The University of Massachusetts Amherst placed a planned academic conference under review after learning that the Coalition of Women in German (WiG), a literature association, had adopted a policy blocking scholars who receive funding from Israeli institutions. The university found that the conference violated its non‑discrimination rules and required WiG to suspend the policy.
Over 150 people gathered at Penn Hillel to hear Hagit and Ruby Chen, the parents of Itay Chen whose body remains in Hamas captivity, speak about their son’s capture during the October 7th attacks and their ongoing work on behalf of the remaining hostages. Penn Hillel, Chabad at Penn, and the Penn Israel Public Affairs Committee sponsored the event, and attendees received purple bracelets with Itay’s name as a symbol of solidarity.
The Toronto International Film Festival briefly removed The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue, a documentary about Noam Tibon’s mission to save his family during the Oct. 7th Hamas attacks. After public pressure, the festival reinstated the film, which then won the People’s Choice Award for documentaries.
The IDF began a ground operation in Gaza City on Tuesday, according to Israeli government officials. This follows intensified airstrikes over the last several days, with the stated goal of targeting and destroying Hamas infrastructure, and seeking to force an end to the Gaza war.
Hillel of Broward and Palm Beach and Florida Atlantic University’s (FAU) Catholic Owls group held a collaborative dinner to encourage meaningful conversations between Jewish and Catholic students at FAU about faith, culture, and community. The organizations paired games like trivia about Catholic and Jewish traditions with guided discussion, and provided a kosher taco bar for dinner.
During a virtual lecture given by an Israeli professor at Queens College, a handful of attendees reportedly shouted antisemitic expressions including “kill all the Jews” and “go back to Auschwitz,” and displayed disturbing images on their screens. The professor and moderator restored order, removed the disruptors, and continued the lecture. Queens College denounced the incident in a public statement.
The University of Oregon announced that its recent round of layoffs to address a $29 million deficit will not eliminate any tenured or tenure‐track faculty, nor will it cut degree programs, including Judaic Studies and Holocaust Studies, despite earlier concerns from faculty.
Jewish college students are increasingly choosing universities in the South and Southwest, citing concerns about antisemitism and campus climate, among other reasons. In an article for The Atlantic, reporter Rose Horowitch writes that data gathered by Hillel International indicates a 3–5% decline in Jewish undergraduate enrollment at schools like Harvard, Columbia, and Penn from 2023 to 2025. In contrast, universities such as Vanderbilt, Emory, and Tulane have seen significant growth in Jewish student populations, with some institutions doubling their Jewish enrollment during the same period.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed deep regret over an Israeli airstrike on Nasser Hospital in the city of Khan Younis in Southern Gaza, which killed 20 people. The Israeli military stated that the strike was an accident, and was intended to target a Hamas camera, but further investigations are underway to assess the approval process and munitions used.
The U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce initiated investigations into the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and the University of Illinois. The committee is examining allegations of antisemitic incidents and the institutions’ responses to them.
George Washington University (GW) has suspended its chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace, citing violations of university policies during campus protests that followed the October 7th Hamas attack on Israel. Additionally, six other student organizations have been placed on probation. Suspended groups will not receive official recognition, funding, or institutional support this semester, and those on probation must seek permission for on-campus events in the spring.
The United States Postal Service issued a new stamp honoring Elie Wiesel, the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Holocaust survivor and humanitarian. Wiesel, who died in 2016 at age 87, is the 18th individual to be recognized in the USPS Distinguished Americans series. The stamp features a portrait of Wiesel and reflects his enduring legacy in promoting human rights and combating hate and antisemitism.