After a spring semester marked by at-times violent campus protests and anti-Israel encampments, Jewish college students nationwide are bracing for an equally hostile fall. But this year, a Jewish community-based security organization will provide students training in hand-to-hand combat — including the Israeli martial art of krav maga — designed to provide tools to counter campus intimidation and harassment, eJewishPhilanthropy has learned.  

“We don’t want other groups to force Jewish students to live with their heads down and to be afraid to participate on campus,” Richard Priem, CEO of the Community Security Service, the group that will provide self-defense and safety training for Jewish students beginning this fall, told eJP. “This is no longer a hypothetical… I’ve had students come to me saying that they fear for their life,” Priem said. “Complaining, reporting it and filing lawsuits is not all [that students] can do.” 

The initiative, which is expected to initially roll out on about 20 campuses nationwide, follows a pilot launched on six campuses last year, including some of the Ivy League universities that have seen some of the highest profile anti-Jewish incidents. It will be offered in two parts: A multi-class self-defense program based on krav maga will be delivered in partnership with campus organizations — such as Hillel, Chabad on Campus and the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity —  and conducted by professional trainers. Additionally, students affiliated with Jewish organizations on campus will be offered situational awareness and safety training to protect their institutions. 

Funding for the initiative comes primarily from a small number of undisclosed philanthropies who have been supporters of CSS for years, according to Priem. Additionally, a few new funders who have not supported CSS before but are concerned about campus safety have contributed.

Priem emphasized that the training is not intended to replace campus security. “Our goal is to make them feel empowered and confident,” he said. “To protect Jewish life and also the Jewish way of life.” He added that the mission of CSS, which has offered security training to more than 10,000 Jewish community members since 2007 to protect synagogues and other Jewish institutions, is to “give them another tool in the tool box to not be intimidated.” 

“Of course, we do expect that as students learn about the concept of standing up for themselves, we are planting a seed for those students to become involved in our volunteer security programs,” Priem said, noting that the need is greater than ever before and will continue even if the current surge of antisemitism wanes. 

“These times call for tangible action to meet the moment to expand our work,” Eddie Sugar, CSS chair, said in a statement. 

But the expansion comes as CSS resources are stretched thin, according to Priem, who said that requests for security around synagogues and Jewish events have been “unprecedented and through the roof” since the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks. 

But the decision to launch programs for students was “strategic and not taken lightly.” 

“The goal is to instill the mindset of stepping up for ourselves and taking ownership of our own security,” Priem said. “We believe that the students of today will be the leaders of their respective communities of tomorrow, so this will be part of our core mandate forever.”