The ADL has released its antisemitism report cards for universities, but a couple schools in South Florida earned A grades.
Ever since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas massacre, American college campuses have seen an explosion of anti-Israel and sometimes, antisemitic demonstrations. Jewish students have felt under siege at many universities, but according to the Anti-Defamation League, not here in South Florida.
The ADL has released its second national Antisemitism Report Card, and the University of Miami and Florida International University each earned an "A."
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WATCH HERE“We’re thrilled with an A grade and it’s well-deserved, FIU has been fantastic, it doesn’t mean we haven’t had any incidents but every time, the administration has stepped up, they’ve done the right thing, they’ve been helpful to students, our Jewish students feel safe,” said Jon Warech, executive director of the Hillel chapter at FIU.
FIU students Tom Mizrachi and Natan Farhy, each of whom is Jewish, told me they feel comfortable and welcome on campus.
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“Absolutely, we have multiple Jewish organizations here and it gives us a sense of community,” Mizrachi said.
The ADL’s report card evaluated 135 colleges and universities. 45% of the schools improved their grade from the last report card, because, the ADL said, they’ve made major policy changes to combat antisemitism on campus.
“It doesn’t mean that individuals and students need to curtail their free speech but it does mean that harassment of any student group or any population should be thoroughly denounced,” said Lonny Wilk of the ADL.
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While FIU and UM received the highest grades, Florida State, the University of Florida, Central Florida, and Florida Atlantic all earned a “B.” The University of South Florida got a “C.” They were the only Florida colleges evaluated.
The ADL says improvement can and should happen.
“Campuses can put in place a structure and framework to protect all students, including Jewish students, as we’ve seen antisemitic incidents throughout the country have significantly increased, and so we need to be able to meet this moment,” Wilk said.
All students, the ADL says, should be able to concentrate on academics without worrying about their personal safety.
