Latest News from Campus

A federal judge in Chicago allowed Northwestern University to block enrollment for students who declined to complete a required antisemitism training video. The training, produced by the Jewish United Fund of Chicago, did not require students to agree with its contents, but 16 students currently have a freeze on their enrollment  for refusing to watch it. The decision came in response to a lawsuit claiming the training discriminated against Palestinian and Arab students, which the judge rejected, finding no evidence of discriminatory intent by the university.

Masked protesters disrupted an October 7th memorial event at Pomona College, entering a closed lecture hall room through an emergency exit and shouting “Zionists not welcome.”. Pomona College President Gabrielle Starr and Vice President Avis Hinkson said the college is investigating the incident. Claremont Hillel added that it is working with the Pomona administration to prevent such incidents and ensure that Hillel events remain “a safe and welcoming space for Jewish life on campus.”

Cody Balmer pleaded guilty to attempted murder, terrorism, and arson after firebombing the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion. The attack occurred in April 2025, during the holiday of Passover, while Governor Josh Shapiro and his family were in residence. As part of a plea deal, supported by Shapiro, Balmer was sentenced to 25 to 50 years in prison.

A memorial in honor of the Israeli hostages in Gaza on the two-year anniversary of October 7th was vandalized multiple times at Lewis & Clark College in Oregon. The display was ripped from the ground and defaced by unidentified individuals. Jewish students were also verbally harassed and threatened during the memorial. The Dean of Students released a statement condemning the incidents.

The National Education Association (NEA), the largest teachers union in the U.S., sent an email to all three million members that labeled the state of Israel as “Palestine.” The map was included with links that reportedly justified or defended the October 7th attacks. Following backlash to the email, the NEA removed some of the content from its website, admitting it did not meet their standards, but did not remove the map.

Over 1,000 anti-Israel activists in the UK protested the Israel-Hamas war on October 7th on more than a dozen UK campuses. Jewish students on those campuses reported widespread harassment, including being shouted at, which left many fearful of attending classes. The protests featured rhetoric used by Hamas, including the “beloved resistance” and “glorious Al-Aqsa flood.” In response, British Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson urged university leaders to protect Jewish students.