against the protestors and will encourage the district attorney not to pursue charges related to encampment violations,” Bernhardt, who is Jewish, wrote.

Roni Moser, an Israeli freshman at Emerson, said in a speech at a pro-Israel rally in Boston on April 28 that the encampments have been the “climax” of the anti-Israel rhetoric that has engulfed the Boston campus since Oct. 7. While Emerson’s undergraduate enrollment is only about 4,000 students, its Students for Justice in Palestine account has more than 6,000 followers. 

Moser said that the protesters have “written hateful speech on walls and screamed violent chants repeatedly.” 

“People have the right to protest. People shouldn’t have the right to use such violent and antisemitic speech,” she said, pointing to slogans that have been thrown around campus including “Long live the intifada” and “Israel is antisemitic.” 

“Jewish students were personally harassed, to the point where many had to be removed from campus, and temporarily placed in hotels,” Moser said, adding that “friends of mine were called terrorists.” 

Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, called on Bernhardt to “reverse this decision” and for “the Suffolk district attorney to enforce the law.”

“The president of Emerson is going out of his way to make sure students who broke the law and violated Emerson’s own policies face no consequences,” Greenblatt said in a statement. 

Several universities around the country have recently struck deals with anti-Israel protesters to quell the turmoil on college campuses — including giving protesters a seat at the table regarding investment decisions, which Jewish leaders warn could further poison the atmosphere for Jewish students. But at most schools, the concessions have been largely symbolic. 

Greenblatt said that in Emerson’s case, “This capitulates to the most extreme voices and rewards their disruptive conduct. The Emerson community deserves better.”

In a follow-up letter to students on Monday, Bernhardt announced that the university “will establish a campus bias rapid response team.” 

“I deeply regret that despite our best efforts, our students’ activism resulted in police action over their encampment, especially in the heartbreaking way it occurred,” Bernhardt wrote. 

He went on to say that, “Regarding financial divestment, the Board of Trustees has considered this request and may continue to do so further in the future.” 

As universities around the country strike various deals with anti-Israel protesters to quell the turmoil on college campuses — including giving protesters a seat at the table regarding investment decisions — Jewish leaders fear that even these largely symbolic concessions could further poison the atmosphere for Jewish students.

Negotiating with protesters sets up a climate in which “Jewish students — who are not violating rules —- are being ignored, bullied and intimidated,” Mark Rotenberg, vice president and general counsel of Hillel International, told Jewish Insider. “People who violate university rules should not be rewarded with financial benefits and rewards for the violation of university rules,” he continued. 

Shira Goodman, senior director of advocacy at the Anti-Defamation League, echoed that the series of deals struck all “ignore the needs of Jewish students increasingly at risk of harassment and intimidation, or worse, on campus.” 

“It is critical to acknowledge the facts on the ground,” Goodman said. “For days and in some cases weeks, anti-Zionist protesters have openly violated school policies and codes of conduct by erecting encampments that have provided cover for students to fan the flames of antisemitism and wreak havoc on the entire campus community… The protesters’ aim and impact on many campuses has been to intimidate and alienate Jewish students for whom Zionism and a connection to Israel is a component of their Jewish identity. They must be held to account, not rewarded for their conduct.” 

The nationwide “Gaza solidarity encampments” began on April 17 at Columbia University. On April 29, Northwestern University set the precedent for conceding to some of the protesters’ demands when its president, Michael Schill, reached an agreement with the activists to end their anti-Israel encampment, in which protesters camped out and engulfed campuses for weeks. 

The protesters — most, but not all, of whom were students — took over buildings, blocked access to throughways, vandalized school property and chanted intimidating, antisemitic slogans while calling for an end to Israel’s war with Hamas and demanding that institutions cut ties with the Jewish state.

The deal at Northwestern complied with several of the students’ demands. These include allowing students to protest until the end of classes on June 1 so long as tents are removed, and to encourage employers not to rescind job offers for student protesters. The school will also allow students to weigh in on university investments — a major concession for students who have been demanding the university to divest from Israeli corporations. 

