News

Hillel International’s Campus Climate Initiative Gathers for Regional Training on Improving Campus Life for Jewish Students

Author

Dr. Mara Lee Grayson

Date

February 14, 2025

On a sunny, cold day in January, senior administrators from California colleges and universities gathered to participate in a regional summit hosted by Hillels of Silicon Valley and Santa Clara University in partnership with Hillel International’s Campus Climate Initiative (CCI). The event featured a full day of training on antisemitism, Jewish identities, and practical strategies for supporting Jewish students. 

CCI partners with college and university administrators around the United States to improve the campus climate for Jewish students which has deteriorated rapidly since October 7, 2023 with 83% of Jewish college students reporting that they have experienced or witnessed antisemitism in the last 16 months. Its flagship Campus Cohort Program has engaged more than 100 campuses to participate in a curriculum that combines education, data collection and assessment, and action plan development and implementation. 

This summit included administrators from five local colleges and universities: Santa Clara University (SCU), San Jose State University (SJSU), De Anza College, West Valley College, and Foothill College. Participants included the presidents of SCU, SJSU, and De Anza, as well as senior  administrators and faculty members. 

“We are grateful to our host, Santa Clara University, for partnering with CCI to share the knowledge, strategies, and resources they gained as a participant in CCI’s recently completed fifth cohort with their  colleagues on neighboring campuses,” said Lisa Armony, CCI executive director. While each campus requires unique actions that are aligned with their particular environments, collaborative opportunities enhance this work by bringing administrators together to learn with and from one another.

The day opened with thoughts from Santa Clara University President Julie Sullivan, who emphasized the need to support Jewish students and improve campus life for all students. Hillels of Silicon Valley Executive Director Sarita Bronstein and Santa Clara University Senior Director of the Office for Diversity and Inclusion Dr. Raymond Plaza also offered opening remarks.

Dr. Mara Lee Grayson, director of content development for CCI, and Tina Malka, director of antisemitism, research and education for Hillel International and IAP West Coast director, shared recent data on antisemitism on campus, demonstrating the scope of the problem and its impact on Jewish students. Since October 7, 2023, more than 2,800 incidents of antisemitism, including more than 1,000 instances of hate speech, and close to 100 physical assaults, have been reported to Hillel International by college and university students. These numbers reflect the broader increases in antisemitism in the past 16 months.

Then, administrators reflected on their own identities as a starting point for understanding Jewish students’ lived experiences and shared their reactions to the first two videos in Hillel International’s Understanding Antisemitism series. 

Later, Dr. Grayson, a former professor of rhetoric and composition, explored the tropes and codes of contemporary antisemitism, as well as the relationship between how Jews may be perceived or depicted as members of a racial group based on physical or biological characteristics and campus antisemitism. For example, while some students have been targeted because of perceived physical markers of Jewishness, others have been excluded from support initiatives due to the perception that Jews are white. These sessions were designed to provide administrators with the skills to recognize coded antisemitism and communicate productively about it with their colleagues and students.

Together with facilitators, participants then viewed the newest video in Hillel International’s Understanding Antisemitism series. Malka, the co-creator of the three-part series, introduced “Antisemitism Today,” which examines how antisemitism manifests today on college campuses and in broader society following the horrific attacks in Israel by Hamas on October 7, 2023.

This summit was the third in a series of recent collaborative intensive training sessions for administrators at U.S. universities. These additional workshops and trainings  are an important part of CCI’s efforts to provide administrators at colleges and universities across the country with the knowledge and tools needed to improve life on campus for Jewish students and all students

As Bronstein reminded participants in her opening remarks: “Addressing antisemitism is not only about protecting one community; it’s about safeguarding the values of democracy, inclusion, and mutual respect that underpin the health of our society.”

Learn more about Hillel International’s Campus Climate Initiative and its newest cohort. 

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