News

Inside Philanthropy: Record Fundraising for Hillel Amid Rising Antisemitism on Campus

Author

Hillel International

Date

February 7, 2025

Hillel International President and CEO Adam Lehman recently spoke to Inside Philanthropy in a wide-ranging conversation about Hillel’s centennial campaign and how Hillel supports Jewish college students in these challenging times. 

“We have raised more than $200 million, and we extended the campaign by virtue of continuing interest on many campuses to participate and leverage the reality — both positive and challenging — that Jewish students face in terms of pursuing Jewish life on campus,” Lehman told the publication, sharing that the campaign ultimately exceeded its original $150 million goal by more than $50 million. He added, “We raised more than $70 million since 10/7, [and] during the last year, we have seen an 89% increase in grassroots giving at the Hillel International level — donors giving under $10,000 in a given gift — and a 23% increase in our overall unrestricted giving.”

In this difficult time for Jewish students, these fundraising successes are particularly significant. Following Hamas’s attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, , Hillel International has responded to rising campus antisemitism and discrimination through new programs and campaigns, including partnering with the ADL and the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law to put up the Campus Antisemitism Legal Line (CALL) which provides students with legal support to address antisemitic bias incidents on campus.

Hillel International also expanded the Campus Climate Initiative to train college and university presidents and administrators to strengthen policies that can prevent and address campus antisemitism, and launched Campus For All, an online resource that provides Jewish students with education and resources to counter antisemitism. “[The last 15 months have] led many students to want to better understand what it means to be Jewish and to seek out the comfort and support of our Hillel communities,” Lehman said. 

The success of Hillel’s milestone fundraising campaigns also supports programs that help new Jewish students, making sure they know that Hillel is there to be their home away from home. Hillel invested several million dollars to ensure that Jewish students would find robust, visible Jewish programs and communities when they arrived on campus this fall. Campuses that hosted “Welcome Week” programs and events saw a nearly 30% increase in the number of Jewish students who participated in Hillel programming. 

“We have turned our programmatic framework from one that focuses solely on traditional Jewish life programs to a human-centered-design approach that works with students to design experiences that they have identified as meaningful to them,” Lehman said. “But the foundation of work continues to be the power and beauty of Jewish wisdom, tradition, ritual and community.”

“Record Fundraising for Hillel Amid Rising Antisemitism on Campus” was originally published in Inside Philanthropy on January 30, 2025. To read the complete article, please visit insidephilanthropy.com.

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News

Hillel International Campus Climate Initiative Announces its Sixth Cohort

Author

Hillel International

Date

February 5, 2025

With this latest cohort, more than 100 colleges and universities have received training to address antisemitism from CCI

 Hillel International is kicking off its sixth cohort for the Campus Climate Initiative (CCI). This flagship program provides a comprehensive strategy to help campus administrators counter antisemitism and build a campus climate in which Jewish students feel comfortable expressing their identity.

This year’s cohort includes more than 100 administrators from the following colleges and universities: Clark University, Drexel University, George Mason University, Rhodes College, Simmons University, Stony Brook University, SUNY College at New Paltz, SUNY Purchase College, SUNY Rockland Community College, State University of New York System, University at Buffalo, University of Michigan, University of Minnesota, University of Nevada – Las Vegas, University of Oregon, University of South Florida, University of Virginia, University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, and Vanderbilt University.

Including this cohort, Hillel International’s CCI has now partnered with college and university presidents and administrators from 102 institutions nationwide. As part of this program, each of these schools creates action plans, rooted in a customized and comprehensive climate assessment, to address antisemitism on campus alongside a community of peers. This collaborative, educational, and practical experience allows administrators to build a network to do this work to foster a positive, inclusive, and welcoming campus climate for Jewish and all students.

“Hillel International is thrilled to welcome these 18 schools and statewide university system into the sixth cohort of our Campus Climate Initiative.  We appreciate their dedication to building an inclusive campus environment, including for Jewish students, and are proud to partner with them towards this goal,” said Adam Lehman, President and CEO of Hillel International. “We are thrilled by the growth and success of CCI and proud to have now reached over 100 campuses nationwide.”

