Hillel International, ADL (the Anti-Defamation League) and the Secure Community Network are launching an online portal that allows Jewish students and their allies to report antisemitic incidents on college campuses and receive immediate support.
The portal is intended to ensure proper tracking and reporting of antisemitic trends.
Through the website, ReportCampusHate.org, the three organizations will support Jewish students and empower them to appropriately address the growing antisemitism on college campuses, the ADL said in a statement.
Jewish college students often say they are unsure where and how to report antisemitic incidents on campus, and they fear being targeted or isolated by reporting bias incidents and/or hate crimes.
A recent ADL poll found 74 percent of Jewish college students who personally experienced an act of antisemitism did not report the incident. Only three percent said they reported it to local or campus police. In addition, 41 percent of students said they did not know how to report an incident if it were to occur.
“It is essential that Jewish college students and their peers have access to tools and resources to address antisemitism and hate on campus so they can live and study in safe and welcoming environments,” said Adam Lehman, President and CEO of Hillel International.
“ReportCampusHate.org will empower students to report antisemitic incidents, knowing they will get the support they need and the response they deserve. Through this tool, Hillels will also be better equipped to address antisemitism with campus administrators and improve the campus climate.”
All incidents reported through ReportCampusHate.org will be reviewed by a trained professional, who will support students in the incident response process and connect them with the campus Hillel to address the issue with university administrators and law enforcement, as appropriate.
Students who leave their contact information will also be connected to tools and resources to improve campus climate, as well as wellness services.
“When students are impacted by antisemitism, it can often be confusing and isolating to garner appropriate law enforcement attention and support,” said Michael Masters, National Director and CEO of Secure Community Network, the official safety and security organization for the Jewish community.
ReportCampusHate.org is intended to be a safe way for students to report such incidents and activate SCN’s security infrastructure to assess the threat and prompt immediate action.
During the 2020-2021 academic year, Hillel International tracked a total of 244 antisemitic incidents on college and university campuses, according to preliminary data. This compares to the 181 antisemitic incidents reported during the 2019-2020 academic year, when most classes were still taking place in person.
Since May 2021, Jewish students have experienced a significant rise in antisemitic and anti-Zionist activity, both on campus and online. This has included threats and hate-filled messages on social media targeting individuals, offensive defacement of property and even physical assaults.
“Antisemitism must be reported and addressed everywhere it occurs to prevent hate from becoming more pervasive on our campuses and in our communities,” said Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO and National Director of ADL.
“We are proud to work with Hillel and SCN to promote a collaborative response to antisemitic incidents on campus and to foster better tracking and reporting of antisemitic trends, so we can all better understand and respond to this growing threat to our students.”
ReportCampusHate.org is part of an ongoing collaboration between Hillel, ADL and SCN, three national organizations working to address hate, antisemitism, extremism, safety, and security, as well as Jewish life, on campuses.