By: Fern Sidman

Columbia University is once again at the center of a storm over antisemitism allegations, this time facing a blistering federal lawsuit filed by twin brothers David and Jonathan Lederer, who accuse the Ivy League institution of fostering a “systemic, institutional tolerance for Jew-hatred.”

As The New York Post reported on Saturday, the 23-year-old Long Island natives and current Columbia seniors allege that the school’s trustees, administrators, and faculty members have failed to protect Jewish students from harassment and violence in the wake of the October 7, 2023 Hamas massacre in Israel — and, in some cases, have even encouraged or excused antisemitic behavior.

The Lederer twins’ 45-page federal complaint, filed in Manhattan court, outlines an environment they describe as “hostile, dangerous, and unrecognizable,” where Jewish students have been mocked by professors, assaulted by protesters, and ostracized by peers for expressing support for Israel or simply for being Jewish.

According to the information provided in The New York Post report, the Lederers’ lawsuit accuses Columbia’s administration of “acting with deliberate indifference” toward antisemitic incidents that have surged since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. The brothers claim that the university’s leadership has done little more than issue platitudes while allowing faculty and student groups to spread antisemitic propaganda under the guise of “free speech.”

“Jewish students at Columbia are subjected to an institutional tolerance for antisemitism that manifests across campus — in classrooms, on the lawns, and in student organizations,” the complaint reads.

David Lederer, a financial engineering major, told The New York Post about a classroom exchange that crystallized the atmosphere of hostility. “Just this week, a student brought up the war between Israel and Gaza, and the professor goes, ‘Poor choice of words,’” he recalled. “And the kid said, ‘What? Genocide?’ And the professor goes, ‘Better.’”

This flippant exchange, he said, encapsulated a broader culture in which professors normalize the dehumanization of Jewish students and Israel itself.

The twins recount numerous encounters with what they call “radicalized student mobs” who have doxxed them online, followed them across campus, and hurled antisemitic slurs such as “kike,” “Zionist pig,” and “baby killer.”

The campaign of intimidation reached a breaking point in December 2024, when Jonathan Lederer, a computer science student, was punched in the face by a pro-Palestinian activist named Tarek Bazrouk, according to The New York Post report. The attack occurred near Columbia’s main gates on 116th Street and Broadway as the brothers were speaking to a journalist.

“Bazrouk ripped an Israeli flag out of David’s hand and called us Nazis,” Jonathan said. The lawsuit notes that Bazrouk — an affiliate of the extremist group Within Our Lifetime, a Palestinian-led organization known for its incendiary protests — was arrested and charged with a hate crime.

The FBI reportedly discovered antisemitic text messages and weapons in Bazrouk’s apartment, as well as evidence that he had participated in a group chat receiving “regular updates from the official spokesperson of Hamas’ military wing,” according to details cited in The New York Post report.

This week, Bazrouk was sentenced to 17 months in prison for the assault — a small measure of justice for the Lederers, who say the university did nothing to protect them or condemn the violence.

The brothers’ lawsuit names Columbia University, its board of trustees, and senior administrators as defendants, arguing that the school’s policies — and its personnel — have contributed to a hostile climate for Jews.

They specifically cite Professor Mahmood Mamdani, a senior faculty member in Columbia’s anthropology department and the father of Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic socialist state assemblyman and current New York City mayoral candidate, as one of several professors who allegedly blocked Jewish students from campus property during anti-Israel demonstrations.

“None of those faculty members were punished,” Jonathan told The New York Post. “They remain in positions of power. Structural antisemitism is still there. The same culture exists.”

The lawsuit alleges that Columbia’s Student Conduct office discriminates against Jewish students by disproportionately disciplining them while showing leniency toward anti-Israel agitators. “While Columbia routinely creates safe spaces for, educates against hate toward, and promotes inclusion of other minority groups, it routinely tolerates harassment, intimidation, and discrimination toward Jewish students,” the suit states.

