On May 22, the Brandeis Center hosted a Capitol Hill briefing in the immediate aftermath of the Capital Jewish Museum shooting. The panel discussion, featuring Jewish college students, explained connections between anti-Semitic campus ideologies, the museum murders, and the need to better define and understand Jew-hatred. It was introduced by Brandeis Center Chairman and CEO Kenneth L. Marcus and moderated by Brandeis Center President Alyza D. Lewin. The panel featured a current student from Yale and two recent graduates from Cal Poly and Brooklyn College. The event was co-sponsored by Congressman Mike Lawler, who co-sponsored the Antisemitism Awareness Act and is an advocate of adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition of antisemitism. In his opening remarks, Marcus honored Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, victims of a violent anti-Semitic attack that took place at the Capital Jewish Museum the evening before the event. He explained that when calling for the death of Jews is ignored, one cannot be surprised when there is bloodshed. This is a time to act and a time to “not be afraid, not to shrink back, but to redouble our efforts,” urged Marcus. Student Testimony Following remarks from Marcus, students shared their personal experiences and encounters with anti-Semitism on campus. A current student at Yale discussed his encounters with the student-led organization Yalies4Palestine. They made donations to groups that are known for supporting terrorist organizations. He reported this to the dean, and it took seven months before he received any response. He has been called a terrorist and accused of committing a holocaust. His friends have even been assaulted for showing support for Israel and the Jewish people. Next, a recent graduate at Cal Poly shared how he was ostracized after publishing an article where he defended Zionism. He was harassed and bullied online by anonymous students daily. Out of fear for his safety, he wore a mask and hoodie to class. When he went to the administration, they claimed that they could not intervene because the harassment was based on political differences. Finally, a recent graduate at Brooklyn College spoke of having reported anti-Semitic incidents to the Title VI office only to receive a response that the incidents did not meet their standard of pervasive ethnic discrimination. Connecting the Dots President Alyza D. Lewin expressed deep concern over the shooting at the Capital Jewish Museum, describing the explicit targeting of Jews as a feared but foreseeable outcome of escalating anti-Semitism. Drawing on the ADL’s “Pyramid of Hate,” she explained how biased attitudes, the base of the pyramid, evolve into vandalism, harassment, and eventually violence. She referenced recent campus incidents as warning signs and criticized society’s failure to intervene sooner. “We are at a moment that calls out for urgency. It’s a moment where we must act,” emphasized Lewin. In light of this tragedy, Lewin explained the importance of adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism. This definition is internationally recognized and should be utilized across the board domestically. She explained how chants such as “Free, Free Palestine” and “Globalize the Intifada” are anti-Semitic chants, not expressions of legitimate political debate. They call for the targeting and erasure of Jews. With a powerful warning and imperative to not be silent, Lewin closed with the message: “The time to act is now. We have to call out anti-Semitism. We know what happens to societies that allow anti-Semitism to flourish. They rot.”