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Edited by: Fern Sidman
Columbia University, one of the most prestigious institutions in the United States, has found itself at the center of a growing controversy over anti-Semitism on campus. Jewish students, who make up a significant portion of the university’s population, have reported a disturbing rise in threats, harassment, and exclusion over the past school year. Despite their pleas for help, many faculty members reportedly refused to believe their complaints or take action to stop the problem. According to a recently published report in The Wall Street Journal , this alarming situation has been highlighted in a new report released by a task force of faculty members established to address the escalating issue of anti-Semitism on campus.
The task force’s report paints a grim picture of the environment faced by Jewish students at Columbia University. Throughout the past academic year, these students experienced a range of hostile behaviors, including physical threats, verbal attacks, social exclusion, and targeted harassment. As was reported by the WSJ, the atmosphere of intimidation has been so pervasive that many Jewish students felt unsafe and unwelcome on their own campus. Despite these experiences, their complaints were often met with skepticism or outright dismissal by faculty members, further exacerbating the sense of alienation and fear.
The report highlights the university’s failure to address the problem adequately, pointing to a widespread lack of responsiveness among faculty and administration. The report in the WSJ indicated that this neglect has not only allowed the situation to persist but has also contributed to a growing sense of isolation among Jewish students, who feel abandoned by the very institution that is supposed to protect them.
The task force, co-chaired by Ester Fuchs, a professor of international and public affairs and political science, conducted interviews with nearly 500 students across 20 meetings. The WSJ reported that what they uncovered was a campus climate where anti-Semitism was not just an isolated issue but a pervasive problem affecting Jewish students in almost every aspect of their university life.
One particularly troubling case involved a student who placed a mezuzah on her dorm room doorway, a common practice in accordance with Jewish law. According to the information provided in the WSJ report, beginning in October, this student became the target of harassment, with individuals banging on her door at night and demanding that she explain Israel’s actions. The harassment became so severe that she was eventually forced to move out of her dormitory, seeking refuge from the relentless intimidation.
Other Jewish students reported even more harrowing experiences. While walking on or near campus, some were followed, stripped of their necklaces, and pinned against walls. These acts of aggression were not confined to political settings but extended into nonpolitical social and athletic clubs. As was noted in the WSJ report, Jewish students were ostracized and even expelled from these clubs after leaders signed petitions condemning Israel’s actions in Gaza, signaling a disturbing conflation of individual identity with national politics.
The task force’s findings highlight not only the experiences of the Jewish students but also the institutional failures that allowed these incidents to continue unabated. According to Ester Fuchs, the students were not only “frustrated, sad, angry, and disappointed” by their experiences but also by what these experiences revealed: “a lot of broken systems in the university.”
In the classroom, Jewish students faced threats, ridicule, and exclusion, leading many to avoid certain majors and teachers altogether. The report in the WSJ revealed that at the School of Public Health, a faculty member made anti-Semitic remarks, referring to Jewish Columbia donors as “wealthy white capitalists” who “laundered” money at the university. Such statements reflect deep-seated prejudices that contribute to an unsafe and hostile learning environment.
The report also documented instances where faculty members targeted Israeli students. The WSJ report pointed out that one Israeli veteran was told she had served in an “army of murderers,” while another faculty member suggested that Israeli military veterans should not be allowed to study on campus. Given that military service is mandatory for most Israelis, these comments not only vilify individuals based on their national service but also undermine the principle of academic inclusivity.
The atmosphere of hostility intensified in April when pro-Hamas supporters established an encampment on campus. Jewish students reported that the antagonism they faced grew even worse during this period. The report added that protesters were heard shouting “October 7th is going to be every day for you,” a chilling reference to the massacre of approximately 1,200 people by Iranian-backed Hamas terrorists on that date the previous fall.
The psychological toll on Jewish students was immense. As one student recounted to the task force, the people they had once considered friends—classmates, club members, and social acquaintances—turned on them with shocking ferocity. “People that you sat in class with, you had drinks with, you had lunch and dinner with, the next day they say they hope your entire family dies,” the student shared with the WSJ. The sense of betrayal and fear was palpable, with the student summing up the experience in one word: “heartbreaking.”
In response to the rising tide of anti-Semitism, the task force has proposed a new definition of anti-Semitism that could have far-reaching implications for the campus community. This definition expands the traditional understanding of anti-Semitism to include the celebration of violence against Jews or Israelis and discrimination against individuals based on their ties to Israel. As was suggested in the WSJ report, by adopting this broader definition, Columbia University could create new avenues for holding individuals accountable for anti-Semitic behavior, including pro-Hamas protesters who engage in actions that cross the line into hate speech or violence.
The task force’s recommendation to adopt this new definition is a bold move that seeks to protect Jewish students while defending the principle of viewpoint diversity on campus. It is a recognition that anti-Semitism can take many forms and that the university must be vigilant in identifying and combating all of them.
In addition to redefining anti-Semitism, the task force has made several other recommendations aimed at addressing the root causes of the problem and preventing its recurrence. One of the key proposals is the implementation of bias training for faculty, staff, and students. As per the information provided in the WSJ report, this training would be designed to help the campus community recognize and respond to anti-Semitism more effectively, ensuring that such behavior is not tolerated or dismissed.
The report also calls for a renewed commitment to protecting Jewish students and fostering an inclusive environment where all students can feel safe and respected, regardless of their religious or cultural background. This includes strengthening codes of conduct to explicitly prohibit anti-Semitic behavior and ensure that those who engage in such conduct face appropriate disciplinary action.
