Hotline for antisemitism on campus coming to US

An antisemitism hotline for US Jewish college students is being planning by the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations and the Jewish Federations of North America, in response to increasing incidents of antisemitism on campus.

The hotline will be established through the Secure Community Network (SCN), a joint security program of the two umbrella groups, and will be available across the US. The initiative is beginning on campus since many Jewish students attending universities away from their home town or state lack the community infrastructure and support to know if and how to report such incidents.

The immediate purpose of the hotline will be to help Jewish students report various forms of antisemitism that they experience, and to help direct those complaints to the relevant authorities, be they college administrators or law enforcement authorities. The eventual goal is to make the hotline available for all sectors of the Jewish population.

The Anti-Defamation League reported that incidents of antisemitism, racism and anti-Muslim hatred by white supremacist groups on US college campuses increased by a dramatic 77% during the 2017-2018 academic year, over the previous year, with 292 documented cases of white supremacist propaganda on college campuses, compared to 165 incidents during the 2016-17 academic year.

Antisemitic incidents connected to anti-Zionist sentiment and activism also pose a serious concern for Jewish students, including Israel Apartheid Week events and BDS activities.

Jewish students have frequently complained that university administrators have not dealt adequately with such incidents.