December 28, 2020 A Retrospective Look of this Past Hanukkah (Opinion by Ian Katsnelson ~ The Times of Israel) ABOUT THE AUTHOR ~ Ian Katsnelson is an undergraduate Jewish student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. A junior double majoring in Biology and Political Science, Ian has been on the frontlines of Antizionism and Antisemitism at his University, in addition to serving two terms as the only Jewish student Senator. A Retrospective Look […] Media Coverage Press Room
December 23, 2020 New York court rules against Students for Justice in Palestine in Fordham case (Jewish Insider) “This is a huge loss for SJP,” Ken Marcus, founder and chairman of the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights, told Jewish Insider. “The lower court decision had been hailed by their supporters as the first major legal victory, not only for SJP, but for the anti-Israel movement.” Read the Jewish Insider Article Here. […] Media Coverage Press Room
December 7, 2020 How Betsy DeVos’s Department of Education Navigated Key Issues (Jewish Insider) DeVos was initially opposed to adopting the IHRA definition of antisemitism, former officials said ~ article by Marc Rod ~ December 7, 2020 Read the Jewish Insider Article Here. Over the past four years, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos found support among some in the Jewish community for her department’s aggressive approach to tackling antisemitism […] Media Coverage Press Room
December 1, 2020 “Beat Our Civil Rights Record” by Kenneth L. Marcus (Newsweek) In his recent opinion piece published today by Newsweek, Kenneth Marcus is hopeful that the incoming administration will build upon the civil rights accomplishments of the current Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights. Media Coverage Press Room
December 1, 2020 “Fighting Racism, We All Have Skin in the Game” by Kenneth L. Marcus (Jewish Journal) “We support one another best when speaking from our own experience, not as whitewashed lumps of operated flesh. Wonder Woman, above all, should be whomever she wants to be.” By Kenneth L. Marcus ~ December 1, 2020 ~ Read the Op-Ed Here (Jewish Journal) Fighting Racism, We All Have Skin in the Game This October, […] Media Coverage Press Room
November 23, 2020 Scholars for Peace in the Middle East (SPME) Urges Court to Reject BDS Cover-up Read SPME’s Article here. Scholars for Peace in the Middle East (SPME) Urges Court to Reject BDS Cover-up In an important court-filing, Scholars for Peace in the Middle East (SPME) urged the District of Columbia Court of Appeals to reject an effort by Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) activists to shut down a lawsuit against […] Media Coverage Press Room
November 23, 2020 A Conversation with Attorney Nathan Lewin – the “Man Who Kept the Menorah Lit” (Chabad.org) Watch the video of the “Man Who Kept the Menorah Lit” A Conversation with Attorney Nathan Lewin ~ By Dovid Margolin – Chabad.org When Nathan Lewin addresses the virtual International Conference of Chabad-Lubavitch Emissaries (Kinus Hashluchim) as its keynote this Sunday afternoon, there will be no need for an introduction. Over the past half-century, Lewin has made a name for himself […] Media Coverage Press Room
November 18, 2020 Federal investigation opened following complaint of antisemitism at UIUC (Jerusalem Post) The good news comes as a relief to many on campus, who claim to have experienced antisemitic and anti-Zionist harassment in alarming increasing rates over the past five years. Read the Jerusalem Post article here. By TOBIAS SIEGAL November 18, 2020 01:24 The US Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced on […] Media Coverage Press Room
November 16, 2020 UIUC Acknowledges Zionism is “Integral” to Jewish Identity (Jewish Journal) Brandeis Center’s President, Alyza D. Lewin, states that the “Jewish and pro-Israel students at UIUC have been subjected to anti-Semitic and anti-Zionist harassment for far too long. We are gratified that the University of Illinois has publicly acknowledged the urgency of the problem, has engaged in serious discussion with our community over the last couple […] Media Coverage Press Room
October 28, 2020 US State Department conference tackles mounting hate and anti-Semitism online (JNS) “IHRA allows for criticism of Israel, assuming it’s the same criticism as of other countries,” said speaker Alyza Lewin, president of the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law. She went on to say that if social-media companies recognize only some forms of anti-Semitism, they will “severely undermine their own ability to combat hate.” […] Media Coverage Press Room
October 23, 2020 “University of Illinois faces Title VI complaint over antisemitic incidents” (Jewish Insider) A complaint has been filed with the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) against the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign over the university’s handling of antisemitic activity on the campus dating back to 2015. Read the Jewish Insider Article University of Illinois faces Title VI complaint over antisemitic incidents By Melissa Weiss ~ Jewish Insider […] Media Coverage Press Room
