The Anti-Defamation League asserts college campuses have become an “epicenter of American antisemitism,” with nearly 1,700 incidents of antisemitic harassment, vandalism and violence occurring on campuses last year alone.
Western Pennsylvania’s two largest universities — the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University — say they have been working to protect students from harassment, hatred and violence while also protecting their right to free speech and encouraging dialogue among those with differing viewpoints.
Some argue they could be doing more.
The number of antisemitic incidents recorded on college campuses was up 84% from the previous year and represented about one-fifth of all recorded incidents of antisemitism in the United States, according to an audit of such activity by the ADL, a New York-based nonprofit founded more than a century ago to combat antisemitism.
Last year’s increase came as more than 5,000 rallies related to the Gaza war were held across the country, with many occurring on or around college campuses and about half containing antisemitic messaging, according to the ADL.
“If someone says ‘Free Palestine’ at a demonstration, that’s not something we consider antisemitism. But the violent rhetoric was much stronger,” said Kelly Fishman, regional director of the ADL’s Cleveland office, which serves the Pittsburgh region.
Colleges and universities have taken an uneven approach to dealing with the issue. Some universities have found themselves in the crosshairs of President Trump’s administration for what it has deemed antisemitism or failing to do enough to curb it, jeopardizing federal funding unless they addressed the administration’s concerns.
Others have faced criticism from students, faculty and others for cracking down on or not doing enough to protect free speech at Gaza war-related rallies that reached a fever pitch last year.
In a separate ADL report, Haverford College in suburban Philadelphia was the only Pennsylvania institution evaluated to receive a “F” on the nonprofit’s antisemitism report card. Haverford President Wendy Raymond is scheduled to testify Wednesday before the U.S. House Committee on Education and Workforce, which contends Haverford has failed to “confront, address and mitigate” antisemitic incidents on campus.
Raymond acknowledged in a message to the campus community last week that the college “came up short” in its handling of the issue.
Carnegie Mellon received a “B” on the ADL report card, while Pitt was upgraded to a “C” after initially receiving a “D.”
At Carnegie Mellon, the ADL noted President Farnam Jahanian has condemned the use of the phrase “from the river to the sea” during protests, noting the phrase has been used by Hamas.
“I condemn speech that advocates the eradication of any group of people,” Jahanian said in a statement in late 2023.
The ADL noted the university also launched a series last year called Deeper Conversation, which has included discussions focused on the Gaza war and combating hate.
“We are doing everything we possibly can to fight antisemitism insofar as it is there, and we’re doing everything we can to keep the temperature down” between people on all sides of the issue, said Richard Scheines, a philosophy professor at Carnegie Mellon University who serves as dean of the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences.
The best antidote for antisemitism, Islamophobia and other forms of discrimination, Scheines said, is open and honest dialogue.
“What we have done is be in constant touch with student leaders and encouraged them to get together and discuss these issues,” he said. “We don’t want to be heavy handed.”
At Pitt, the ADL said, anti-Israel protests last year included antisemitic messaging and at least three Jewish students were assaulted on or near campus.
In August, police said two students wearing yarmulkes were attacked by a 52-year-old man wielding a bottle near the Cathedral of Learning. A criminal case against the man is pending.
Then, in September, police said a Pitt student wearing a Star of David necklace was attacked a few blocks from campus by a group of six to eight men who made antisemitic slurs during the attack. No arrests were made.
On the other side of the issue, the American Civil Liberties Union sued Pitt in federal court last month, alleging it targeted Students for Justice in Palestine at Pitt and violated its First Amendment rights by placing the group on an indefinite, interim suspension in what the ACLU described as retaliation for the club’s criticisms of the school. Pitt has not commented on the lawsuit.
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Pitt responded to the assaults by ensuring Jewish members of the university community could, upon request, receive escorts from security personnel as they attended religious services during the High Holidays, the ADL said. The university also organized a number of educational sessions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and authorized the creation of a working group to address antisemitism.
Kathy Blee, a distinguished professor of sociology at Pitt who formerly served as dean of the university’s Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, is serving as chair of the newly created working group.
“Our group is just getting started. This is going to be a committee that takes on a lot and is going to operate for a while,” Blee said, noting the committee includes faculty and students, public safety officials and community members.
She said the group will work to assess the state of antisemitism on campus and in the surrounding community, while also looking for ways to improve policies and programs that can “move Pitt in a very positive direction” and ensure safety and security “for our Jewish students and for all of our students.”
“We have a big agenda, and we’re all working together on this complicated problem,” Blee said.