The Secure Community Network (SCN), an organization that coordinates security for Jewish communities across the United States, reported on Friday "an alarming uptick in antisemitic incidents concentrated on college campuses" since the events of October 7 and the breakout of war in Gaza.
Since the Hamas attack, SCN has logged 94 incident reports on college campuses, 15% of the 614 incidents it has logged across the country this month. October 2023 is on track to register more antisemitic incidents than any month ever recorded since the group's founding in 2004.
Some of these incidents have received significant attention, such as the events at the Cooper Union in New York City last week, when a protest claiming support for Palestine surrounded the school library and pounded on its glass windows, chanting, while a small group of Jewish students watched from inside.
Other reported incidents were less of a spectacle: at the University of Georgia, one member of a Jewish fraternity was assaulted by someone who told him, "You Israeli, I am going to murder you and all your family." At the University of Cincinnati, a Jewish student wearing a necklace with Hebrew letters was harassed by a group of students who said, "You should throw that necklace in the trash where your people belong."
Adam Lehman, President and CEO of Hillel International, echoed SCN's concern: "Jewish college students across the United States are being threatened," he said, "assaulted, and forced to hide their Jewish identities." SCN's National Director and CEO, Michael Masters, went a step further, declaring that "the rise in incidents on our college campuses exposes the utterly insufficient response by a disturbing number of educational institutions in response to vocal support for foreign terror groups and rank antisemitism."
These specific incidents all arrive against a backdrop of widespread justifications and expressions of support on campuses for the initial Hamas attack on October 7, which marked the breakout of war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. Students for Justice in Palestine, a student organization with chapters across the country, called the attack, which involved the mass killing, rape, and kidnapping of civilians, "a historic win for Palestinian resistance." A 'pro-Palestinian' group at the University of California, Berkley said the attack "stands as a revolutionary moment," and students at New York's Hunter College called on educational institutions to voice support for the 'al-Aqsa Flood,' using Hamas' terminology.
SCN urges Jewish students to be smart, safe, report incidents right away
In a statement Wednesday, SCN urged Jewish students "to remain vigilant, prioritize safety, and steer clear of potentially dangerous situations." The organization noted that any antisemitic incidents should be immediately reported to ReportCampusHate.org, which includes an option to report anonymously.
SCN said that it "commends the efforts of both local and national law enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security in their increased engagement with academic institutions," and said that it "strongly recommends the US Department of Education declare clear consequences for institutions that fail to ensure the safety of their Jewish students under Title VI," the provision in US law that prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin by any institution that receives federal funding.
The organization also requested that the Biden Administration "convene a high-level meeting involving campus administrators, law enforcement, and major stakeholders to discuss these pressing concerns and develop actionable strategies."