The Anti-Defamation League, StandWithUs and the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law joined together to slam the strategy and call for Schill’s resignation after the agreement was announced. But a handful of schools, including University of Minnesota, Brown University, Rutgers University and University of California, Riverside followed suit — giving into the demands of encampment protesters in an effort to shut them down. 

While all of the agreements center around divesting from Israel, resolutions at each school look different. At Rutgers, a proposed deal reached last Thursday includes divesting from corporations participating in or benefiting from Israel; terminating Rutgers’ partnership with Tel Aviv University; accepting at least 10 displaced students from Gaza; and displaying Palestinian flags alongside other existing international flags on campus. Eight out of the 10 demands were met, while Rutgers students, faculty and alumni continue to push for the two not yet agreed to — an official call for divestment as well as cutting ties with Tel Aviv University.

At Minnesota, meanwhile, protesters packed their tents after a 90-minute meeting with Jeff Ettinger, the school’s interim president. A tentative deal was reached, which could include divestment from companies such as Honeywell and General Dynamics, academic divestment from Israeli universities, transparency about university investments, a statement in support of Palestinian students, a statement in support of Palestinians’ right to self-determination and amnesty for students arrested while protesting (nine people were arrested on campus on April 22). 

In a statement to students and faculty,  Ettinger wrote that coalition representatives will be given the opportunity to address the board of regents at its May 10 meeting to discuss divestment from certain companies. Public disclosure of university investments would be made available by May 7. Ettinger also said that the administration has asked university police not to arrest or charge anyone for participating in encampment activities in the past few days, and will not pursue disciplinary action against students or employees for protesting. 

Rotenberg, who was general counsel of University of Minnesota for 20 years before coming to Hillel, told JI that he is working on a statement objecting to the settlements, which will be addressed to the school’s board of regents. 

“I am hopeful that this is not a trend,” Rotenberg said. “No university can exist if rules violators are rewarded with financial incentives, while students who do abide by the rules are not similarly rewarded,” he continued. “That’s an upside-down world and it cannot be acceptable for individuals who violate university regulations to be given the benefits while our students’ voices are not heard.” 

Rotenberg expressed ire over universities’ lack of consulting with Jewish faculty or students ahead of making the agreements. At Northwestern, seven Jewish members of the university’s antisemitism advisory committee stepped down from the body last Wednesday, citing Schill’s failure to combat antisemitism while quickly accepting the demands of anti-Israel protesters on campus.

“Any meeting with the board of regents at University of Minnesota that relates to these issues, must include Jewish voices — voices of the overwhelming majority of the Jewish community who identify with and support Israel,” Rotenberg said. 

“There are many ways to enforce university time, place and manner regulation that do not involve rewarding violators,” he continued, applauding the University of Connecticut, University of Florida and Columbia University for shutting down encampments while “eliminating the dangers of disruption and violence, without rewarding the violators.” At Columbia, for example, officers in riot gear removed demonstrators who had seized Hamilton Hall and suspended students who refused to dismantle their encampment.

Not all efforts to strike deals have been successful. At University of Chicago, for instance, negotiations to remove encampment tents from the campus central quad were suspended on Sunday, after protesters reached a stalemate with the university president, Paul Alivisatos.

“The Jewish community is right to be outraged,” Miriam Elman, executive director of the Academic Engagement Network, told JI. “You don’t capitulate to groups that are in violation of reasonable restrictions by giving into demands. That is not moral leadership… the right statements are not negotiations with rule violators, but rather say that free expression is a core value but you have to abide by university policy in doing that,” she continued, noting that she has observed a “trend with private universities being more able to weather the storm, as well as just doing better than some of the public universities.” 

Like Rotenberg, Elman singled out Minnesota for its “disheartening” snub of Jews. 

