CUNY faces call for overhaul in wake of antisemitism report

Former New York Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman has published a 139-page report detailing his 10-month investigation into antisemitism at the City University of New York (CUNY). The report calls for a significant overhaul of CUNY’s system to address “the levels of antisemitism and discrimination that exist on CUNY’s campuses today.”

New York Governor Kathy Hochul appointed Lippman on October 31, 2023, to independently review CUNY’s policies on antisemitism and discrimination. The law firm Latham & Watkins assisted in the investigation.

Lippman presented a “13-point action plan” to CUNY, urging immediate implementation. One key recommendation is adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism.

“The IHRA definition … provides important insight into the relationship between Jews and the State of Israel, making clear why antizionism may constitute antisemitism,” Lippman wrote, adding that CUNY should also explore other definitions to help faculty and administrators address these complex issues.

IHRA examples of antisemitism include: “denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor,” Holocaust denial, antisemitic tropes, and “drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis.”

More than 40 countries, among them the US, Philippines, Germany, France, UK, Italy, South Korea, Spain, Argentina, and Israel, have “endorsed or adopted” the IHRA working definition, according to the American Jewish Committee. The US Department of Education is included in individual organizations that have adopted the definition.

“Judge Lippman’s recommendation that CUNY accept that IHRA is the law of the land and act accordingly is a milestone for Jewish students, faculty, and staff whose pleas for help have fallen, if not on deaf ears, then on misunderstanding ones which couldn’t hear how antisemitic conduct often masquerades as ‘merely’ anti-Israel political advocacy,” Kenneth L. Marcus, the founder and chairman of the Brandeis Center, told The Media Line.

Marcus, a former assistant US secretary of education for civil rights and previous holder of the Lillie and Nathan Ackerman Chair in Equality and Justice in America at Baruch College, emphasized the importance of time, place, and manner restrictions to balance protest rights and campus functionality.

Lippman’s report references The Brandeis Center, which is currently challenging the New York Department of Education for neglecting to address antisemitism in K-12 schools. The Center has also pursued legal actions against several US universities, including CUNY’s Brooklyn College.

New York State Assemblyman Ari Brown thanked Lippman for his report but expressed concerns about CUNY’s willingness to act on its findings to protect Jewish students.

“Many in our community, including numerous rabbis, recognize the significance of this report and the efforts of [CUNY] Chancellor Félix Matos Rodríguez. However, … while some express agreement, much of it remains lip service. Many of us in the state legislature have reached out … only to feel ignored, all while our students endure harassment and intimidation,” Brown told The Media Line.

Brown has introduced six bills targeting antisemitism and addressing the funding of institutions that “have neglected Jewish students.” He is also organizing an event on October 6 to coincide with an October 7 commemoration at Andrew J. Parise Park in Cedarhurst, NY, at 11 am. The event aims to raise awareness about antisemitism and advocate for accountability.

“The findings of the report are a vital starting point, but we must push for meaningful action,” said Brown.

CUNY operates 25 institutions across New York, serving over 233,000 students, and has a significant Jewish population. According to Hillel Magazine, 38% of the student body at CUNY Brooklyn College is Jewish, making it the seventh-largest Jewish student population in the US. At Queens College, 31% of the student body is Jewish, ranking it eighth.

Antisemitic incidents are not new to CUNY. Numerous events over the years have drawn national attention.Anti-Israel activists gained attention when their classmates chose them to give commencement speeches at the CUNY School of Law in 2022 and 2023. Nerdeen Kiswani, a Jordanian of Palestinian descent and co-founder of the pro-Palestinian group Within Our Lifetime, spoke in 2022, while Students for Justice in Palestine activist Fatima Mohammed, a Yemeni, was the 2023 speaker. Both used their speeches to criticize Israel and the US.

In her speech, Mohammed referred to the Holy Land 5—American citizens convicted in US federal court for funneling $12 million to Hamas—as “Palestinian political prisoners.”

CUNY’s Board of Trustees and chancellor condemned Mohammed’s speech, calling it “hate speech,” while US Representative Ritchie Torres (D-NY) described it as “anti-Israel derangement syndrome at work.”

Harassing Baruch College

This fall, incoming Jewish students at CUNY’s Baruch College were harassed by a mob of keffiyeh-clad, masked antisemitic students. The group confronted them during a Hillel-sponsored welcoming event at a local kosher restaurant. The incident was noted in the report’s cover letter to Gov. Hochul.

“Not only did the protestors cruelly taunt the students about the murder of six hostages by Hamas terrorists in Gaza, but the protesters also appear to have threatened the students with violence, and used antisemitic tropes in the process,” Lippman wrote in his report. 

CUNY for Palestine recently advertised an October 7, 2024, “Flood New York City for Palestine” event to mark the one-year anniversary of Hamas’ Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.

It's not only students who are accused of fostering a hostile environment for Jews and Zionists; some CUNY professors and staff are reportedly contributing to the issue as well.

A recent AMCHA Initiative study, released the same week as Lippman’s report, found that Jewish students on campuses with active Faculty for Justice in Palestine (FJP) chapters are more likely to face death threats and rampant antisemitism. The study ranked CUNY as having the eighth-most active FJP chapter in the country, out of over 100 US campuses surveyed.

“Some faculty can and should do more to promote dialogue between those with differing viewpoints on critical issues and to encourage peaceful solutions to disagreements rather than inflame conflict, which we often found to be the case,” Lippman said.

CUNY said in a statement that it will work to implement Lippman’s recommendations.

“If CUNY sincerely wishes to protect Jewish students from harassment and discrimination that targets them on the basis of their Jewish identity, they will follow the judge’s recommendation and acknowledge the IHRA definition. Using the IHRA definition will enable them to discern the difference between a good faith political debate over Israel’s policies and the vilification of Jews,” Alyza D. Lewin, Brandeis Center president, told The Media Line.