Latest News from Campus

Two Syracuse University students have been charged with a hate crime after allegedly throwing pork into a Jewish fraternity house during the Jewish new year celebration of Rosh Hashanah. The university condemned the act and referred the students for potential disciplinary action. Local authorities emphasized the charges reflect the targeted nature of the incident against Jewish students during a high holiday.

Oberlin College President Carmen Twillie Ambar addressed concerns of antisemitism during Hillel’s annual meeting, emphasizing and outlining the institution’s commitment to supporting Jewish students. Three Jewish students spoke on a panel about what Hillel means to them, highlighting the importance of Hillel on campus.

A federal judge ordered that more than $500 million in grants be reinstated to UCLA, citing lack of sufficient reasoning for the freeze. The federal government previously froze approximately $584 million in federal research funding to UCLA over accusations of antisemitism during the Gaza war protests on campus.

Michigan State University’s student government passed a bill calling for the cancellation of a campus event featuring an Israeli actor. MSU Hillel’s Executive Director criticized the bill as discriminatory against Israelis and Jews,  calling the measure an attempt to silence Israeli and Jewish voices.

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.

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.