Ohio State University (OSU) Hillel is marking its 100th year as a welcoming hub for Jewish students at the university. The Hillel building has become more than just a place for services and has turned into an essential “third space” where students can gather on campus. Nathaniel Grossman, Director of External Affairs at OSU Hillel, noted that the building is always hosting students throughout the day, providing a variety of events and programming.
Northwestern University blocked nearly 300 students from registering for fall classes after they refused to complete a mandatory antisemitism training module. The students criticized the training, labeling it as “offensive,” “unscholarly,” and containing “inaccurate historical information” that allegedly favored Israel. The university emphasized that while students are not required to agree with the content of the modules, which also includes a session focused on anti-Arab hate, they must “attest that they will abide by the Student Code of Conduct.”
The Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) chapter at the University of Maryland will put up a student government resolution calling for the university to boycott Israel, moving the vote from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur, when many Jewish students will be unable to attend. The resolution urges the university to cut all ties with groups that support Israel, including academic partnerships and the boycott of goods and services. A university spokeswoman stressed that the vote will have no bearing on official university policy or practice.
San Diego universities are seeing record levels of Jewish student involvement in Hillel this year. At the University of California San Diego alone, nearly 600 students participated in Hillel events during the first week of classes. Karen Parry, CEO of Hillel of San Diego, credits the “strength, resilience, and fortitude” of Jewish students for sparking this shift.
A swastika was found outside of a Jewish student’s dorm room at Dartmouth College — marking the second such incident at the school in less than two weeks. In this case, the symbol was printed on a laminated sign hanging outside the student’s room. Dartmouth College President Sian Leah Beilock condemned the act, saying the college is fully supporting a local police investigation. “These acts of harassment and intimidation are in direct opposition to our policies and values,” she said.
The U.S. government launched a federal investigation into allegations of antisemitism across all 22 campuses of the California State University (CSU) System. CSU released a statement confirming the investigation and pledging its full cooperation with the federal government. The university system also condemned antisemitism, emphasizing its commitment to “fostering an inclusive, respectful, and supportive” environment for all students and faculty.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.