October 22, 2020 Trump or Biden, keep up the pressure on campus anti-Semitism ~ By Kenneth L. Marcus It is important that government officials stress the importance of protecting civil rights in ways that respect the freedom of speech. Read the Op-Ed Here By Kenneth L. Marcus ~ October 22, 2020 ~ New York Daily News Last year, at a national conference in Manhattan, New York University student Adela Cojab described a pattern […] Media Coverage Press Room
October 22, 2020 By Kenneth Marcus – The government must do more to address antisemitism and anti-Zionism on campus Even on COVID-closed college campuses, some students continue to find ways to harm one another. Recently, anti-Jewish and anti-Zionist incidents have been cause for alarm. Read the Op-Ed Here By Kenneth L. Marcus October 22, 2020 The Forward The Government Must Do More to Address Antisemitism and Anti-Zionism on Campus Even on COVID-closed college campuses, […] Media Coverage Press Room
October 21, 2020 LDB Appoints Jesse A. Witten to the LDB Legal Advisory Board Washington, D.C., October 20, 2020: The Louis D Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law is pleased to announce the appointment of Jesse A. Witten, to the position of LDB Legal Advisory Board member. Mr. Witten’s arrival coincides with an expansion of the Center’s staff to address historic increases in anti-Semitic activity, especially in educational institutions. Over the last […] Media Coverage Press Room
October 5, 2020 NYU Adopts IHRA Definition of Antisemitism, Settles Antisemitism Lawsuit NYU adopts IHRA definition of antisemitism, settles antisemitism lawsuit By Rachel Wolf, October 3, 2020 Jerusalem Post New York University and the US Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) reached a landmark settlement over charges of antisemitism on the university’s campus, The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law (LDB) […] Media Coverage Press Room
August 12, 2020 LDB Commends FSU President for Adopting the IHRA Definition of Anti-Semitism Washington, D.C., August 12, 2020: LDB Commends FSU President ~ Press Release The Louis D. Brandeis Center commends Florida State University President John Thrasher for adopting the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism. In his letter to the FSU community this afternoon, Thrasher wrote, “The United States, the State of Florida, and Florida State University recognize the International […] Media Coverage Press Releases Press Room
August 9, 2020 USC Vows to Counter Hate After Jewish Student Government Leader Resigns By Melissa White ~ August 7, 2020 Jewish Insider The student government vice president at the University of Southern California resigned this week, alleging she was the subject of antisemitic harassment over her support for Israel. In response, the university administration said it is launching a new educational initiative to counter on-campus hate. “As you […] Media Coverage Press Room
July 10, 2020 The Future of College: A Jewish Townhall with Alyza D. Lewin Is it anti-Semitism to support the destruction of the one and only Jewish nation-state—home to approximately half of the Jews in the world today? Is it anti-Semitism to say that Jews do not have a right to self-determination—that Jews have no right to exercise sovereignty within any borders in their ancestral homeland, the Land of Israel? Media Coverage Press Room
December 22, 2019 The executive order that defines and combats anti-Semitism without stifling speech Is it anti-Semitism to support the destruction of the one and only Jewish nation-state—home to approximately half of the Jews in the world today? Is it anti-Semitism to say that Jews do not have a right to self-determination—that Jews have no right to exercise sovereignty within any borders in their ancestral homeland, the Land of Israel? Media Coverage Press Room
October 7, 2019 Joint Duke-UNC Middle East Studies Program in Hot Water By Melissa White – September 20, 2019 Jewish Insider The U.S. Department of Education blasted a joint Middle Eastern studies program between the University of North Carolina and Duke University for providing a biased curriculum to students. The department ordered UNC’s vice chancellor for research to provide an updated curriculum for the Duke-UNC Consortium for Middle East […] Media Coverage Press Room
June 5, 2019 UC-Irvine Graduate Student Purveys Anti-Zionism While Rejecting Anti-Semitism Sheikh Osman Umarji, A PhD student at UCI’s School of Education, delivered a sermon underpinned by anti-Semitism and a clear denial of Israel’s right to exist. In his speech, Umarji stated the need for “courage to fight Zionism” in order to “free the Palestinians from the oppression.” He rallied against “specific Israeli government policies and Jewish settlements in the Palestinian territories” while repeatedly denouncing a Jewish state in any form. The incident at UC Irvine is not an isolated case; the conflation of anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism continues to be a problem on college campuses throughout the country. Recent data shows how it has contributed to the general uptick in anti-Jewish animus in higher education. Media Coverage Press Room