Latest News from Campus

A recent Anti-Defamation League (ADL) survey of 1,000 U.S. adults reveals that while 60% of Americans view antisemitism as a serious problem, approximately 25% believe recent violent attacks on Jewish Americans were “understandable.” The recent violent incidents include the arson attack on Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s house, the deadly shooting of two Israeli embassy workers outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington D.C., and the firebombing attack in Boulder, Colorado. The same percentage also believed that these attacks were staged to gain sympathy for Israel.

Barnard College, an affiliate of Columbia University, settled a lawsuit brought by Jewish students and advocacy groups who said the school failed to address antisemitism on campus. As part of the agreement, Barnard will adopt the IHRA definition of antisemitism, end official engagement with the suspended student group Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD), ban masks at protests, and open a Title VI office to address discrimination and bias complaints based on national origin and ancestry.

The homes of at least four University of Wisconsin (UW) Board of Regents members and one unidentified UW employee were vandalized overnight with anti-Israel messages and fake blood. The UW system has since condemned the act, calling it “dangerous, unlawful, and unacceptable.”

Karen Diamond, an 82-year-old victim of last month’s firebombing attack in Boulder, Colorado of peaceful demonstrators advocating for the release of Israeli hostages, died from her wounds. Marc Soloway of Bonai Shalom congregation in Boulder remembered Diamond as “someone who has given so much of herself over the years to the Bonai community and beyond.” Mohamed Sabry Soliman, the suspect of the attack, will now face two counts of murder.

During their set at the Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, British punk band Bob Vylan led the crowd in chanting “Death to the IDF.” The festival organizers condemned the hate speech and incitement of violence, and the BBC, which livestreamed the performance, later apologized for not canceling the broadcast. U.K. police have launched a criminal investigation, and the U.S. has revoked visas for Bob Vylan.

The University of Florida’s Levin College of Law is reviewing its policies and procedures after a student who had been suspended for past racist and antisemitic comments received a faculty award for a paper arguing that constitutional rights apply only to white citizens. The student, Preston Damsky, had previously called for the “abolition” of Jews. University officials say they are reviewing the award process and reaffirming their commitment to student safety and equity.