Latest News from Campus

This academic year, Hillel International, the Blue Square Alliance Against Hate, and UNCF sponsored 14 Black and Jewish Unity Dinner events across U.S. campuses to spark connection and dialogue between Black, Jewish, and Black and Jewish students. These dinners are building trust and relationships through in-person peer interaction, while countering rising antisemitism and racism. Surveys conducted post-event indicated that over 70% of attendees reported an increased understanding of both communities, while 87% expressed interest in future joint programming.

Hillel at Southern Methodist University and campus leaders are helping Jewish students feel safe and supported following heightened security concerns at the school. In addition to working with campus police to increase patrols and coordination around Jewish student spaces, Hillel has expanded programming and visibility to show students there is a thriving Jewish community for them at the university. “Ever since coming to SMU, I’ve embraced my Jewish identity even more because [Hillel] gave me a place to feel like I’m at home. I really love it,” said second-year student Jaden Simkins.

In response to the October 7th attacks and the increased need for trusted Jewish educators, Hillel International expanded its Israel education training to better equip campus professionals with the skills they need to support Jewish college students. Through initiatives like Masterclass: Israel and Sipurim, educators are learning how to facilitate honest conversations about complex topics. President and CEO Adam Lehman said students are seeking “trusted relationships, authentic conversation and educational communities strong enough to sustain both honesty and belonging.”

Students for Justice in Palestine at the University of Colorado Boulder drew condemnation from CU Boulder and others after they published a statement calling for the release of the perpetrator of the 2025 firebombing attack that killed an 82-year-old woman and injured more than a dozen others. The statement described the violence as “resistance,” prompting strong reaction from the university, state officials, and community members. “[SJP’s] reprehensible rhetoric causes real harm to Jewish students on our campus — students who are still grieving, still healing, and still showing up every day with courage and pride. We are in close contact with CU administrators and are committed to making sure our community feels supported,” CU Boulder Hillel said.

The NYPD arrested an NYU student and charged him with hate crimes and trespassing, among other charges, after authorities linked him to the display of a flag featuring swastikas and a Star of David on the university’s Steinhardt building during graduation festivities. An NYU spokesperson said it will also pursue disciplinary action, which could include expulsion or revocation of the student’s degree.

In a recent article, Hillel professionals reflected on the designation of Honorary Rabbi Ben Frankel Way, recognizing the rabbi who founded the world’s first Hillel at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 1923. The recognition highlights Frankel’s legacy and the growth of Hillel from a campus organization serving a few hundred Jewish students into a global movement that now reaches students on hundreds of campuses worldwide. “It’s a reminder that one person with one little idea can make amazing, huge things happen,” said Rabbi Ben Berger, Hillel International’s senior vice president of Jewish Education, Community, and Culture.