Many local universities are still falling short when it comes to addressing antisemitism on campus, while there are signs that some schools are doing a better job at protecting Jewish students, according to the ADL.
Antisemitism on college campuses has been a hot topic since the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attacks on Israel, as students have reported antisemitic incidents amid the Israel-Hamas war.
Harvard University, which has been ground zero for lawsuits over antisemitism on campus, now has a “C” grade in the ADL’s 2025 Campus Antisemitism Report Card — up from an “F” last year. Tufts University also made the jump from “F” to “C” in the past year.
Meanwhile, the three area universities that received a “D” grade from the ADL are MIT, Boston University, and UMass Amherst.
“I said it last year and I’ll say it again: every single campus should get an ‘A’, this isn’t a high bar – this should be the standard,” ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said in a statement. “While many campuses have improved in ways that are encouraging and commendable, Jewish students still do not feel safe or included on too many campuses.
“The progress we’ve seen is evidence that change is possible – all university leaders should focus on addressing these very real challenges with real action,” he added.
A recent ADL survey found that 83% of Jewish college students experienced or witnessed antisemitism since the Oct. 2023 Hamas terror attacks on Israel, and that 66% of Jewish students were not confident in their university’s ability to prevent antisemitic incidents.
More than 50% of the schools assessed by the ADL last year have enacted major policy changes in response to rising campus antisemitism. Almost all have revised their demonstration policies.
The schools that strengthened and enforced policies, mandated antisemitism education, and improved bias reporting have seen the most progress.
“I am pleased that so many universities responded to the antisemitism crisis on campus with substantive changes that have led to real improvements in campus climate for Jewish students,” said Samantha Joseph, ADL New England’s regional director.
“The ADL team has been working closely with the many of these schools to help them implement best practices to ensure a safe environment for all students and to effectively counter rising antisemitism and hate,” Joseph added. “The goal of this report is to incentivize colleges and universities to create and maintain safe and welcoming campuses for Jewish students. We hope this year’s report helps even more universities understand that achieving an A is within their reach.”
Brandeis University — which was founded by the American Jewish community a few years after the Holocaust — is the only local school that received an “A” grade in the ADL report card.
Brandeis has a partnership with the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism, and has received funding for new classes on antisemitism, according to the ADL report.
“The University also provides mandatory antisemitism education for its campus community and openly pursues a policy of active engagement with and support of Israel,” the report states. “The University has made clear that phrases such as ‘From the river to the sea’ are hate speech and contrary to the University’s Principles.”
In advance of the 2024-25 academic year, the administration circulated the Campus Use of Space policy to the entire campus community, underscoring that encampments are prohibited and that third parties are not permitted to join campus protests.
Meanwhile at Harvard last year, a mezuzah was reportedly ripped from the doorframe of a Jewish student’s dorm room, and a sticker depicting an Israeli flag with a swastika replacing the Star of David was pasted on a lamppost on campus. During an anti-Israel rally in front of Harvard University’s Hillel, protesters chanted, “Zionists not welcome here.”
Earlier this year, Harvard settled two antisemitism lawsuits by agreeing to provide additional protections for Jewish students, including by adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism.
Over at Tufts, the Department of Education has launched an investigation into the university’s handling of reported antisemitic incidents on campus. Last year, anti-Israel graffiti was located on campus that included inverted red triangles.
Also, SJP distributed fliers on campus advertising an event on the anniversary of Hamas’ attack on Israel. The fliers depicted images of firearms and called for students to “escalate” and “join the student intifada.”
At MIT last year, anti-Israel protestors established an encampment. During the three-week encampment, several incidents were recorded, including calls for “Death to Zionists” and a crowd of students cheering a speaker who was praising Hamas and other terrorist organizations.
Anti-Israel flyers featuring a link to an interactive map of Jews and Zionists in Massachusetts were distributed at an orientation for new MIT students. Also, an antisemitic manifesto was distributed that advocated for violence against Zionists, and included a symbol associated with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
There have been several recent antisemitic incidents on Boston University’s campus, including people ripping down posters of Israeli hostages held by Hamas.
At UMass Amherst, a pro-Palestinian encampment resulted in more than 130 arrests. Also, a swastika was drawn on a white board hanging on the dorm room door of a Jewish student.
