Combating Antisemitism

The fight against hate and intolerance is particularly important as our nation, our city and some of our campuses face a disturbing uptick in antisemitism.

While we know there’s more work to do, we have responded to the concerns of our students, alumni and others in our community by doing more to build bridges and confront bigotry and discrimination in our system and in our city. The City University of New York has launched a system-wide, multi-pronged plan to combat antisemitism on our campuses. The plan includes antisemitism and anti-hate program investments, improved reporting infrastructure, strategic partnerships, targeted leadership development, and targeted communications and outreach.

Email Judge Jonathan Lippman, former Chief Judge of the State of New York
At the request of Governor Hochul, Judge Lippman is conducting an independent review of CUNY policies and procedures related to antisemitism and discrimination. Read More

In connection with that review, Judge Lippman and his team have established an email address, cuny.review@lw.com, so that CUNY students, faculty, employees, and other members of the CUNY system and the public, can directly communicate with Judge Lippman’s review team. Anyone can use the cuny.review@lw.com address to directly provide comments, suggestions, materials, or other information that will assist, or otherwise be relevant to, the review. The email address also can be utilized by anyone seeking to speak directly with the team conducting the review. If such a request is made, the review team will make best efforts to arrange an interview, subject to availability. Emails sent to cuny.review@lw.com will go directly to the outside review team and no one at CUNY will have access to the mailbox. Please note that while the review team cannot guarantee that it will be able to keep all messages and or materials received through cuny.review@lw.com confidential, the team will do its best to honor any requests for confidentiality.

Antisemitism & Anti-hate
Program Investments

The multi‐year Anti‐Hate Initiative, funded this year by $500,000 by the New York City Council, will provide funding for CUNY colleges to confront discrimination focused on particular populations within the CUNY community over the course of several years. In academic year 2023-24, one key partnership will be the Governor’s Anti‐Hate in Education Center, which has named antisemitism as its focus through Summer 2024.

Additionally, we have distributed $750,000 systemwide in state funds to address all forms of bigotry, including antisemitism. The colleges hosted programming, training and events to strategically respond to discrimination and meet the needs of their communities. Some of the campaigns supported by these funds include:

New York City College of Technology launched “I am a Jew,” an information campaign curated by two of the college’s professors to bring attention to the diversity among the Jewish population. The campaign aims to make all people who identify as Jewish feel comfortable, even if not perceived as fitting the common conceptions of who is Jewish.

Lehman College’s student affairs division developed the “SEEDS of Change” initiative, which were three campuswide town hall conversations to discuss each other’s differences.

Baruch College’s student cultural clubs, including Hillel, were invited to a “unity breakfast,” an educational opportunity for students to learn about how they can support each other’s cultures and how they are united as New Yorkers.

At Brooklyn College, 40 students participated in the LEAD (Leadership, Empowerment and Advocacy Dialogues) for Change Student Retreat to promote cross-cultural understanding. Following the January retreat, a Muslim student organization at the school is currently organizing an interfaith event with members of the Jewish community on campus.

Improved Reporting Infrastructure

Launching of an online portal to report instances of discrimination and retaliation, including antisemitism, allowing for a standardized process from which the University can analyze trends in the reported incidents. Our college presidents are required to file semi-annual reports on the cases submitted through this portal, and use the data to develop policies and training.

Strategic Partnerships

Partnering with Hillel International’s Campus Climate Initiative to address the global uptick in antisemitism while fostering a welcoming community for Jewish students. Seven CUNY colleges are taking part, working with Hillel to understand how Jewish students feel on campus and adopt policies and programs to meet their needs. We expect to receive data from surveys, focus groups, and a comprehensive review of policies and practices at the University in September. This data will inform our next steps.

Partnering with the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism to raise awareness about antisemitism and hatred against Jewish people by wearing blue squares or posting or sharing the blue square emoji. We are planning co-branding some events in the Fall funded by the campus climate grants mentioned above.

Targeted Leadership Development

Establishing a new Advisory Council on Jewish Life, which includes New York Jewish leaders such as Rabbi Joseph Potasnik, executive vice president of the New York Board of Rabbis; Michael Cohen, eastern director of the Simon Wiesenthal Center; and Michael Miller, former executive vice president and CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York (JCRC-NY). The Council has been asked to leverage their expertise and experience to provide insights and strategic advice to the Chancellor on issues related to Jewish life at CUNY. The Council and the subcommittees started meeting in the summer of 2023 and have already identified priority areas of focus.

If only other colleges would follow the lead of @ChancellorCUNY the college world would be a better place. The Chancellor sat with us for 2 hours in a frank dialogue on antisemitism on campuses. Unfortunately it’s a huge problem w/o easy answers @CUNYCOO @CUNY @simonwiesenthal pic.twitter.com/abunHoe5ln
— Gil (@GilAllcar) March 8, 2024

Chancellor Matos Rodríguez led a delegation of 12 CUNY college presidents last April 2022 on a ‘Scholars as Bridge Builders’ visit to Israel organized by JCRC-NY during which the leadership team visited three of the country’s most important higher education institutions – Hebrew University, Tel Aviv University and Sapir College.

Targeted Communications
& Outreach

The Chancellor has been outspoken on issues of importance to CUNY’s Jewish members:

In fighting antisemitism, we reaffirm Governor Hochul’s 2020 proclamation and the guidance from the U.S. Department of Education, identifying the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism as a vital resource. This use of the IHRA definition at CUNY will not diminish or infringe upon any rights protected under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution or the NYS Constitution, and shall not be construed to conflict with local, federal or state law.
Some resolutions adopted by CUNY faculty and student membership groups have called for the support of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel. The Chancellor has been clear that those resolutions don’t speak for the University and has denounced them. CUNY does not support and, in fact, cannot participate in BDS activities, and is required by New York State executive order to divest public funds from any companies that do. Here is a statement on this topic with additional information.
Further, the Chancellor has rejected calls to end academic exchange programs with Israel that are contrary to our university’s core mission of introducing students to a world that can be vastly different from their own. In partnership with JCRC-NY, CUNY has plans to take another delegation of presidents to Israel and sign educational exchange and collaboration agreements with several universities there.

Launching a social media campaign to promote knowledge of and compliance with CUNY’s policies guaranteeing accommodations to our students observing religious holidays. In line with state law, students who are absent from class because of their religious observance must be given an equivalent opportunity to make up class requirements — including exams and other assignments.

Yulduz, Christian, Charanjot & Carrie
PSA on Religious Accommodations

Chancellor Matos Rodríguez
PSA on Religious Accommodations

Chancellor Matos Rodríguez has prioritized community engagement with CUNY students as well as important external stakeholders in the Jewish community. Activities in 2023 include a visit to a Sukkah at Brooklyn College, attendance at the opening of the “I am a Jew” visual arts exhibit at New York City College of Technology, participation in the Hampton Synagogue’s Breakfast Forum as a featured guest, and bringing opening remarks for a fireside chat between Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt, Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, and U.S. Rep. Grace Meng at the Kupferberg Holocaust Center at Queensborough Community College. In December 2022, the Chancellor and CUNY students joined the Shine a Light on Antisemitism event in Times Square.