Congressman's letter presses college DEI leaders to take action against anti-Jewish hate
On Nov. 6, Representative Rudy Yakym wrote to 110 colleges and universities that have recorded incidents of anti-Semitism to take action.
Writing to university DEI officials, Yakym questioned schools on whether they have official definitions of anti-Semitism and what actions they have taken since the Hamas attacks.
In light of ongoing threats aimed at Jewish college students, an Indiana congressman is among the latest lawmakers to respond.
On Nov. 6, Representative Rudy Yakym wrote to 110 colleges and universities that have recorded incidents of anti-Semitism to take action. The message was addressed to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI) leaders and other university officials to ensure that Jewish faculty and staff feel safe on campus.
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The letter, sent to a variety of schools, highlights the growing number of anti-Semitic incidents on college campuses provoked by Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks on Israel, stating, “A global convulsion of antisemitism has followed closely in the wake of this massacre, and, sadly, America’s university campuses have not been immune.”
Yakym wrote to DEI officials to ask if their seemingly inclusive policies extend to Jewish students. He requested that the schools in question address various questions by Dec. 8.
Yakym specifically questions whether each school has an official definition of anti-Semitism, what actions has it pursued since the Hamas attacks, and whether it considers phrases like “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” to be anti-Semitic, among other inquiries.
“Over the past month too many colleges and universities have excused, indulged, or downplayed antisemitism on their campuses,” Yakym said in a statement to Campus Reform. “Enough is enough. I’m leading the effort to press these schools and their DEI departments on what they are doing to combat antisemitism and make sure Jewish students and faculty feel safe on campus.”
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At the time of this article’s publication, Yakym’s office confirmed that none of the schools had responded yet.
Campus Reform also spoke to Julie Klingenstein, president of Students Supporting Israel at Tulane University, who said that although she believes Jewish students are protected on her campus overall, this was not the case during a pro-Palestine rally on Oct. 26.
“I feel that students were not protected on October 26 when three Jewish students were assaulted at an anti-Israel rally,” she said. “We are seeing an enormous increase in violence against Jews on college campuses around the country.”
“It is easy to think it could never happen at Tulane due to the high percentage of Jews in the student body, but we saw it right there on October 26,” she continued. “I, personally, do not feel unsafe wearing my Magen David necklace around campus but I am aware that there is always a risk.”
