Emory University and Harvard, along with a dozen other prestigious institutions, have been handed middling to failing grades for their handling of antisemitism on campus by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). The ADL's groundbreaking Campus Antisemitism Report Card, which was launched in the aftermath of the October 7, 2023, terror attack by Hamas on Israel, reviewed policies at 85 U.S. schools and comes in response to says reports of antisemitic incidents reaching historic levels.
While Harvard received an "F", Emory University in Atlanta wasn't faring much better, scoring a "C" grade, indicating that corrections are necessary. Despite Emory's President Gregory L. Fenves condemning chants from a previous protest that some interpreted as calling for Israel’s destruction, the ADL's report underlined the surfacing accusations of harassment against Jewish students. In a statement obtained by FOX 5 Atlanta, ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt voiced the concerns of Jewish families, noting, "School leadership must make serious changes to support Jewish communities on their campus; we expect nothing less."
Harvard has notably become a focal point for the debate on campus antisemitism, with a spate of incidents following the Hamas attack, including vandalized Israeli hostage posters. Former Harvard President Claudine Gay's difficulty in addressing whether advocating for Jewish genocide violated campus rules marked a low point for the university, and she later resigned. Greenblatt stressed that "As I travel the country, I’m constantly hearing from Jewish families agonizing over where they will send their kids to college," as reported by CNN.
Other elite schools didn't escape scrutiny; the ADL dealt "F" grades to institutions such as MIT, Princeton, and Stanford, citing a lack of serious measures to combat antisemitism. In total, 13 schools were given failing marks for their inability to support their Jewish student population, leaving them to feel increasingly unsafe on campuses meant to espouse diversity and inclusion. By contrast, Brandeis University and Elon University, says boasting significant efforts to combat hatred and promote dialogue, each received "A" grades, according to CNN.
The ADL's comprehensive grading system takes into account factors such as the presence of Jewish student organizations and the responsiveness of university administrations to incidents of hate and discrimination. With 17 schools receiving a "B," 29 a "C," and 24 a "D," the findings underscore a landscape where Greenblatt believes "every campus should get an A – that’s not grade inflation, that’s the minimum that every group on every campus expects.", as said in a statement acquired by CNN. This sentiment encapsulates the stark challenge before higher education institutions: to nurture environments where all students, including those of Jewish faith, can feel equally safe and supported in their academic pursuits.
