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New from ADL. ADL has launched Decode & Disrupt, a comprehensive online toolkit to help educators as well as parents and other caregivers evaluate the content and materials used to explore topics around Jewish identity, Israel, antisemitism and the Holocaust in K-12 schools. The need for this resource is clear; in an
ADL study of independent schools, for example, over 30% of parents of students said that their children had experienced or witnessed problematic content. This new toolkit was designed to help identify that kind of concern. It also includes step-by-step guidance to support a conversation with school leaders or classroom teachers about the content.
Review and use this new ADL toolkit.
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Michigan. A noxious Holocaust-denying influencer invited by a student group to speak at the University of Michigan used the opportunity to question the scope of the Holocaust and to give a Nazi salute, which was echoed by people in the audience.
ADL extremism analysts describe
the speaker, Myron Gaines, as “a podcaster known for spreading vile antisemitism and misogyny.” The president of the Michigan Hillel criticized the event, saying that “These slurs do not spark debate or advance the educational mission of the University; they demean, dehumanize and inflame.” A university spokesperson noted that one person was arrested for assault during the incident, though no additional details were provided.
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The Myron Gaines event at Michigan. (Image Source: Bridgette Bol/Michigan Daily) |
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Columbia. Columbia University confirmed
that a student was subjected to antisemitic slurs by someone not affiliated with the school while leaving a Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) building near campus. The incident was reported, and Columbia Public Safety is working with JTS and local law enforcement as the investigation continues. The university condemned the harassment and emphasized that support resources are available for students, faculty and staff. Meanwhile, ADL’s NY/NJ region
said it is appalled by the incident and welcomes Columbia’s investigation, stressing that no student should face harassment because of their identity.
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More from Columbia...Columbia has also announced the appointment of historian Jonathan Dekel-Chen, whose family suffered terribly during the 10/7 attacks, as a professor of history. Dekel-Chen’s son Sagui was taken hostage from Kibbutz Nir Oz and held in Gaza for 498 days before his release. Dekel-Chen
became
a prominent advocate for his son’s return, engaging publicly and internationally. He is currently a professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem; at Columbia he will teach courses on Jewish history in Eastern Europe, modern Israeli history, the Russia-Ukraine war and Russia’s role in the Middle East.
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University of Miami. A sophomore at the University of Miami who is a social media influencer with more than 125,000 followers is under investigation
after allegedly initiating a verbal confrontation with the Students Supporting Israel club on campus. Video shows the student making derogatory claims about the Talmud (a core religious text in Judaism) and shouting insults at club members, calling one of them “disgusting.” The university has launched a formal investigation into the confrontation.
DEEPER: Getting ready to consider colleges? One helpful resource is ADL’s Campus Antisemitism Report Card, which assesses how 135 schools including Miami are addressing antisemitism.
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Wisconsin. An extensive University of Wisconsin Police Department investigation of a series of anti-Israel graffiti incidents has led to four arrests. The vandalism, which included BDS-focused scrawls like “your tuition funds genocide,” was estimated to have caused thousands of dollars in damage over the series of incidents. While none of those arrested are current students, one is an alum. During the
police investigation, multiple guns including an AR-15 were allegedly found.
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(A statue of Lincoln at the University of Wisconsin was damaged by anti-Israel vandals. Image Source: UWPD) |
DEEPER: Not sure what BDS is all about? See ADL's Guide to Understanding and Countering BDS Calls.
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Harvard. Two Harvard Medical School student groups hosted a speaker series framing the war in Gaza as “genocide,” leading the school to state that the events were not part of any academic courses and that the views expressed do not represent the institution. Urging med schools to prioritize facts over political propaganda, ADL
warned that falsely labeling the conflict as genocide promotes disinformation, risks fueling hostility toward Jewish students and staff and undermines academic integrity.
EVENT: Help Fight Hate in Healthcare: Harvard isn’t the only med school where Jewish students and faculty face hostility. Join ADL for a timely webinar on Feb. 11 that examines antisemitism, advocacy and Jewish leadership in med schools and across the healthcare sector. This conversation will share practical strategies to counter challenges and highlight how Jewish voices and allies are taking action. Register now.
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Iowa. Legislation has been introduced in both Iowa’s House and Senate to counter antisemitic incidents affecting Iowa schools and their students. The bill, announced by
Gov. Kim Reynolds,
would require public K-12 schools, community colleges and state universities to annually report on antisemitic incidents. The Governor said that “This proposal sends a message that Iowans fully support our Jewish community, and we will not tolerate antisemitism of any kind.” Last year, Iowa’s state universities reported a total of 10 formal complaints of antisemitism and 34 informal complaints. ADL and the JCRC in Iowa support the goals of the legislation.
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Berkeley CA High School. In an event held on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, high school students in Berkeley, CA, walked out of class to take part in an anti-Israel “teach-out” that included speakers who compared Israel’s recent actions in Gaza to the Holocaust. A local Jewish coalition, which includes a project
affiliated with ADL, had reached out to school district leaders ahead of time to criticize the protest, pointing out that “holding a one-sided, politically charged event focused on Israel and Palestine on this day is deeply offensive and cannot be viewed as coincidental.” The school declined to act. This friction comes in the wake of an
active Title VI filing by ADL and partners against the Berkeley Unified School District for failing to take action to end nonstop bullying and harassment of Jewish students by peers and teachers since 10/7.
DEEPER: ADL was a vocal champion for AB 715, which became law last year in California; it’s the most significant bill in the state’s history to combat antisemitism in K-12 schools | 
