The portrayal of Israel as a colonizer and oppressor in K-12 and college classrooms is contributing to the rise of antisemitism. Recent polls highlight a concerning decline in sympathy among American youth toward Israel. Even Ivy League school presidents, when questioned by Congress, have hesitated to classify calls for the genocide of Jews as “harassment.” In this critical moment, informed action is crucial.
Join us for an educational and interactive evening with experts from the CAMERA Education Institute includng:
Andrea Levin: Executive Director, CAMERA
Steven Stotsky: Director, CAMERA Education Institute
Hali Spiegel: Campus Director, CAMERA
David Litman: Senior Analyst, CAMERA
Ricki Hollander: Senior Analyst, CAMERA
Rebecca Schgallis: Senior Education Consultant, CAMERA Education Institute
Together, let’s explore strategies to counter these troubling trends.
By Melissa Garlick, Senior Director of Combating Antisemitism and Building Civic Engagement at Combined Jewish Philanthropies
As we prepare to welcome 2024, it’s difficult to reflect on the last 12 months in the context of our work to combat antisemitism and anti-Zionism. We experienced the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, a surge of antisemitism and anti-Zionism, and the realities of a society that didn’t adequately understand and respond to our trauma. But in 2023, we also laid the important foundational work to create longstanding and meaningful impact against antisemitism in Greater Boston. In 2023, and with the partnership of organizations and community stakeholders, CJP:
Lifted up the stories of those who experienced antisemitism and stood with allies to call attention to the impacts of antisemitism.
Launched CJP’s Face Jewish Hate campaign as a public-facing awareness, education, and mobilization campaign to fight back against antisemitism at the local Greater Boston level. Local dignitaries, community allies, and notable members of the Jewish community attended the campaign launch in May, including Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey; Boston Mayor Michelle Wu; Cardinal Seán Patrick O’Malley of the Archdiocese of Boston; Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell; Massachusetts State Treasurer and Receiver General Deborah Goldberg; and chairman and CEO of the Kraft Group and founder of the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism Robert Kraft.
Created a digital resource hub for our community with resources and toolkits to combat antisemitism on FaceJewishHate.org.
Moved forward important conversations between Black and Jewish civic leaders in Boston around allyship.
Invested in innovative partnerships and training with Project Shema to bring tools to the community on how to talk about antisemitism and anti-Zionism with diverse stakeholders.
Convened organizational partners on antisemitism in the wake of the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel to coordinate resources and workshop needs.
As we enter 2024, CJP is growing this work. We are expanding the staffing of this initiative while we lean into a new strategy to build deeper relationships with civic leaders across Greater Boston, including corporations and businesses. Although the problem of antisemitism can easily feel overwhelming and daunting to tackle, we’re laying the groundwork for long-term impact. Together, we’re ensuring that the Greater Boston Jewish community is coordinated and strong in our response heading into this new year and into our future.
The Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston is expanding its work in the K-12 education space to strengthen partnerships with school districts and engage with parents and guardians. Sign up to receive future emails from the JCRC about programs and resources specifically geared toward families of K-12 students.
By Marc Baker, President and CEO of Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston
Thank you to the White House for clearly condemning the three university presidents after the congressional hearing on antisemitism earlier this week:
“It’s unbelievable that this needs to be said: calls for genocide are monstrous and antithetical to everything we represent as a country. Any statements that advocate for the systematic murder of Jews are dangerous and revolting — and we should all stand firmly against them, on the side of human dignity and the most basic values that unite us as Americans.”
To recap, three leaders of prestigious universities were unable or unwilling to answer a question about whether calling for genocide against all Jews constitutes bullying and harassment with a simple “yes.” Whatever the reasons for their equivocation, and while some are already trying to explain and walk back their testimonies, the hedging and contextualizing when asked this question felt like a frightening turning point for the American Jewish experience and for higher education.
These presidents are educating the future leaders of America and the world, and they are responsible for the safety and well-being of Jewish students on their campuses. Yet, they could not find the words to unequivocally condemn even the most egregious and extreme example of Jew hatred.
What does this say about the Jewish community’s place in these universities and in American society more broadly? What does it say about the academic, moral, and cultural brokenness of higher education?
I believe this is a moment of reckoning. Let’s hope that if we stay engaged and push these schools to change for the better, this will be the beginning of reformation and repair that is likely going to take decades.
American college campuses are increasingly hostile places for Jewish students. In the wake of the attacks by Hamas on Israel, we are seeing a surge of harassment, vandalism, and violence against Jewish people across the country. In Greater Boston, the increase in antisemitic and anti-Zionist incidents has been deeply alarming, particularly as it has impacted our Jewish students on college campuses.
All forms of antisemitism on campus are unacceptable. CJP will work tirelessly to combat it—and we need your help.
Take action
Urge the U.S. Department of Education to make colleges safe from antisemitism. The Senate Resolution Condemning Antisemitism on Campuses passed, but we still need your help to make colleges and universities safer from antisemitism.
Not On My Campus provides an actionable path toward No Tolerance, and empowers students, parents, alumni and other stakeholders to come together to call for change. https://notoleranceforantisemitism.adl.org/
CJP’s 5 Point Plan to Fight Antisemitism
Read more about our 5-point plan to fight antisemitism, focusing on strategies to increase public awareness, community engagement, allyship, education, and communal security.
We are seeing a disturbing rise in antisemitism across our school campuses in Massachusetts. These are only a few recent examples of how these events have impacted Jewish students on campuses across the commonwealth.
Recent antisemitic incidents on Massachusetts college campuses
Report Campus Hate. This organization was created by Hillel International, the Anti-Defamation League and the Secure Community Network to empower Jewish students to address growing antisemitism on college campuses. Any incident reported through the website or phone is reviewed by a trained security professional who will work with law enforcement and the campus Hillel to file a report with the university, ensuring the proper tracking of antisemitic crimes. Additionally, students can be connected to wellness services, as well as tools and resources to help improve campus climates.
Reach out to CALL, the Campus Antisemitism Legal Line. It is staffed by a team of volunteer lawyers and overseen by Hillel International, the Anti-Defamation League, the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP. Students, parents, faculty members and staff can report an incident online or by texting “CALLhelp” to 51555.
Visit the AMCHA Initiative, a nonprofit organization dedicated to investigating, documenting, educating about and combating antisemitism at institutions of higher education in America. Its comprehensive database of antisemitic activity on U.S. college and university campuses is available here.
Keep visiting the College Students resources page on FaceJewishHate.org for new tools and action steps on how you can address this surge of harassment, vandalism and violence against Jewish students.
Our community has grown increasingly anxious about rising antisemitism. We are urging schools and universities to respond and enforce zero tolerance for acts of antisemitism and Islamophobia or other forms of hate, while also reminding them that they have a responsibility to create safe environments.
We have heard from our community that many of these institutions are failing us in this moment. In this JCRC Speaker Series, Dr. Rachel Fish speaks about how to respond to questions about Israel: How do we discuss the situation with others? How do we handle these conversations effectively both in person and on social media with a goal of engaging others in conversations?
For educators in the Massachusetts public school system, there are resources available for helping students understand the current situation between Israel and the Gaza Strip following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks and Israeli response. These resources range from a toolkit on antisemitism to tips on how to talk to teens about a challenging subject.
Rich Tenorio covers antisemitism news for JewishBoston.com. His work has appeared in international, national, regional and local media outlets. He is a graduate of Harvard College and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. He is also a cartoonist. Email him at richt@cjp.org.
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