In the three months since I started as CEO I have been asked about one issue facing our community more than any other — what is The Associated doing to deal with the surge in antisemitism confronting our college and high school students?

We share your concern and increased our activity and funding to address these challenges, and we have significantly increased our security budget.

Working closely with our local universities and Hillels, as well as the Baltimore Jewish Council, we are dedicated to providing a safe and positive experience for all Jewish students.

Working with Hillel and University Leadership

This is a priority area of focus, and we are actively engaging in ongoing conversations with the presidents and administrators at Baltimore area universities as we strengthen our relationships. As part of that effort, we have had both Jay A. Perman, MD, Chancellor of the University System of Maryland and Mark R. Ginsberg, President of Towson University, speak to our Board of Directors.

We are also creating safe spaces for our Jewish students to gather and engage in Jewish programming, build a network of Jewish friends and seek support if times become difficult on campus. Under the leadership of our outstanding Hillel directors, our five local Hillels, which are part of our Associated network, host Shabbat dinners and activities, holiday events and other Jewish programming, and give students a supportive place to process events on campus to find the care and assistance they need.

We consult regularly with our Hillels to assess security needs and provide thorough security evaluations as needed. And our local Hillels work closely with their campus security to make sure Jewish students are protected.

Reporting Antisemitism

Hillel International created a portal to report antisemitism on campus. Please share this important portal, reportcampushate.org, with your college students. The Associated has its own page for reporting other antisemitic incidents.

New Antisemitism Program for Private and Public Schools

Building on the interdisciplinary initiative launched last year, Making Sense for Students led by the Jewish Library of Baltimore, we continue to go into public and private schools to educate and discuss antisemitism. This year, the Library is launching an Author-in-Residence program with Liza Wiemer which will cover the Holocaust, the impact of propaganda, speaking up against antisemitism and the role of the media, including social media. This program is geared toward middle and high school students and can be customized to the audience.

Wiemer is the author of The Assignment, a novel based on a real-life incident in which high school students were asked to argue for the Final Solution – the Nazi plan for the genocide of the Jewish people. Several students spoke out against this assignment unleashing anger and hate.

We will continue to update you on these and other issues impacting our students.