Latest News from Campus

The University of Michigan issued an apology after Faculty Senate Chair Derek Peterson praised anti-Israel student activists during a commencement speech. The university said the remarks were “hurtful and insensitive” and deviated from pre-approved comments. University President Domenico Grasso said the speech did not reflect the institution’s position and apologized for the harm caused to members of the community.

The New School administration has struck down a student government vote that sought to defund its Hillel and sever ties with Hillel International. Adam Lehman, president and CEO of Hillel International, said that “University leaders across the country have consistently affirmed Hillel’s critical role in supporting Jewish students and adding value to the overall campus community … Jewish life on campus through Hillel is not up for debate. We will continue to ensure every student has a place where they can belong and fully express their Jewish identities.”

Swarthmore College reported hundreds of acts of vandalism across campus after a group of activists allegedly spray-painted anti-Israel slogans and symbols on buildings, trees, and walkways. College President Val Smith said the damage could take days to remove, and stated that any students involved would face disciplinary action.

Touro University announced a new institute focused on combating antisemitism in higher education through research, trainings and other convenings, and policy initiatives. Their multi-pronged approach will include work with professors at universities nationwide, as well as leaders across academia, policy, law, media, and business to develop new strategies, study existing laws, and investigate the impact of antisemitism so discourse is grounded in evidence. “We believe that lasting change requires working on multiple fronts simultaneously, because antisemitism is not a single problem with a single solution,” said Touro University President Dr. Alan Kadish.

A federal judge granted the University of Pennsylvania’s request to temporarily halt enforcement of an earlier ruling that required the school to comply with an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission subpoena tied to a federal antisemitism investigation. The subpoena sought detailed information about Jewish students and faculty on campus as part of the probe. The decision pauses the requirement while appeals proceed, extending a legal dispute over privacy, discrimination investigations, and federal authority.

In a new op-ed, Hillel International Senior Vice President for Campus Solutions Jon Falk argues that, two years after the explosion of encampments on university campuses, antisemitism has persisted – often migrating online even as some campuses are less visibly chaotic. “What has emerged over the past two years is more diffuse, more ideologically embedded, and in some ways harder to confront than a tent city on the quad,” he writes. Falk calls for universities to embrace a comprehensive institutional response that goes beyond enforcing rules and improving security to protect Jewish students and help them flourish with joy, confidence, and belonging.