Path to No Tolerance

In the wake of Hamas’s mass atrocities against Israeli civilians on October 7th, we have watched in horror as antisemitism has spiraled out of control in higher education. In the first three months since the attack, ADL recorded 500 antisemitic incidents on college and university campuses alone.  By way of comparison, during the same period the previous year, ADL recorded only 42 such incidents on campus.  Jewish and Israeli students have been harassed, threatened, spat on, and physically assaulted. They have also seen their classmates glorifying Hamas’ terrorism as a legitimate form of “resistance” and using chants and slogans calling for the destruction of the State of Israel. According to ADL research and data, antisemitism and the vilification of Zionism have been allowed to simmer on campus for years, and now these incidents are approaching a boiling point, leaving some students afraid to express their Jewish identity in public. This is simply unacceptable. 

As the U.S. Department of Education has made clear in this moment of crisis, colleges and universities that receive federal funding have an obligation under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to protect Jewish and Israeli students against antisemitic harassment and discrimination when it is based on their shared ancestry and/or ethnic characteristics. But, it shouldn’t take the threat of an Office for Civil Rights Title VI investigation for schools to do the right thing. ADL is urging all colleges and universities to urgently take the following steps, consistent with the U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism and ADL’s Not On My Campus Campaign, to help address the hostile environments that are increasingly taking hold on campuses across the country.

1. Speak Up Forcefully in Condemnation of Antisemitism

The U.S. National Strategy calls upon colleges to “issue clear and unwavering statements condemning all forms of hate, including antisemitism, especially in the wake of antisemitic incidents” and to “treat antisemitism with the same seriousness as other forms of hate.” In some cases, speaking up may be required to meet Title VI obligations. We urge college and university leaders to embrace and use the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism and to clearly and unequivocally speak out to condemn acts of antisemitism when they occur on campus. We also urge school leaders to reject and distance themselves from the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement and from harmful and often antisemitic academic efforts to “delink” the study of Zionism from Jewish Studies.

2. Rigorously Enforce Student & Faculty Disciplinary Rules and Non-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment Policies & Ensure Transparency Regarding Outcomes

At a time when we are seeing harassment, intimidation, threats of violence, and physical assaults on college campuses, as well as disruptive protests that are violating university policies and interfering with students’ exams, coursework and access to campus facilities, there must be consequences. Schools should make clear that non-discrimination and anti-harassment policies, student codes of conduct, residential life policies, and faculty codes of conduct will be strictly enforced, and disciplinary measures taken in appropriate cases, up to and including suspension and expulsion. If campus policies do not sufficiently address antisemitic harassment on campus, including anti-Zionist harassment or discrimination based on their shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics, they should be updated accordingly.  Schools should publicly and proactively support students in understanding their legal protections and commit to transparency regarding outcomes of complaints.

3. Investigate Anti-Israel and Anti-Zionist Student Groups Glorifying Terrorism

Schools should also investigate whether anti-Israel and anti-Zionist student groups on campus that are openly glorifying and supporting terrorism or calling for eliminationist or violent actions, including but not limited to Students for Justice in Palestine, may be violating student codes of conduct or other applicable policies or laws. Where warranted, universities should take action to revoke official recognition and funding of such groups, making clear that university logos, facilities and other resources will not be used to further these activities.

4. Create a Task Force or Advisory Group Focused on Campus Antisemitism

If your campus does not have one already, create a Task Force or Advisory Group to review, address, and improve Jewish life on campus. This Task Force or Advisory Group should be composed of Jewish student leaders, faculty, staff, and other concerned stakeholders, including but not limited to representatives from  Hillel and Chabad.

5. Update Security Protocols & Enforce Time, Place, and Manner Restrictions

Schools must review and update security protocols on campus to ensure that there is adequate staffing during student protests, and that criminal acts of harassment, vandalism, and assault are immediately investigated and time, place and manner restrictions are enforced. In the wake of October 7th, and concerns regarding student safety, University of California, Berkeley announced that campus leadership, in partnership with campus law enforcement, “has ramped up security in response to tensions on campus. In addition to maintaining a strong presence of uniformed and plainclothes UCPD officers at campus rallies and protests, the campus has hired private security for these events, and staff from the Division of Student Affairs regularly attend and monitor all rallies.”

6. Conduct Trainings & Incorporate Antisemitism Awareness in DEI

Antisemitism awareness education should be incorporated as a component of new student orientation and/or any diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programming, and all trainings regarding discrimination and harassment for faculty, staff, and students. Colleges and universities should use the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism to guide and inform this work. The University of Pennsylvania, for example, has committed to using the IHRA Definition in its education programming, and other schools must do the same. Colleges and universities should also survey students to better understand antisemitism on campus.