Hillel International, the American Jewish Committee and the American Council on Education gathered university leaders for two days of panels and discourse to more effectively address eruptions of antisemitism observed across academia over the last year.
The groups sponsored the University Presidents Summit on Campus Antisemitism, conducted earlier this week on Sunday and Monday at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center in Washington, D.C.
Ted Mitchell, president of ACE, said that he was “confident the presidents who attended left better-equipped to take on these tough issues and the challenges to come, to the benefit of all of our students and communities.”
Participants represented a broad spectrum of schools—from religious to research-based, community colleges to Ivy League institutions, and public state schools to private liberal arts schools.
Topics that the more than 75 college presidents and chancellors considered in panels included exploring the roots of antisemitism; understanding Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; protecting free speech; and maintaining a secure campus environment.
“Universities play an outsized role in our broader society, encouraging values-driven leadership, the open exchange of ideas, and the principles that form the foundation of our democracy,” stated Ted Deutch, CEO of the American Jewish Committee.
“Addressing the hate we’re witnessing on campus is not just essential for the safety and security of Jewish students in the quad, but also for the health of higher education in America,” Deutch said. “Only by ensuring that the voices of the Jewish community are not silenced can we ensure the free exchange of ideas, the importance of which extends beyond campus and forms the bedrock of our liberal democracy.”
