Five national Jewish organizations have released a list of recommendations for college and university leaders about how to prevent possible antisemitism and prepare for student protests over the Israel-Hamas war ahead of the fall semester.
The recommendations, announced Wednesday, are from the Anti-Defamation League, Hillel International, the American Jewish Committee, the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations and Jewish Federations of North America.
Guidelines from the group include clearly communicating policies on campus protests and ensuring they’re enforced, providing antisemitism education and training, and maintaining a clear system for reporting antisemitic incidents. The organizations also asked that campus leaders reject boycotts of Israeli products or academic partnerships and ensure faculty members create a “non-discriminatory learning environment.” They called on campuses to prepare for heightened tensions on Oct. 7 in particular, the anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel.
Adam Lehman, Hillel International president and CEO, said in a press release that the goal is to provide “college and university leaders with clear guidance and practical solutions for the steps they need to take to ensure a safer and more welcoming environment for Jewish students.”
The release highlighted a survey of 3,084 college students, 527 of them Jewish, by the ADL and Hillel International that found 73 percent of Jewish students and 44 percent of non-Jewish students experienced or witnessed antisemitism on their campuses last fall. It also included an AJC survey of 1,528 Jewish people that found a fourth of Jewish students reported feeling unsafe at a campus event because of their Jewish identity.
“The unprecedented surge in antisemitism on college campuses last year was utterly unacceptable, and yet far too many administrations failed to respond effectively,” said Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL CEO and national director, said in the release. “We insist that all college and university leaders take significant steps to make Jewish students safer.”
