In an effort to curb rising antisemitism on college campuses as the fall semester nears, five leading Jewish organizations are partnering to present a new series of recommendations for university leaders to implement at their schools, eJewishPhilanthropy has learned.

What Jewish faced on campus in 2023-2024 “cannot be allowed to continue into the new academic year,” Ted Deutch, CEO of the American Jewish Committee, said in a statement.

The guidelines call for university leaders to “anticipate and mitigate disruptions” on the one-year anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attacks in Israel. Other suggestions include: “Clearly communicate campus rules, standards, and policies”; “support Jewish students”; “ensure campus safety”; and “reaffirm faculty responsibilities.” 

Steps to “support Jewish students,” according to the recommendations, include ones to “prevent discrimination against Jewish students in campus organizations, clubs, and institutions, unequivocally denounce targeting of Jewish student organizations, ensure Israeli students and faculty are welcome, and reject BDS and provide antisemitism education and training for all students.” 

The four-page set of guidelines is a joint effort from the AJC, Anti-Defamation League, the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, Hillel International and Jewish Federations of North America. 

The new recommendations, the Jewish leaders say, is in part an effort to compel universities to enforce their own codes of conduct on campus. “Too many administrations failed to respond effectively,” ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said in a statement. The sentiment was echoed by Conference of Presidents CEO William Daroff, who noted that last year saw “numerous incidents of harassment against Jewish students, violent protests and flagrant violations of conduct codes.” 

“During the last academic year, countless Jewish students experienced harassment, intimidation, discrimination, and even assaults on campus,” Adam Lehman, Hillel International president and CEO, said in a separate statement. “Alongside our efforts to build vibrant Jewish communities on campus, we are providing college and university leaders with clear guidance and practical solutions for the steps they need to take to ensure a safer and more welcoming environment for Jewish students.” 

Several of the recommendations from Jewish groups echo similar guidelines that antisemitism task forces on elite university campuses attempted to implement last school year. At Columbia University, for example, those proposals drew mixed reviews from Jewish leaders and skepticism over whether they could effectively address pervasive antisemitism.