Senators McCormick, Fetterman Write Pennsylvania College Presidents on Campus Antisemitism

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senators Dave McCormick (R-PA) and John Fetterman (D-PA) recently sent letters to the presidents of five Pennsylvania universities expressing concern about the continued rise of antisemitism on college campuses in Pennsylvania and across the nation in the nearly two years since Hamas' October 7, 2023, terror attack on Israel. The senators also encouraged the university presidents to work with Jewish institutions on campus and equip them with the resources needed to help ensure "all students, regardless of their race, ethnicity, or shared ancestry are safe and able to fully participate in campus life."

The letters were addressed to Pennsylvania State University President Neeli Bendapudi, Temple University President John Fry, University of Pittsburgh Chancellor Joan Gabel, University of Pennsylvania President J. Larry Jameson, and Lehigh University President Joseph J. Helble. These five schools have the largest Jewish student populations in Pennsylvania.

"As the 2025-2026 school year begins, we write to urge you, as a leader of a Pennsylvania university with a large Jewish student population, to commit to ensuring Jewish institutions on your campus are equipped to protect the students they serve, including by allocating the resources to do so," Senators McCormick and Fetterman wrote in part. "Pennsylvania is home to some of the nation's leading public and private universities. Your institution is spearheading cutting-edge research while attracting ambitious, hardworking students to the Commonwealth. However, Pennsylvania campuses have been no exception to the alarming rise of antisemitic harassment and violence. Chabad houses have been vandalized, entrances to Hillel buildings have been targeted, and Jewish students have been assaulted. To protect the students and faculty they host, many Jewish institutions have been forced to cover the costs of additional security."

"No student should feel like they must risk their safety to exercise their First Amendment rights to peacefully assemble and freely practice their religion. No campus institution should have to curtail its services to cover security expenses," they continued.

The full text of the letters can be found here and below.

Since October 7, 2023, when Hamas and its collaborators committed the deadliest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, Jewish students have faced unprecedented hostility on university campuses. According to Hillel International, the world's largest Jewish campus organization, the 2024-2025 school year saw record-high antisemitic incidents, including assaults, vandalism, obstruction of shared campus spaces, and illegal encampments. As the 2025-2026 school year begins, we write to urge you, as a leader of a Pennsylvania university with large Jewish student population, to commit to ensuring Jewish institutions on your campuses are equipped to protect the students they serve, including by allocating the resources to do so.

Pennsylvania is home to some of the nation's leading public and private universities. Your institution is spearheading cutting-edge research while attracting ambitious, hardworking students to the Commonwealth. However, Pennsylvania campuses have been no exception to the alarming rise of antisemitic harassment and violence. Chabad houses have been vandalized, entrances to Hillel buildings have been targeted, and Jewish students have been assaulted. To protect the students and faculty they host, many Jewish institutions have been forced to cover the costs of additional security.

Most disturbingly, Jewish students are once again hiding their Judaism. It is incumbent on all of us - especially our nation's universities - to ensure vibrant Jewish life is not compromised or driven into the shadows.

No student should feel like they must risk their safety to exercise their First Amendment rights to peacefully assemble and freely practice their religion. No campus institution should have to curtail its services to cover security expenses.

We commend the recent steps taken at Pennsylvania universities to enforce codes of conduct, disband illegal encampments, and suspend student groups that have repeatedly targeted and harassed Jewish students. Every student deserves a safe and enriching college experience. Before the school year begins this fall, we encourage you all to work with your campus's Jewish institutions and ensure all students, regardless of their race, ethnicity, or shared ancestry are safe and able to fully participate in campus life.

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