“We are thrilled that the University of Minnesota has joined the Campus Climate Initiative to create a more inclusive community for all students,” said Emily Boskoff, Executive Director at Minnesota Hillel. “This is a powerful opportunity to not only fight antisemitism, but to also deepen our collective understanding of the bias and hate that affect our students on a daily basis. We look forward to working hand-in-hand with the University of Minnesota and Hillel International to foster an environment where every student feels valued, respected, and safe, and to ensure that the fight against antisemitism and all forms of hate on our campus remains at the forefront of our efforts.”

CCI has continued to expand its offerings to universities including hosting the largest summit on antisemitism on campus featuring over 75 presidents in Fall 2024, expanding its staff to help schools implement their campus action plans, and working across networks of colleges and universities to reach larger audiences at the state and regional levels.

The sixth cohort kicked off on February 3 at a two-day, in-person seminar. The program will conclude in December 2025.

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News

eJewish Philanthropy: Antisemitism on Campus is a Crisis We Must Address Together

Author

Adam Lehman and Jonathan Greenblatt

Date

January 31, 2025

Editor’s Note: President and CEO of Hillel International Adam Lehman and CEO and National Director of ADL Jonathan Greenblatt shared their thoughts with eJewish Philanthropy on what Jewish students need from their universities in order to combat antisemitism.

“Antisemitism on Campus is a Crisis We Must Address Together” was originally published in eJewish Philanthropy on January 30, 2025. To read the complete article, please visit ejewishphilanthropy.com.

“Although we each lead a major Jewish organization, today we address you not just as CEOs but also as fathers of current and recently graduated Jewish college students. Our children’s experiences, and the experiences of so many Jewish students today, are so different from when we were in college. And we’re not talking about TikTok, digital textbooks and AI chatbots; we’re talking about the rise of antisemitism on college campuses. 

Across the United States, Jewish students are facing a crisis. According to a survey we conducted together with College Pulse, more than 83% of Jewish students have witnessed or experienced antisemitism on campus since Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists attacked the Jewish state. In this campus environment, more than 40% feel the need to hide their Jewish identity, and 1 in 4 have taken extra security measures to protect themselves. These numbers are more than statistics. They reflect the lived experiences of a large number of Jewish students who are being marginalized, excluded and subjected to other forms of bias and discrimination.     

One student surveyed poignantly shared that in the months since Oct. 7, ‘there was no respect for the safety of all students. Antisemitism was rampant and the campus became extremely polarized. Attacks both verbal and physical were common and Jewish friends had to hide their faith to be socially accepted.’

This survey provides a sobering snapshot of life for Jewish students today. Antisemitism manifests on campuses in various ways, including offensive and demonizing comments about Jews or Israel and vandalism targeting Jewish spaces and even individual student dorm rooms and apartments. We found it particularly stunning and alarming that more than 1 in 4 Jewish students reported observing antisemitic activity or statements by faculty members. 

Nearly half of non-Jewish students surveyed expressed agreement with statements rooted in antisemitic tropes, such as ‘Jews weaponize anti-Jewish prejudice to silence criticism of Israel.’ We also found that non-Jewish students who hold extreme anti-Israel attitudes were more likely to minimize the issue of antisemitic prejudice on campus. Antisemitism has become pervasive and normalized, deeply affecting campus culture.

This normalized hostility and discrimination has profound consequences. Jewish students report withdrawing from social activities, hiding their identities and views and feeling unwelcome in their classrooms. In numerous cases, Jewish students have even chosen to transfer out of schools altogether in order to get away from pervasively hostile conditions. These are red flags that demand immediate attention from university leaders.”

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News

83% of Jewish College Students Have Experienced or Witnessed Antisemitism Firsthand Since Oct. 7 Attack, Survey Finds

Author

Hillel International

Date

January 30, 2025

• 41 percent of Jewish students felt the need to hide their Jewish identity;
• One-in-four Jewish students felt compelled to take security precautions;
• Two-thirds of Jewish students lack confidence in their university’s ability to prevent antisemitic incidents

Eighty-three percent of Jewish college students have experienced or witnessed some form of antisemitism since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel, according to a new survey by ADL (the Anti-Defamation League), Hillel International, and College Pulse.      

Moreover, more than a quarter (27 percent) of Jewish students surveyed said they had observed antisemitic activity by faculty, compared to only 6 percent of non-Jewish students. The survey also found that two-thirds (66 percent) of Jewish students (and 60 percent of non-Jewish students) were not confident in their university’s ability to prevent antisemitic incidents.

