November 11, 2021 — New York
Hillel International and American Jewish Committee (AJC), in collaboration with the American Council on Education (ACE), will bring together college and university leaders from across the United States for a two-day summit on the unprecedented increase in antisemitic activity and the marginalization of Jewish students on campus. The February summit will be hosted by New York University.
“University presidents have a critical role to play in improving the campus climate for Jewish students and ensuring all students can live and study in environments free of hate and intolerance,” said Adam Lehman, President and CEO of Hillel International. “This summit will give university administrators the tools and resources they need to speak out against antisemitism and take specific steps to make our campuses safer.”
“As we confront the threat of rising antisemitism across America and around the world, Jewish students have been among the most visible targets of Jew-hatred in its various forms,” said David Harris, CEO of American Jewish Committee. “University leaders are our most important allies in confronting antisemitism on campus, and we look forward to working even more closely with them to ensure Jewish students, like students of all other backgrounds and faiths, are able to pursue education free of fear or intimidation.”
The University Presidents Summit brings together leaders of colleges and universities across the United States to explore meaningful ways in which institutions can respond to antisemitism within the context of fulfilling their overarching diversity, equity, and inclusion mission to combat all forms of racism, bigotry, discrimination, and harassment on campus, while respecting principles of academic freedom and free speech.
The summit will take place February 7-8 in New York City and will be hosted by NYU President Andrew Hamilton. It will include a keynote dinner, presentations from university and Jewish community leaders, and confidential breakout sessions for university administrators to explore key issues in depth with one another. The Summit will also offer campus leaders a unique opportunity to share best practices, develop institution specific approaches, and share resources that enable action.
“We are excited to collaborate with Hillel and AJC to address this essential and timely issue for college and university leaders,” said ACE President Ted Mitchell. “The conversations we engage in at this summit will help institutions across the country craft strategies to improve the campus climate for Jewish students and other community members.”
Portions of the Summit will be open for media coverage. For more information about the Summit, please contact Matthew Berger at Hillel International, Avi Mayer at the American Jewish Committee, or Jon Riskind at the American Council on Education.
About Hillel International
Founded in 1923, Hillel has been enriching the lives of Jewish students for more than 90 years. Today, Hillel International is a global organization that welcomes students of all backgrounds and fosters an enduring commitment to Jewish life, learning and Israel. Hillel is dedicated to enriching the lives of Jewish students so that they may enrich the Jewish people and the world. As the largest Jewish student organization in the world, Hillel builds connections with emerging adults at more than 550 colleges and universities and inspires them to direct their own path.
About AJC
American Jewish Committee (AJC), based in New York, with 24 regional offices across the United States and 13 posts around the world, is the premier global Jewish advocacy organization. Founded in 1906, AJC combats antisemitism and other forms of hatred and extremism through pioneering advocacy and engagement with government, faith, education, civic and media leaders. For more information, visit AJC.org and follow on Facebook.com/AJCGlobal and Twitter.com/AJCGlobal
About ACE
ACE is a membership organization that mobilizes the higher education community to shape effective public policy and foster innovative, high-quality practice. As the major coordinating body for the nation’s colleges and universities, our strength lies in our diverse membership of more than 1,700 colleges and universities, related associations, and other organizations in America and abroad. ACE is the only major higher education association to represent all types of U.S. accredited, degree-granting institutions: two-year and four-year, public and private. For more information, please visit www.acenet.edu or follow ACE on Twitter @ACEducation.
