NEW YORK (Press Release) – According to a new survey conducted by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and the Academic Engagement Network (AEN), faculty and staff are key drivers of the antisemitism faced by Jewish faculty on U.S. college campuses.
In the survey, Jewish-identifying faculty reported facing targeted boycott, smear, and doxxing campaigns from fellow faculty, administrators, or staff on campus. The respondents noted that these antisemitic actions often came with serious professional consequences, both on campus and within professional academic organizations.
One faculty member reported disturbing harassment, “I’m being attacked online by students, and I am being ostracized by faculty in a smear campaign. I have been advised by the provost for my own safety not to come to campus tomorrow…I am to teach my class online and reevaluate whether it’s safe to come to campus next week. This is as bad as it gets. This has been a multi prong attack on me because I stood up regularly against antisemitism on campus.”
Critically, the survey suggests that negative campus experiences related to being Jewish and/or Zionist may be linked with discomfort expressing one’s Jewish identity on campus and considering leaving the academy. Among faculty who reported such experiences, 35.3 percent reported low comfort levels with others on campus knowing they are Jewish – compared to 5.1 percent of those who had not faced these challenges reporting the same.
Relatedly, while just 5.1 percent of faculty without such negative experiences have contemplated leaving the academy, that number rises to 38.8 percent among those who have. These experiences can contribute to self-censorship, with more than one-third of all of the surveyed respondents (37.8 percent) reporting having felt a need to hide their Jewish and/or Zionist identity from others on campus, and 25.3 percent of those who are members of academic associations feeling the need to conceal these aspects of their identity within their associations.
Respondents also shared personal testimonials:
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One faculty member reflected that “FJP [Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine] have had many events on my campus which were billed as being anti-Zionist but truly were antisemitic. They posted tropes about Jews and Israel that were clearly antisemitic.”
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One respondent noted: “My chair is pro-Hamas (explicitly so) and has turned our department into an encampment, full of ‘river to the sea’ slogans and propaganda…When I and a few other Jewish faculty objected, the chair organized about 50 people to verbally attack us, including one who told me that we had all the money and power. Consequently, my department is a hostile work environment, and I can no longer attend events or participate in departmental life there.”
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Others shared, “Faculty are not talking to me because they know I’m a Zionist.” And another confided: “I am being attacked in all directions, and I no longer feel safe on campus.”
The survey showed that many of respondents were aware of an organized Faculty for Justice in Palestine (FJP) chapter on their campus and problematic activities coming from these chapters. Specifically, 84.8 percent said their campus FJP chapter endorsed anti-Israel divestment campaigns. Consequently, as part of this research, ADL released today a research article on Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine (FSJP).
“What we’re seeing is a betrayal of the fundamental principles of academic freedom and collegiality. Jewish faculty are being forced to hide their identities, excluded from professional opportunities, and told by their own colleagues what constitutes antisemitism—even as they experience it firsthand. This hostile environment is driving talented educators and researchers away from careers they’ve dedicated their lives to building,” said Jonathan A. Greenblatt, ADL CEO. “Universities must recognize that academic excellence cannot thrive when faculty members are marginalized based on their identity.”
“Colleges and universities are meant to be open, safe learning environments where faculty and students alike feel comfortable sharing ideas and having open discourse,” said Miriam Elman, AEN Executive Director. “It’s disturbing, but perhaps unsurprising, that Jewish and Zionist faculty on campuses across the country are experiencing antisemitic hostility and retaliation for their beliefs. What’s even more alarming is that much of this animosity is driven by the faculty and staff themselves, creating an unsafe work environment for their colleagues and an unwelcoming learning environment for their students. Administrators must address these issues head-on and take meaningful action to protect the flow of free ideas and open inquiry on their campuses, or their institutions will suffer for generations to come.”
Many institutions appear reluctant to address antisemitism, often downplaying faculty concerns. Despite being targets of antisemitic behavior themselves, many of the faculty members surveyed reported being told by others on campus what is and is not antisemitism.
This survey is the latest in a long partnership between ADL and AEN to combat antisemitism on college campuses and in professional academic associations and support Jewish-identifying faculty and staff. This past March, they formed a new collaboration to leverage the strengths of both organizations to fight antisemitism on U.S. campuses and in the broader academy. As part of this partnership, ADL and AEN have called on several professional associations to address allegations of antisemitism within their ranks.
“Universities are supposed to be the academic homes where faculty dedicate their lives to teaching, research, and the pursuit of truth. Instead, our findings show that antisemitism is driving Jewish faculty from those very homes – forcing them to choose between their safety and their careers,” said Shira Goodman, ADL’s VP of Advocacy. “When faculty are pushed out, it is not only a profound personal loss for those scholars, but also a loss for the students who look to them as mentors and models of open, inclusive scholarship. Universities must confront this reality with urgency and ensure that Jewish faculty are fully protected, valued, and included.”
“As a faculty member, I am incredibly concerned about the rise of antisemitism I am seeing on college campuses. I am especially troubled by the ignorance and hate that is perpetuated by colleagues who are entrusted with shaping young minds,” said Professor Shira Brown at California State University, Northridge, an AEN faculty fellow. “This bias undermines our academic values of inclusion, and it disrespects Jewish students and faculty alike. Through AEN and its Faculty Against Antisemitism Movement (FAAM) initiative, I am committed to speaking out, supporting students, and fostering a learning community where Jewish identity is protected and celebrated. At its core, academia is meant to engender critical yet respectful dialogue among all disciplines and identities, and AEN provides tangible tools and resources to achieve just that.”
Methodology
The survey was conducted by ADL in collaboration with AEN and included 209 faculty members who are currently or were recently employed at a U.S. college or university and identify as Jewish. Respondents were recruited through snowball sampling, leveraging ADL and AEN networks. The research was designed to gather insights into faculty perceptions and experiences of antisemitism on campus and within academic associations, with Institutional Review Board approval obtained from Gratz College prior to fielding the survey.
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Preceding provided by the Anti-Defamation League and the Academic Engagement Network.