“Since the October 7 attack in Israel, Jewish students have felt increasingly threatened, unwelcome and unsupported on campus, both by students and faculty,” said Jonathan A. Greenblatt, ADL CEO. “It is unacceptable that Jewish students cannot be confident in their university’s ability to address and prevent antisemitic incidents, and that they now live in a world in which they feel compelled to conceal their identity and beliefs. These findings underscore the urgent need for university leaders to step up and protect Jewish students.”

“These findings paint a deeply concerning picture of what Jewish students are facing on campuses today,” said Adam Lehman, President and CEO of Hillel International. “As we work to ensure that campuses are free from antisemitism, we are committed to creating spaces where Jewish students can build vibrant communities and express their identities with pride. No student should ever feel the need to hide who they are or take extra precautions to protect themselves while they’re living and learning at school.”

Other key findings include:

• 22.9 percent of Jewish students have felt compelled to take additional security precautions.
• Only about half (49.6 percent) of Jewish students reported feeling “very” or “extremely” comfortable with others on campus knowing their Jewish identity; 41 percent actively felt the need to hide their Jewish identity, and only 27 percent felt comfortable with others on campus knowing their views of Israel.
• More than one-in-ten Jewish students (13 percent) have withdrawn fromcampus or social activities, compared to only 2 percent of non-Jewish students.
• An overwhelming majority of students (92.5 percent) who had reported witnessing or experiencing an incident of antisemitism on campus did not report the incident to campus authorities.
  • Low awareness about what to do and a lack of confidence that they would get the help they needed drove many students to not report incidents of campus antisemitism.
  • A clear reporting policy was among the most frequently cited policies of importance to Jewish students (51 percent).
• Extreme anti-Israel attitudes were strongly related to minimization of the issue of anti-Jewish prejudice on campus among non-Jewish students.

Along with other leading Jewish communal and anti-hate organizations, ADL and Hillel International have been at the forefront in countering antisemitism on campus through ADL’s Ronald Birnbaum Center to Combat Antisemitism in Education (CCAE) and Not On My Campus campaign, and Hillel International’s Campus Climate Initiative (CCI), Campus4All.org website, and on-the-ground presence on hundreds of college and university campuses nationwide. 

In November 2023, ADL and Hillel International also launched the Campus Antisemitism Legal Line (CALL), a free legal protection helpline for students who have experienced antisemitism, along with the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP.

By heeding ADL’s Six Asks and joint ADL-Hillel guidance – developed in collaboration with leading Jewish communal partners – and adopting tailored data-driven solutions, educational institutions can work to ensure that all students, including Jewish students, can thrive in a safe and welcoming campus environment.

Methodology

In partnership with Hillel International and College Pulse, ADL fielded a survey of college students at 135 universities across the United States in the fall semester of 2024. This survey was conducted by College Pulse, an online survey and analytics platform focused on American college students. College Pulse’s proprietary panel includes more than 950,000 college students from more than 1,500 institutions of higher education across all 50 states. This survey employed an oversample of Jewish students, with 1,030 Jewish students and 1,140 non-Jewish students responding. Responses from non-Jewish students were gathered from 135 colleges and universities, while responses from Jewish students were gathered from 128 of these colleges and universities.

About ADL

ADL is the leading anti-hate organization in the world. Founded in 1913, its timeless mission is “to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all.” Today, ADL continues to fight all forms of antisemitism and bias, using innovation and partnerships to drive impact. A global leader in combating antisemitism, countering extremism and battling bigotry wherever and whenever it happens, ADL works to protect democracy and ensure a just and inclusive society for all. More at www.adl.org.

About Hillel International

Founded in 1923, Hillel has been impacting the lives of Jewish college students and countering antisemitism on campus for more than 100 years. Hillel International is a global organization that welcomes students of all backgrounds and fosters an enduring commitment to Jewish life, learning, and Israel. As the largest Jewish student organization in the world, Hillel builds connections with emerging adults at more than 850 colleges and universities. During their formative college years, students are inspired to explore, experience, and create vibrant Jewish lives.

About College Pulse

College Pulse is a survey research and analytics company dedicated to understanding the attitudes, preferences, and behaviors of today’s college students. College Pulse offers custom data-driven marketing and research solutions, utilizing its unique American College Student Panel™ that includes over 950,000 college students and recent graduates from more than 1,500 two- and four-year colleges and universities across all 50 states.

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