“Their statement [on encampments] had nothing to say to the Jewish community,” Elman said. “Nothing condemning the rank antisemitism on display, in rhetoric and calls for violence against Israeli citizens. How can you not even in one paragraph of your statement condemn how antisemitism has infused these protests?”

In a statement to JI, Jacob Baime, CEO of the Israel on Campus Coalition, called on university administrators to “clear the encampments, equally enforce existing policies, and protect Jewish students and their friends and allies,” without capitulating to “supporters of Hamas.” 

Experts said that it’s too early to know whether or not the concessions offered are merely symbolic — Brown, for example, plans to wait until October for its corporate board to vote on a proposal to divest from Israeli interests, as per its negotiation with protesters. But already, according to the ADL’s Goodman, administrations that have made deals “[incentivized] further rules violations and disruption and normalized antisemitism on campus.” 

Goodman cautioned that as universities try to restore order during finals and graduations, more may strike similar deals. “Administrators may see this as an acceptable solution to resolve the current situation on their own campus… It will also be interesting to see how they determine whether protestors who committed no further code of conduct violations comply and what happens if they do not comply.” 

Rotenberg warned, “The Jewish community has ample reason to fear when people take the law into their own hands and who, after being warned, decide to violate the norms of their community and then get rewarded for doing so.” Going down that path, he said, is “marching down the road to authoritarianism.”

Students chanting “kill the Jews.” 

Students asking their Jewish classmates what “their number is,” referring to numbers tattooed on Jews during the Holocaust.

Teacher-promoted walk-outs in support of Hamas.

A second-grade teacher leading a classroom activity where children wrote: “Stop Bombing Babies” on sticky notes to display in the building.

Those are some of the incidents endured by K-12 Jewish students in the Berkeley Unified School District (BUSD) that have sparked a Title VI complaint filed on Wednesday with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, Jewish Insider has learned. 

The complaint alleges that the district has failed to take action against “severe and persistent” bullying and harassment of Jewish students by peers and teachers since Oct. 7.  

JI has obtained a copy of the complaint, which was filed jointly by the Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law and the Anti-Defamation League. It states that Berkeley administrators have ignored parent reports, including a letter signed by 1,370 Berkeley community members to the Berkeley superintendent and Board of Education, while knowingly allowing its public schools to become hostile environments for Jewish and Israeli students.

Chiara Juster, a parent in the district for years, recently made what she called the “uncomfortable” decision to pull her eighth-grade daughter out of the school district and homeschool instead because of “scary” antisemitism in the school district. 

“She was called a ‘midget Jew,’” Juster told JI. “That just shook me in a different way than [other bullying she had faced]. It was scary.”  

Juster recalled that her daughter was able to transfer to a different class, away from the student who name-called, but the situation grew worse. “That first day in the new class, she was told by a teacher that she should go to the watermelon club” — a reference to a symbol associated with Palestinian rights — “to learn the truth about Gaza.”

“The answer shouldn’t have to be moving classes,” Juster said, adding that homeschooling has been a challenge but that she doesn’t “trust the district to keep my child safe at all.” 

“I think [the administration is full of] empty words,” she continued. “I hear things like ‘this is a safe and inclusive environment,’ when it’s anything but. I think the school district is trying to sweep a problem under the rug, and I don’t have a lot of hope. What I would like to see is no kid ever feel uncomfortable because of the way they were born and for the schools to protect our kids. I can’t believe I even need to say this in this day and age.” 

Trish McDermott, a spokesperson for BUSD, told JI that “the district is not aware of any families that have left the district for this reason [antisemitism].” 

Since Hamas’ Oct. 7 terror attacks on Israel, antisemitism has skyrocketed on U.S. college campuses. The Department of Education is currently investigating complaints filed against Wellesley College, SUNY New Paltz, the University of Southern California, Brooklyn College and the University of Illinois. The Brandeis Center recently filed federal complaints against American University and the University of California, Berkeley over concerns about the administration’s handling of antisemitism.

