Fighting Antisemitism

For many Jewish students, BU Hillel is the only place on campus where they feel safe, supported, and able to express their Jewish identity. For every one of the 6,000 BU Jewish students, the time between 10/7/23 and now has been incredibly shattering in so many ways. From the devastating attacks in Israel on October 7, 2023 to the virulent antisemitism across campus, to the concerns about physical and emotional safety, and beyond. To report an incident of discrimination, bias, or antisemitism with BU’s Equal Opportunity Office, please click here. The following are our five main priorities in fighting antisemitism:

  1. Protecting the physical safety of our students and staff.
  2. Taking care of the psychological and emotional well-being of students, especially students who experience anti-Jewish hatred, harassment, and ostracism.
  3. Standing up for Israel, especially its right to defend itself against terrorism and to safely bring back hostages.
  4. Urging BU to show support for Jewish students, faculty, and staff by fighting antisemitism on campus.
  5. Documenting and reporting antisemitic incidences

Key initiatives:

  1. Tracking Hate on Campus: To report an incident of discrimination, bias, or antisemitism with BU’s Equal Opportunity Office, please click here.
  2. Educating the larger campus community: We are dialing up our efforts to get more students to take our Jewish and Israel learning classes.  Our signature class Antisemtisim: What is it and why does it matter to us all? Is taught to 3-5 cohorts of undergrads, grads, and staff/faculty across BU each year now. When we meet with students who are upset, we coach them to write to BU administrators and to channel their emotions into action.
  3. Advocating for Israel: We continue raising awareness of the current situation to give our Jewish students the learning and education they need to defend themselves and to find allies who can support our Jewish students.  We’ve hosted speakers like the Israel Consul General of New England, IDF Veterans, Nova Survivors, Dara Horn, Rabbi David Wolpe, and more.
  4. Supporting Each Jewish Soul: We are meeting with more Jewish students than ever to hear how they are doing. We have brought and will continue to bring groups of students together to talk, grieve, and emote. Our entire staff including our Rabbis are meeting with students and focusing on pastoral care.
  5. Training Student Leaders: We are doubling down the educational and advocacy agendas during our weekend retreats, and our Israel trips (Birthright and Israel Uncovered). For overnight trips, we are bringing together Israeli leaders, and those who want to invest in deep Jewish learning. For our longer trips to Israel with Israel Uncovered and Birthright, the pathways will be through touring and group sessions.
  6. Targeting the Faculty and Administration: We are dialing up our efforts with BU Administration and Faculty on antisemitism and Israel. We are hosting multiple cohorts of our 3-part learning sessions for college Deans and other key BU administrative staff each year. These sessions are about antisemitism and taught by CEO Rabbi Jevin Eagle. We are also in constant touch with the BU President, Provost, Dean of Students, and Police Department.

Our team is the leading voice on campus to stand up against Jewish hate, stand up for Israel, and stand with Jewish students. Here’s are some highlights of our work to combat antisemitism since 10/7/23 and through this school year 2024-25:

  • Multiple 5 and 10 session Jewish learning classes on Israel, Zionism, and Fighting Antisemitism
  • 10/7/24 Memorial Vigil on Marsh Plaza
  • Nova Music Festival Massacre Survivor Speakers
  • Bassem Eid Human Rights Expert
  • Israel Solidarity Vigil
  • Israel Solidarity Shabbat with BU Deans
  • Columnist and Middle East Policy Expert Eric Mandel, Educational Speaker
  • StandWithUs Senior Educator Charlotte Korchak, Educational Speaker
  • IDF Soldier Speaker Felipe Zaitz
  • Magen David Adom Fundraisers
  • Israeli Hostage Awareness on Marsh Plaza
  • Sharaka Co-Existence Dialogues
  • Mishelanu Israel Students Retreat and Shabbat

      Here’s a recap of some of the hateful antisemitic happenings since 10/7/23 and through this school year 2024-25:

        • Erev Yom Kippur an anti-Israel march in front of Hillel saying “We don’t want a Jewish state, go back to 1948”
        • Week of 10/7/24 anti-Israel student groups hosting “Week of Rage” across campus
        • Die-In at the GSU Student Union.
        • Multiple marches across campus shouting phrases like “long live the intifada” and “from the river to the sea Palestine will be free”.
        • Promoting physical violence on social media.
        • 3-4 screenings of the antisemitic movie, Israelism.
        • Protesting Zionist speakers like IDF veterans
        • Professors comparing what is happening in the middle east now to what happened in the Holocaust
        • Singling out Jewish students for the actions of the Israeli army and Israeli government in classes, dorms, and on social media
        • Large banners hung from College of Arts and Sciences and School of Theology buildings adjacent to Marsh Plaza promoting antisemitic phrases such as “long live the intifada” and “from the river to the sea Palestine will be free”.
        • Editorials in BU Today singling out Hillel, Jews, and Israel as colonizers and oppressors.
        • Graffiti written on BU Hillel building, “Free Palestine” now being investigated as a hate crime by Suffolk County District Attorney.

      Click here to see photos, videos, and speeches from our events over the past 1.5 years.

      Photos from Hillel International Israel Leaders Summit February 2024 in Atlanta

      Photos from Speaker Events this Year: Israel Soldier, Nova Music Festival Massacre Survivor from spring 2024

      Photos from on Campus Vigils, Rallies, Fundraisers, Hostage Awareness, and Advocacy Events from 2023-24

      Photos from BU students at Israel rally in DC on 11/14/23