ADL And Hillel International Join Forces To Address Antisemitism On Campus

New York, NY, August 2021 — Hillel International, the largest Jewish student organization in the world, and ADL (Anti-Defamation League), a leading anti-hate organization fighting antisemitism and all forms of hate, are joining forces to work collaboratively on several initiatives starting in the new academic year to proactively address the disturbing rise in antisemitic activity on campus through new educational programs and assessments of the climate on campus for Jewish students.

The new initiative will harness ADL’s deep expertise in tracking and responding to antisemitic incidents and Hillel’s vast network of professionals and programs on campus, reaching more than 400,000 Jewish students in North America and hundreds of thousands of Jewish students overseas. Working together, ADL and Hillel will grow their education and engagement of the full campus community – including students, faculty, university staff and administrators – with quality curricula, programming and research, and will collaborate in responding to antisemitic incidents when they occur.

“Jewish college students are increasingly subjected to antisemitism today, both on campus and on social media, and are urgently seeking support and tools to effectively respond. Bringing together ADL’s expertise and Hillel’s deep relationships on campus, we can empower Jewish students to speak out against hate and educate the broader campus community to ensure antisemitism is not tolerated at colleges and universities.”

— Adam Lehman, President and CEO of Hillel International.

“Antisemitism remains a serious problem on campus, and many Jewish students are not fully equipped to respond when they encounter hate in the university environment. Hillel International and ADL are both committed to ensuring all Jewish students feel safe on campus and are able to live and study in environments free of harassment and antisemitism.”

— Jonathan A. Greenblatt ADL CEO and National Director. 

“Our Colorado Hillels have historically enjoyed an important and successful partnership with ADL Rocky Mountain, their staff and lay leaders.  Now we are excited and gratified to learn about this important collaboration between our national offices – which comes not a moment too soon for our 2,000 Jewish Colorado college students who struggle to feel safe on campus as no generation has in the past sixty years.” 

— Daniel Bennett, Executive Director, Hillel of Colorado

“CU Boulder Hillel is grateful for the incredible new partnership between Hillel International and the ADL, especially during a time where we are seeing a drastic increase of anti-Semitism on college campuses across the nation. Having the direct relationships, resources, and tools with both Hillel International and the ADL will continue to be instrumental in remaining proactive in our efforts to combat anti-Semitism and best support the needs of students at CU Boulder Hillel and beyond.”

— Seth Reder, Executive Director, Hillel CU Boulder

“We are pleased with the relationship we have had locally with Hillel. This formal relationship between our organizations will help to better serve Jewish students throughout the Mountain States Region of Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming.”

— Scott Levin, Regional Director, ADL Mountain States Region (CO, NM and WY)

During the 2020-2021 academic year, Hillel International counted a total of 244 antisemitic incidents on college and university campuses, according to preliminary data. This compares to the 181 antisemitic incidents reported during the 2019-2020 academic year, when most classes were still taking place in person.

ADL and Hillel International will collaborate on several new initiatives:

• Curriculum development: Developing training on the history of antisemitism and how it manifests on campus today for Hillel professionals and students on campus, so they can better identify and respond to antisemitic activity.
  
• Research: Working through Hillel’s Campus Climate Initiative, surveying campuses nationwide to assess the campus climate for Jewish students across the United States, with results likely available in early fall.

• Incident Reporting: Hillel, ADL and the Secure Community Network, the official safety and security organization of the Jewish community in North America, will work to create a single reporting mechanism that can help ensure students receive the support they need when they encounter antisemitism on campus and to ensure that antisemitic incidents at universities are appropriately tracked in a centralized database.

• Never is Now Summit: Hillel International will be a co-sponsor of ADL’s annual Never is Now Summit on Antisemitism and Hate, which will be held virtually this year Nov. 7-9, to address antisemitism on campus and engage college students and parents, university administrators and high school students and parents with program and sessions tailored to their concerns.

About Hillel International

Founded in 1923, Hillel has been enriching the lives of Jewish students for more than 90 years. Today, Hillel International is a global organization that welcomes students of all backgrounds and fosters an enduring commitment to Jewish life, learning and Israel. Hillel is dedicated to enriching the lives of Jewish students so that they may enrich the Jewish people and the world. As the largest Jewish student organization in the world, Hillel builds connections with emerging adults at more than 550 colleges and universities, and inspires them to direct their own path.

About ADL

ADL is a leading anti-hate organization. Founded in 1913 in response to an escalating climate of antisemitism and bigotry, its timeless mission is to protect the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment for all. Today, ADL continues to fight all forms of hate with the same vigor and passion. ADL is the first call when acts of antisemitism occur. A global leader in exposing extremism, delivering anti-bias education and fighting hate online, ADL’s ultimate goal is a world in which no group or individual suffers from bias, discrimination or hate.