But the ideology behind anti-Israel sentiments infiltrating campuses is beginning earlier than college — and has been creeping in some public K-12 schools. The complaint against BUSD comes on the heels of a Title VI investigation that was opened in Oakland and San Franscico’s K-12 school districts. At least 30 parents between the two school districts have withdrawn their children and transferred them to other districts following an educator-organized unauthorized teach-in for Gaza last month.

“California has numerous anti-discrimination laws that apply to schools but are not being enforced by the district or by anyone else,” Rachel Lerman, the Brandeis Center’s vice chair and general counsel who is overseeing the complaint, told JI. “We are hoping this investigation will reveal some of the rot that is there and will prompt [action] on the part of the district.” 

Since Oct. 7, the ADL has recorded a total of 256 antisemitic incidents, ranging from swastika graffiti to physical assault, in elementary, middle and high schools alone. The data represents a 140% increase compared to the same three-month period a year prior. 

James Pasch, ADL’s senior director for national litigation, told JI that “there has certainly been a pattern of significant [antisemitism] in K-12 schools, particularly in California, but what we’re seeing is not isolated to California. We’ve seen it from coast to coast.”

“[The BUSD] district has certainly been [particularly] pervasive… and there’s a lack of a comprehensive response from the administration to protect its Jewish students… [which is] a legal obligation,” Pasch continued. “It needs to stop now.” 

Following the resignation of former Harvard President Claudine Gay earlier this month, Jewish students and allies called for the university’s new leadership to get more serious about cracking down on the antisemitism they say has dramatically increased on the Ivy League campus since the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attacks in Israel.

An email sent by interim President Alan Garber on Friday announcing the creation of two new “presidential task forces,” one focused on combating antisemitism and another focused on Islamophobia, fueled their concerns about the credibility of the school’s efforts. 

The antisemitism-focused group came under immediate scrutiny for naming Derek Penslar, a historian and the director of Harvard’s Center for Jewish Studies, as co-chair. Penslar’s appointment drew the ire of Jewish communal leaders and prominent figures at Harvard over comments he made in recent weeks minimizing concerns over antisemitism at Harvard, and for past statements he has made about Israel.

“Yes, we have a problem with antisemitism at Harvard, just like we have a problem with Islamophobia and how students converse with each other,” task force co-chair Derek Penslar, a historian and the director of Harvard’s Center for Jewish Studies, told JTA earlier this month. “The problems are real. But outsiders took a very real problem and proceeded to exaggerate its scope.” 

Harvard did not respond to the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks until two days later, but by then, a letter signed by more than three dozen student groups holding Israel alone responsible for the massacre had gone viral. Since then, antisemitic incidents at the Massachusetts campus have rapidly increased. Six Jewish students sued the school this month, calling it a “bastion of rampant anti-Jewish hatred and harassment.”

In an op-ed in the Harvard Crimson last month, Penslar also said that the intense focus on rising antisemitism at the Ivy League university has “obscured the vulnerability of pro-Palestinian students, who have faced harassment by actors outside of the university and verbal abuse on and near campus.”

Penslar also faced pushback for signing a letter in August that accused Israel of ethnic cleansing and of implementing “a regime of apartheid” against Palestinians. He has also sharply criticized the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism, a tool that has been widely adopted by dozens of countries, including the United States, and the mainstream Jewish community.

Former Harvard President Larry Summers called for Penslar to step down, noting that his appointment threatened the task force’s credibility.

“I also hope Harvard’s leadership will recognize that they have exacerbated Harvard’s credibility problems on anti-Semitism with the Penslar appointment and take steps to restore their credibility,” Summers said in a post on X on Sunday. “As things currently stand, I am unable to reassure Harvard community members, those we are recruiting or prospective students that Harvard is making progress in countering anti-Semitism.” 

Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt called Penslar’s appointment “absolutely inexcusable,” citing his past writings on Israel.

“This is why Harvard is failing, full stop,” Greenblatt wrote on X on Sunday. 

