The Brandeis Center recently joined thirty Jewish and civil rights organizations in signing a letter encouraging 350 different university presidents to formally adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of anti-Semitism. The letter, led by the Zionist Organization of America, addresses the spike in anti-Semitism and anti-Semitic acts—particularly in Europe and the United States—following Israel’s response to rocket attacks by Hamas in Gaza. It lists numerous examples, including: “In Los Angeles, a caravan of men waving Palestinian Arab flags physically attacked a group of Jewish diners outside a restaurant, shouting anti-Semitic slurs… Over a recent 10-day period, the United Kingdom saw a 438 percent increase in anti-Semitic incidents, mostly related to Gaza and Israel.” The American Jewish Committee (AJC) found that nearly half of all Americans either had not heard the term anti-Semitism or could not define it. This “disturbing lack of awareness” becomes problematic in academic settings, too. A study by the University of Arkansas supports this claim. The Arkansas researchers found that despite a theoretical access to resources that teach anti-Semitism, people in educational settings often use learned information to “couch” anti-Semitic tropes in a “sophisticated and socially acceptable” manner. It is therefore the responsibility of universities, the letter argues, to provide the resources and training necessary to fight against anti-Semitism on campuses. Among other measures, the letter urges the adoption of the IHRA definition, which has already been approved by many universities and student governments, including Oxford University and Cambridge University. In response to critiques of the IHRA definition, the letter maintains: “[T]here is nothing in the definition that restricts speech. It is simply a tool for understanding how anti-Semitism can be expressed today. Knowing how to identify anti-Semitism is the first step to fighting this ugly problem.” Read the full letter here.