CUFI On Campus

Columbia first announced plans to build a global center in Tel Aviv in April 2023. The University said at the time that it aimed to “build on its existing collaborations in Israel and facilitate further engagement and partnerships” with the creation of the center in Tel Aviv, but the plan was slowed following Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and the ensuing war in Gaza. The project has since become a controversial undertaking for the University, with student groups and faculty members criticizing the center as the pro-Palestinian movement grew on campus.

The Department of Education’s Civil Rights Office is investigating San Jose State University and San Francisco State University due to allegations that the colleges have allowed or perpetuated antisemitism against students on campus. The department is seeking to determine if the schools have violated Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

The agency stated, “OCR received complaints that Jewish students were subjected to hostile environments on the campuses of both universities. SJSU students have allegedly been threatened, shunned, and made to feel unwelcome in classrooms because of their Jewish ancestry.”

There have been at least 250 antisemitic and anti-Israel incidents in New York City public schools since the Oct. 7, 2023, terror attacks on Israel sparked the Gaza war, according to a Jewish educators’ group.

The deeply disturbing number comes as the city experiences a troubling rise in overall hate crimes citywide this year — with more than half of the incidents deemed antisemitic, show the latest NYPD data.

It’s back to school time and many Jewish families are worried about much more than just shopping for new shoes and school supplies. They are concerned that their children may not be safe because they are Jewish.

Alongside math and reading, school is where children learn where they fit into society and whether the surrounding adults will protect them, but the recent rise in antisemitic threats and violence is putting all of that in jeopardy.

According to the New York Police Department, antisemitic hate crimes increased by 8.5% in New York City in the first seven months of 2026. The majority of hate crimes in the city were anti-Jewish, despite Jewish New Yorkers being only a tenth of the population.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), who has often accused Israel of “genocide,” appears to think that antisemitic podcaster Hasan Piker should get a chance to speak at the University of Washington, after the public university canceled an event with him scheduled for January.

“Hillel at the New School is ineligible for funding from or collaboration with the [student senate] in any capacity,” the announcement said, accusing the Jewish club of “extensive ties to violations of international law.”

The vote — rejected by the university administration — marked the first time a US university’s student government had cut off its Hillel, long seen as the main address for Jewish life on most American campuses.

Jewish advocacy group and antisemitism tracker the Anti-Defamation League launched a new initiative Wednesday aimed at helping university students, faculty and staff combat antisemitism on their campuses.

The initiative includes two reports tracking “less visible” forms of antisemitism at universities, a confidential reporting mechanism for those encountering antisemitism on their campuses and guidance for how to respond.

An investigation is underway after members of a UC San Diego Jewish fraternity found antisemitic graffiti spray-painted on the walls of their home in University City over the weekend, San Diego police said.

The graffiti, which investigators are treating as a suspected hate crime and vandalism, occurred some time between Friday and Saturday night, police said. The vandal entered the home and defaced interior and exterior walls of the students’ residence.

In a statement sent to the campus’ students and staff, UCSD Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla said university administration was aware of the incident and that they would be supporting impacted students through psychological services and assistance programs.

“To have a residence vandalized with swastikas and other discriminatory language is abhorrent and unacceptable,” Khosla said in the statement. “We condemn this vile act, and will not accept hate or antisemitism toward anyone in our community.”

The University of Haifa has announced that it has received a $10 million donation for American businessman and philanthropist Lorry Lokey for the construction of a new campus located in the city’s downtown and port area.
Lokey, 91, the founder of Business Wire, said he was inspired by the university’s “multiversity” model, which consists of placing campuses in locations around Haifa and northern Israel, making it easier for students to access the school.

“University of Haifa is pioneering an important new paradigm for institutions of higher learning through its multiversity, and is infusing new energy into the city, region and entire country,” said Lokey. “While my relationship to the university is relatively new, this gift is an affirmation of its mission to improve access to education and bring more jobs, stability and security to northern Israel by establishing a downtown campus. I invite others to join me in transforming what is becoming one of Israel’s most important universities.”

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