WASHINGTON, D.C. — Hillel International and the Secure Community Network (SCN), the primary security partner for Hillel International, released the following statement after Harvard University announced it would cover the security costs of its campus Hillel.
“The decision by Harvard University to cover the security costs for the Hillel there – a vibrant center of Jewish life – is welcome, wise, and necessary,” said Michael Masters, SCN National Director and CEO of the Secure Community Network. “It should serve as a template for all universities. We call on all universities and colleges with Hillels on campus to follow Harvard’s lead and cover security costs for their Hillels, especially given the threats to Jewish students across North America. No student should have to choose between their safety and fully participating in campus or religious life.”
According to Hillel International’s incident tracking, individuals reported 2,334 antisemitic incidents during the 2024-2025 school year, the highest since tracking began in 2019, and ten times the number reported in the 2022–2023 academic year.
“I strongly encourage all other colleges and universities to cover all security costs at campus Hillels, just as Harvard University recently announced. Creating safe and secure environments where Jewish students can gather and feel like they belong is central to our work in building strong and joyful Jewish campus communities. Harvard’s decision to fund these essential security measures reflects the understanding that Jewish students, like all students, deserve to be safe and welcome on campus,” added Adam Lehman, president and CEO of Hillel International.
Through OperationSecureOurCampuses, in 2024, SCN and Hillel responded to over 500 campus-specific incidents, implemented more than 40 customized security plans, conducted in-person campus safety walkthroughs, and launched the SafeU training platform with three-time Super Bowl champion Julian Edelman and the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism.
While stronger university enforcement has reduced some violent incidents, there is more work to do to ensure that Jewish students are safe in their own campus communities.
We urge students and campus community members to promptly report security incidents at reportcampushate.org, which allows us to respond swiftly and maintain safe campus environments for all. Students, campus Hillels, or other Jewish life centers interested in participating in the SafeU: Campus Safety Initiative can email training@securecommunitynetwork.org for more information.
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Preceding provided by Secure Community Network