In eJewishPhilanthropy’s exclusive opinion column The 501(C) Suite, leading foundation executives share what they are working on and thinking about with the wider philanthropic field. 

The college campus is pivotal. It’s where students — today’s rising leaders — combine knowledge and values to form their worldviews. Where the exchange of ideas is paramount. Where students, educators and people of all backgrounds can come together to learn, explore and expand their engagement with one another. 

This is why at Schusterman Family Philanthropies, we are committed to ensuring college campuses are places of growth and opportunity, which at the most fundamental level includes making them safe and hospitable for Jewish students, students connected to Israel and students who want to learn about Israel. Indeed, campus should be a safe and welcoming place of inquiry for all. It should be a haven of critical thinking and dialogue, unmatched in the opportunity to dive deeper into Jewish life and to build understanding of Israel and the Middle East region. 

But this has not been the case in the aftermath of Oct. 7, 2023. Last year, 32% of American Jewish students reported feeling uncomfortable or unsafe at a campus event because of their Jewish identity; 43% avoided expressing their views on Israel; and 34% avoided wearing, carrying or displaying things that would identify them as Jewish. These heartbreaking numbers reflect how fraught, even toxic, many campus environments are today.

We know that a multilayered challenge needs a multifaceted approach. We identified years ago there would be no silver bullet when it comes to ensuring a welcoming campus environment for Jews and those who want to study Israel. Instead, we must address the entire campus ecosystem so that every student who is interested can explore Jewish life and learn about Israel according to the highest academic standards and the most meaningful and engaging programming. 

To this end, we are working with partners old and new to transform the many facets of campus life that need investment. Below are their snapshots of the important, proactive work underway.

Advocating for students and campus culture

“For the 2025-2026 academic year, Hillel placed staff on 13 campuses in a new pilot initiative to advocate on behalf of Jewish students facing discrimination and bias and to strengthen relationships between Jewish and other campus communities. We are also launching a new consulting arm, extending from our flagship Campus Climate Initiative, to help our university partners implement needed changes to their codes, policies and practices governing student and faculty conduct, and pursue new bridge-building initiatives that improve campus culture for Jewish and all students.”

— Adam Lehman, President and CEO, Hillel International 

Focusing on quality instruction

“With all that is happening on campuses, it is easy to forget that the point of all our efforts must be the students; specifically, the goal of making sure that students have a class to take and a professor to talk with about Israel who approaches the topic with thoughtfulness, nuance and sophistication. This academic year, more than 5,000 students across the U.S. will take a class about Israel made possible by the Israel Institute. Importantly, we are also bringing nearly 40 Israeli scholars to campus to teach courses and to serve as an important voice in their school’s community.”

— Ari Roth, Executive Director, Israel Institute

Empowering faculty as campus champions 

“Academic Engagement Network recently launched the Faculty Against Antisemitism Movement (FAAM) to help an estimated 25,000 professors and staff connected to and educating about Israel to act as resources for their schools. Members of FAAM help inform and support university leaders in improving the campus climate for Jewish and other students and serve students as allies and mentors.”

— Miriam Elman, Executive Director, Academic Engagement Network

Investing in student leadership

“We are helping pro-Israel students transform themselves from targets of hate into confident leaders and change-makers. This summer’s Israel on Campus Coalition National Leadership Summit featured 700 young leaders from more than 200 campuses, with hundreds more on the waitlist. They left with the tools, training and network needed to lead fellow students, build proactive coalitions and stand up for Israel and Jewish life on campus and beyond. When we invest in these students, we aren’t just strengthening the U.S.-Israel alliance. We’re cultivating principled leaders who will shape American society for years to come.”

— Jacob Baime, CEO, Israel on Campus Coalition

Expanding service opportunities to bring students closer 

“In partnership with Hillel International, Repair the World is expanding our service engagement internship to equip students to lead Jewish service experiences for their peers, and launching new bridge-building cohorts that bring Jewish and non-Jewish students together. When Jewish students engage in volunteering and learning, it strengthens Jewish identity and community. And when done side by side with non-Jewish peers, it builds trust and shifts the focus from what divides us to what we can build together.”

— Cindy Greenberg, President and CEO, Repair the World

Doubling down on immersive experiences

“At a time when many Jewish young adults feel overwhelmed and discouraged, Birthright Israel offers a powerful antidote: a chance to tap into Jewish pride and resilience and experience Israel up close and personal, alongside Jewish peers. Trip participants gain a firsthand perspective, get the space to ask tough questions and engage in nuanced conversations about the country. Since Oct. 7, more than 40,000 Jewish young adults have participated in a Birthright Israel program — including tens of thousands who volunteered in communities impacted by war.”

— Elias Saratovsky, President and CEO, Birthright Israel Foundation

Combining Jewish and universal values

“We believe that having to choose between your people and your planet is a false binary. Adamah’s newest youth empowerment initiative, Adamah on Campus, is mobilizing a Jewish response to the climate crisis, allowing Jewish students to align their Jewish values and their universal values through Jewish environmental education and climate action. The 36 — and soon to be 55 — chapters are also helping build vibrant campus-based communities, empowering Jewish students to connect with both Jewish and non-Jewish students around common values and a shared vision for the future.”

— Jakir Manela, Chief Executive Officer, Adamah

We owe it to the students settling in on campuses across the country right now to help stem the vitriol and make space for curiosity and true exchange. We must invest urgently in efforts to safeguard campus as an inclusive place for Jews and Israel and an unrivaled home for learning and growth. 

After all, what happens on campus does not stay on campus. History has shown that bias, misunderstanding and apathy have the power to ripple outward. Fortunately, the same is true for knowledge and connection. The better we are at confronting antisemitism, defending nuance and promoting understanding on American college campuses, the stronger our outlook as a people and as a country will be.

Lisa Eisen is co-president of Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies, which works in the United States and Israel to achieve more just and inclusive societies. Eisen leads Schusterman’s Jewish community grantmaking portfolio and its gender and reproductive equity grantmaking portfolio.