Blog - Brandeis Center

December 10, 2018 Vandals First Damage Penn State Menorah, Then Steal It

Last week, the large menorah which sat outside the Zeta Beta Tau Fraternity house at Penn State was first torn down and later stolen by vandals.

December 5, 2018 Anti-Semitism at Columbia Teachers College

On Wednesday, November 28th, Columbia’s Teachers College Professor Elizabeth Midlarsky walked towards her office to discover that she was the victim of an anti-Semitic act. At approximately 1 P.M., Elizabeth Midlarsky, who is a Jewish professor who teaches courses in Psychology and Education, and teaches and conducts research on the Holocaust, found two swastikas and […]

December 5, 2018 69 Orgs Urge Dep’t of Ed to Ensure NRCs Do Not Implement Academic Boycotts

In a letter organized by the AMCHA Initiative, 69 organizations, including the Brandeis Center, urged the Department of Education to ensure that National Resource Center (NRC) faculty do not implement academic boycotts at universities. The letter, addressed to Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, gave two examples of recent events held at the University of Michigan and New York University, both of which were organized and funded by Department of Education-designated Middle East Studies NRCs.

December 5, 2018 Pitzer President Condemns Faculty Motion to Suspend Israel Study Abroad

On November 29th, Pitzer College President Melvin Oliver condemned the resolution passed by the school’s faculty to suspend the college’s study abroad program at the University of Haifa in a speech before the Pitzer College Council. The faculty’s resolution garnered severe backlash from students and outside organizations alike. The Brandeis Center joined a letter, organized by the AMCHA Initiative and signed by 75 civil rights, education, and student organizations expressing dismay over the Pitzer Faculty’s vote.

November 30, 2018 CNN Poll Shows Renewed Frequency of Anti-Semitism in Europe

Findings from a recent CNN poll indicate that anti-Semitism across Europe is “alive and well.” The survey interviewed a cross-section of more than 7,000 individuals from seven European countries. Respondents from Austria, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Poland, and Sweden espoused a collection of antiquated Jewish stereotypes which remain pertinent in the social, cultural, and […]

November 29, 2018 Pitzer Faculty Senate Votes to End Israel Study Abroad Programs

On November 8th, the Pitzer College faculty voted to suspend the school’s study abroad program at the University of Haifa in Israel. The faculty’s resolution called for the “suspension of the College’s exchange with Haifa University, until (a) the Israeli state ends its restrictions on entry to Israel based on ancestry and/or political speech and (b) the Israeli state adopts policies granting visas for exchanges to Palestinian universities on a fully equal basis as it does to Israeli universities.” This resolution has received significant backlash from students and community members.

November 28, 2018 Argentinian Soccer Fans Chant “Kill Jews to Make Soap”

Last week, Argentinian soccer fans caused an uproar by chanting anti-Semitic slogans during a match against a rival team.

November 21, 2018 Anti-Semitic Hate in Toronto

In Toronto on November 11th, a group of four Jewish teens were assaulted “in a Hitler-inspired racial attack.” According to the Toronto Sun, while walking to their Yeshiva to study in the evening, these 17-year old Jewish teens were approached by up to 20 teenage boys. One of the victims noted that they may have […]

November 20, 2018 Anti-Semitism Affecting U.S. High Schools

The growing intensity of anti-Semitism in America is not only affecting college students but also high school students throughout the country. 50 students, most of them Jewish, from Amity High in Woodbridge, Connecticut attended a Board of Education meeting in mid-November to express their subjection to anti-Jewish rhetoric and harassment. After seeing swastikas carved across […]

November 19, 2018 Kentucky Governor Signs Anti-BDS Executive Order

On November 15th, Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin signed an anti-BDS executive order into law, making the State of Kentucky the 26th state to enact a law against the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) movement.The executive order denounces the BDS movement for being discriminatory, highlights Kentucky’s strong trade relationship with Israel, and points out the fact that governors from all 50 states (and the mayor of DC) have signed a statement against the BDS movement.