Penslar “is widely respected across the Harvard community as someone who approaches his research and teaching with open-mindedness and respect for conflicting points of view and approaching difficult issues with care and reason,” a Harvard spokesperson told Jewish Insider on Monday. “He is deeply committed to tackling antisemitism and improving the experience of Jewish students at Harvard.”

The task force comes on the heels of an antisemitism advisory group created by Gay in November. That group featured prominent outside members, including writer Dara Horn and Rabbi David Wolpe, who stepped down after Gay’s widely criticized Capitol Hill testimony in December. (The left-wing writer Peter Beinart theorized in December that Penslar may have been excluded from the initial advisory group because “he doesn’t want to suppress pro-Palestinian speech.”)

“So Harvard’s antisemitism advisory group came up with recommendations for the task force, and now the task force is going to come up with actual recommendations?!” former Harvard Hillel student president Jacob Miller, a junior, wrote on X on Friday. “Enough with the Kafkaesque committees — take action against the antisemites and implement curriculum reform now!” (Miller was an editorial fellow at JI from 2021-2022.)

It is not clear who will sit on the task force besides Penslar and co-chair Raffaella Sadun, a Harvard Business School professor. Sadun signed onto a 2022 Harvard faculty letter that criticized the Crimson’s editorial board for endorsing the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement against Israel. Penslar did not sign that statement.

In his email announcing the formation of the task forces, Garber did not give a deadline by which they would complete their work. “I have asked that the work of the task forces be completed as soon as is feasible,” he wrote, “and I will share reports and recommendations in due course.”

Penslar issued a statement on Monday pledging to remain as the task force’s co-chair and expressing his dedication “to the education and well-being of our students.”

The task force is “an important opportunity to determine the nature and extent of antisemitism and more subtle forms of social exclusion that affect Jewish students at Harvard,” said Penslar. “Only with this information in hand can Harvard implement effective policies that will improve Jewish student life on campus.”

This story was updated on Monday afternoon to include statements from Derek Penslar and a Harvard spokesperson.

Following complaints that Twitter locked the accounts of some Jewish users in the U.K. who displayed images of the Star of David, the social media company sought to explain its procedures for determining hateful conduct. 

In a statement released Wednesday morning, Twitter clarified, “We categorically do not consider the Star of David as a hateful symbol or hateful image. We have for some time seen the ‘yellow star’ or ‘yellow badge’ symbol being used by those seeking to target Jewish people. This is a violation of the Twitter Rules, and our Hateful Conduct Policy prohibits the promotion of violence against — or threats of attack towards — people on the basis of categories such as religious affiliation, race and ethnic origin.”

“While the majority of cases were correctly actioned, some accounts highlighted recently were mistakes and have now been restored.”

In the statement, Twitter thanked the U.K.-based organizations Campaign Against Antisemitism and Community Security Trust, as well as the Anti-Defamation League, for “bringing this to our attention and for their partnership in tackling antisemitism.”

In a statement to Jewish Insider, Stephen Silverman, Campaign Against Antisemitism’s director of investigations and enforcement, said, “Only one of the accounts locked featured a yellow star, and it very clearly did so as a means of reclaiming the yellow stars used by the Nazis. This is precisely the kind of inept response to antisemitism that we have come to expect from Twitter, which just last week tried to convince us that the viral antisemitic #JewishPrivilege hashtag was legitimate.”

Users reported their accounts were locked by Twitter for depicting the Star of David.

Silverman continued, “We would happily help Twitter, but they largely ignore us when we approach them, which we take as a reflection of their inconsistency in addressing this,” Silverman continued. “It seems that Twitter prefers to go after Jewish users who proudly display their identity but not after antisemitic users who unabashedly promote anti-Jewish vitriol.”

ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt welcomed Twitter’s response, praising the social media platform in a tweet. “Good to see Twitter clarifying the difference between images used to harass and when used to express identity and empathy. The Star of David is an ancient symbol that represents all Jews and our solidarity,” he tweeted.