The Lederer lawsuit comes just months after the Trump administration revoked $400 million in federal grants to Columbia, accusing the university of violating civil rights law by failing to protect Jewish students from antisemitic harassment.

In March, as The New York Post reported, the administration said Columbia had “acted with deliberate indifference toward student-on-student harassment” and warned that further federal funding could be withheld unless the school demonstrated meaningful compliance with anti-discrimination laws.

The sanctions marked a rare but dramatic escalation in the federal government’s efforts to hold elite universities accountable for campus antisemitism — a problem that has exploded nationwide since the Hamas atrocities of October 7, 2023.

At Columbia, where encampments and anti-Israel protests have disrupted normal campus life for months, Jewish students say they have been targeted for intimidation and violence while administrators look the other way.

In April 2024, Rabbi Elie Buechler, a campus spiritual leader, urged Jewish students to leave Columbia temporarily for their own safety. The Lederers were among those who did.

“When the rabbi tells you the campus is unsafe for Jews, it’s not something you take lightly,” David said. “But we came back. We weren’t going to leave because if we did, there would be no one talking on our behalf, no one talking on behalf of future Jewish students.”

Despite the trauma, both brothers told The New York Post that they refused to transfer. Their decision, they said, was motivated by a sense of duty.

“We’re looking for accountability and justice for what we faced,” David added. “No other student or minority group should have to go through what Jewish students have gone through at Columbia.”

The lawsuit also highlights the ideological complicity of Columbia’s faculty, many of whom the Lederers accuse of legitimizing antisemitic rhetoric under the pretense of academic freedom.

One example cited in The New York Post report involves an unnamed professor who reportedly praised students for calling Israel a genocidal state during a lecture. “When a professor says the term ‘genocide’ is a better word than ‘war,’ that’s not academic debate — that’s indoctrination,” David said.

The brothers allege that faculty members and deans not only tolerate anti-Israel activism but actively participate in demonstrations that demonize Jewish students, creating a double standard in which other minorities are shielded from hate while Jews are targeted with impunity.

“The university has shown extraordinary energy in combating racism, sexism, and homophobia,” the complaint says. “But when it comes to antisemitism, Columbia’s silence becomes complicity.”

As The New York Post report emphasized, the Lederers’ ordeal mirrors a broader national trend in which Jewish students at elite institutions — from Harvard to UCLA — have faced escalating hostility. Yet Columbia, the lawsuit contends, stands out for its systemic negligence and indifference.

The brothers say they have been followed by masked protesters, subjected to online threats, and smeared in anonymous posts that called for their expulsion. “We’ve had people tell us to go back to Poland,” Jonathan said. “We’ve had people physically surround us and scream obscenities. And the administration says nothing.”

The lawsuit accuses Columbia of violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in programs receiving federal assistance. The Lederers seek punitive and compensatory damages as well as a court order compelling Columbia to implement stronger protections for Jewish students.

The timing of the lawsuit could not be more consequential. As The New York Post report noted, Columbia has been embroiled in controversy for over a year, facing multiple federal investigations and widespread criticism for failing to curb antisemitic protests that disrupted campus operations and led to the temporary shutdown of in-person classes.

The lawsuit’s filing also draw attention to a generational divide within American academia — between students demanding ideological conformity and those insisting on equal protection.

Legal experts told The New York Post that if successful, the Lederers’ case could set a powerful precedent for Jewish students nationwide. “This lawsuit could redefine how universities are held accountable for antisemitism,” said one education law specialist. “Columbia has positioned itself as a test case for whether elite institutions can be forced to live up to their own diversity and inclusion rhetoric.”

For the Lederers, however, the issue is personal. “My hope,” Jonathan said, “is that this lawsuit leads to structural change — that Jewish students don’t face the type of antisemitism we did. I don’t want anyone to feel powerless in the face of hatred, like we were.”