A view of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

By Debrah Miszak April 11, 2024

In the Anti-Defamation League’s annual Campus Antisemitism Report Card, published Thursday, only Brandeis University in Massachusetts and Elon University in North Carolina earned “A” grades out of 85 schools examined.

Thirteen other schools, including Harvard, Stanford and Princeton, were given grades of “F.” Grades were assigned based on criteria including administrative action and policies, incidents on campus and Jewish student life.

Brandeis University has long been home to a large Jewish student body, with 35% of its population identifying as Jewish as of 2022.

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“Brandeis was founded in 1948 by the American Jewish community to counter the antisemitism and quotas on Jewish participation in higher education,” said university president Ron Liebowitz in a statement provided via email. “From its beginning, Brandeis has been open to all qualified individuals and has opposed hate toward other groups; our founders knew that hate often begins with but rarely ends at antisemitism. We are proud that the ADL recognizes our continued support for our Jewish students, faculty and staff at a time when some campuses are struggling to protect those members of their community.”

Elon University, where 13% of students identify as Jewish, earned an “A” largely because of its increased support for Jewish life and multifaith strategic planning, per the ADL report. Additionally, the university took initiative after the Oct. 7 terror attack by Hamas in Israel to encourage dialogue between students and faculty about the aftermath by hosting an event entitled “Contextualizing the Conflict: Conversations about the Middle East,” that drew two hundred participants.

“Elon University appreciates this recognition of the university’s intentional, ongoing efforts to create an educational environment rooted in respect for human differences and the dignity of all members of the community,” said Jon Dooley, Elon University’s Vice President for Student Life, in an email. “Creating a positive campus climate for civic engagement and constructive dialogue is a critical component of Elon’s mission and its commitment to fostering a collaborative and productive learning environment.”

Several of the “F”-graded universities were Ivy League institutions, which have been roiled by controversy over allegations of antisemitism since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas War in October. 

According to the report card, Harvard University’s low grade was due to the amount of anti-Zionist activity on campus and in the student government, ongoing litigation regarding antisemitic incidents, and criticism of the university’s response as inadequate.

“Antisemitism has no place in the Harvard community,” said Harvard spokesperson Jonathan Swain in a statement made via email. “We remain steadfast in our commitment to combating antisemitism and hate, in whatever form it manifests itself.”

“What has been allowed to happen on our campuses is unacceptable,” said Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the ADL, in a January statement, announcing the beginning of efforts to compile this year’s report card. “Colleges and universities must commit to No Tolerance for Antisemitism, and they must take clear, decisive action steps to achieve that. ADL’s new ratings system will help students and parents to rank schools in a comparative fashion, but it also will offer an opportunity for campuses to demonstrate what they are doing right.”

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