“Upon learning of the situation, ADL reached out to Twitter and worked with the company to help them get it right. Notable that they moved swiftly to correct this problem,” Greenblatt wrote, adding, “Kudos to Twitter for doing this here and elsewhere recently.”

Basketball Hall of Famer and former Philadelphia 76ers point guard Allen Iverson became the latest celebrity to enter controversy after posting a picture with Minister Louis Farrakhan on Instagram on Tuesday.

Farrakhan, the leader of the Nation of Islam, has long been decried for decades of public antisemitic remarks.

Iverson, who has more than 8 million Instagram followers, posted the photo showing him meeting with Farrakhan on an unknown date, accompanied by the comment “I didn’t choose to be black. I just got lucky!!! #BucketListMoment #LoveConquersHate #GoodDefeatsEvil”

In a post on Wednesday, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) called Farrakhan the “most popular antisemite in America,” citing a speech on July 4 in which he urged his followers to “fight Satan the arch deceiver [and] the imposter Jews who are worthy of the chastisement of God.” The video of his remarks has more than 1.2 million views on YouTube.

Iverson joins a sizable list of celebrities to recently show support for Farrakhan, including rapper Ice Cube, comedian Chelsea Handler — who later recanted — Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson, and actor Nick Cannon.

Iverson played for four teams in his 14-year NBA career, including the 76ers, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, and Memphis Grizzlies. An 11-time all-star and recipient of the 2001 Most Valuable Player award, Iverson is considered one of the greatest players of his era, and was inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame in 2016.

An hour after posting, embattled fellow former NBA player Stephen Jackson, under his Instagram handle “@_stak5_,” commented on the post “Love u bro.” DeSean Jackson also initially liked the photo under his handle “@0ne0fone,” according to a screenshot, but later removed his like without explanation. 

In the blog post, the ADL wrote that despite “messages that espouse hate and division,” Farrakhan “has been given a pass in mainstream society.”

The Anti-Defamation League has tapped longtime FBI official Gregory Ehrie to oversee the group’s relationship with law enforcement.

Ehrie, who joined the ADL as its vice president for law enforcement and analysis on May 18, worked in a number of prominent roles in the FBI during his 22-year service, including as section chief of the Domestic Terrorism Operations Section, special agent in charge of the New York Office Intelligence Division and most recently, special agent in charge of the Newark, New Jersey, office. 

Ehrie’s FBI career frequently brought him in contact with the ADL — he attended several ADL seminars and worked with the organization on law enforcement issues. 

“Moving on from the Bureau, I can’t think of a better organization I’d want to join,” he said in an interview with Jewish Insider. “I think my background in law enforcement and my interactions with them really puts me in a unique position to enhance and forward the ADL mission.”

Ehrie’s role places him in charge of the organization’s efforts to build partnerships between law enforcement and both the ADL and the public at large. “I want to get to know both sides,” he said, “and hopefully [I] can translate the languages so we can better not only protect our communities but have a more respectful relationship.”

Though he hails from Irish ancestors, Ehrie said he has “a great affinity” for the Jewish community, fostered by his work in and with the community over several decades. In 2005 and 2006, he spent a year living on the Ramat Rachel kibbutz in Jerusalem learning Arabic for the FBI. Last year, he led the FBI’s Newark office during the investigation into the December attack on a kosher supermarket in Jersey City, N.J.

Ehrie described his time in Jerusalem as “one of the highlights of my life.” “Beautiful country, wonderful, strong people with a proud history and heritage, facing a lot of challenges throughout their history, even today,” he said. “But I found them to be, you know, some of the most caring people and… so welcoming, so open.”

Ehrie arrives at the ADL at a time when the relationship between the public and law enforcement is under severe stress. More than a week of protests against police brutality around the country have, in many cities, elevated tensions between community members and authorities. 

The relationship between the public and law enforcement “is a marriage without divorce, as we like to call it,” Ehrie said. “So I hope… that I can in some way assist the ADL whose mission is to help these communities… to assist them in making this better and repairing this damage.”