https://medium.com/@aprresearchgroup/study-finds-more-than-70-of-university-students-and-educators-face-considerable-discrimination-f5313164820a Referencing a study here that finds 74% of students, faculty and staff supporting Palestinian rights have experienced harassment, silencing or exclusion, most of them from their own peers and mentors. This racism was evident regardless of ethnicity or religious background.

See attached testimony regarding some common misunderstandings about the nonviolent campus protests and encampments that were violently repressed by police.

I live one and a half blocks from Monroe Park and the VCU campus. Through May 2023, I witnessed masked protesters walking around VCU’s campus, Monroe Park, and down the neighboring streets, shouting, honking, banging drums, weekly. No city permit was ever obtained, and police were initially absent. These protesters blocked car and pedestrian traffic at will. The front of the Cabell Library was chalked with slogans calling “Zionists” murderers (~90% of Jews are Zionists), hailing martyrs, and other charged speech. Furthermore, I was an eyewitness to what happened on Monroe Park Campus on April 29, 2024. We watched as “experts” we did not recognize from prior demonstrations gave instructions to the students on how to avoid arrest, how to hold a line to keep the police from removing them, and how to use wooden pallets against the police. We were there when the announcement was made to clear the area. Imagine you are inside your home on a Sunday. You hear the shouting and clatter of a masked group getting louder as it makes its way down your street towards your home. Some ride on the back of a big white pick-up truck, most are walking behind. All are masked. Men on bikes have stopped traffic to the front, back and sides. There is no police presence. They accuse you of supporting genocide, they chant that you deserve to have violent harm (intifada) perpetrated against you and your people, they chant that your haven from racism should be eradicated from the earth. Meanwhile everywhere you walk on campus are covered with signs blaming and otherizing you. That was the reality of Jewish Students on VCU’s campus last year. I know because I am a Jew living right there beside them. The First Amendment is one of the greatest things about the United States. It allows not only for the freedom of expression, but it invites debate, conversation, and innovation. However, exercising time, manner, and place applies here. The protesters at VCU should be able to say whatever they like. However, I hope you would agree that they should not be able to sow chaos or create fear and intimidation whenever or wherever they choose. As a parent of similarly aged children, I understand that the clearing of the encampment was scary. However, natural consequence is a tough teacher. When you break the law, you may get arrested. Resisting that arrest is a crime. The law outlines that if you are asked to leave property, no matter how righteous your cause, if you fail to do so, it is a crime called trespass. There are laws on the books to keep masked, unidentifiable people off the streets for the express purpose of curbing hate through inciting fear and intimidation; no matter who that hate is aimed towards. It is not necessary for you to care about Jews or the issues they face. You don’t have to agree with the clearing of the encampments. You may even have publicly condemned them. However, as officials sworn to uphold and protect the Constitution of the United States and the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the Jewish community simply asks that you recognize the application of the Equal Protection Clause under the 14th amendment by supporting the existing laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia. In this case, if the broken laws mentioned above were applied equally to all, then I would submit that if the protesters exchanged their keffiyahs and N95s for white hoods, we wouldn’t need to use this Committee’s time to fact find. Respectfully submitted,

Free speech and the right to protest are enshrined in the constitution. In academic settings - it is sacrosanct. College protests are not new and students have historically always been on the right side of history. It is appalling that we had VCU police, State Police and RPD descend and exact violence and brutal repression on VCU students while they were peacefully protesting. The fact that you gave a Hillel representative time on the agenda without an equal opportunity to SJP or AMP student representative speaks volumes on the hypocrisy and double standards. Palestinian students and pro-Palestinian advocates are being doxxed and harassed on Harvard's campus. Palestinian protestors were attacked by ex-IDF students with an illegal chemical weappn on Columbia's campus. Palestinians and pro-Palestinian supporters are protesting the state of Israel, their government and military who are committing war crimes and slaughtering innocent people. They are not protesting Jewish people or their faith. The deliberate conflation of the two and the weaponization of antisemitism and the deliberate omission of a group of students facing discrimination all give testimonial to how helpful this committee will be in addressing campus safety.

I was at Monroe Park on Sunday April 28,2024. I saw a pick up truck with a Palestinian flag and many large cardboards on it being brought into the park. I have photos and license plates. I was already upset before when a crowd marched screaming “Jews are Dogs” and From the river to the sea” which means kill the Jewish state of Israel’s people. This made me feel nervous and insecure, and I had no idea what was going on in the park. I was waved in and someone told me who was sitting at a table at giving out posters, that this was about legal way to improve our community and environment and I told them that I was very interested in this and that that was great. I then saw people gluing papers that had disgusting anti-Israel rhetoric on it and I asked what it was about. I was recognized as someone who had been to a city council meeting and , two women got in my face and screamed at me “get the fuck out of here”. In the past, I have also spoken with over 20 students at VCU who told me they feel intimidated and afraid and do not want to reveal their religion nor support for Israel because the campus is dangerous and the environment is hostile. there have been writings on the ground as well. City Council meetings have not been properly handled and snapping goes on and screaming and no one ever gets thrown out. I even approached the police, who told me to speak with the chair of the meeting, Hashmi, and I told her that students on campus are feeling intimidated, and even I, as a mother of a student had felt unsafe, scared, students are afraid to come forward – several have come up to me and do not want to be identified. I personally witnessed harassment of a Jewish student by pro Palestinian verbal attacks. He has the hostile environment that has been allowed to continue for years now, which has now escalated to a serious degree and has not been controlled is a problem for many of the Jewish students. I feel intimidated, scared, harassed, and I feel strongly that the hostile environment that has not been controlled has led to a strong feeling of insecurity and avoidance of coming to campus. I know another student that does not come to classes because she is afraid of being harassed because people know she is Jewish. I have been at and verbally attacked as well. I have avoided coming to events at the Hillel and Jewish life house because of fear of the hostile environment. I know several other people who feel exactly the same way, intimidated, afraid, and insecure. When I was a mother of a Jewish student. I also avoided activities at the school because of this hostile environment. License TJV5377 truck with palestinian flag and cardboards brought into park witnessed by me- photo file would not download

There are limits to “free speech”. This is even true on a college campus. No student should fear going to class, entering the library, or walking across campus. That is exactly what happened to many Jewish students on numerous VA college campuses since Oct 7 2023. The “encampments” were a perfect example of this. I have heard directly from several Jewish students who felt unsafe & threatened by the rhetoric & actions at these “encampments”. Chants of “From the River to the Sea” call for eradicating the only Jewish state in the world - Israel.[1] “Long live the intifada”, or worse still “Globalize the intifada”. Intifada might mean “uprising” in Arabic. However, the last intifada occurred in the early 2000s when Palestinian terrorists attacked Jewish civilians inside Israel, using suicide bombers in buses, cafes, & nightclubs. Over 1,200 Israeli civilians died. So this call for an “intifada” evokes those murders & does not represent a call for peaceful or civil protest. And “global the intifada” implies that now American Jews are the targets.[2] Sadly, many of these same Jewish students feel so threatened & scared for their personal safety that I understand few feel comfortable enough to come forward to testify today, much less file a formal complaint with their respective schools.  However, from the stories told by some radical student activists, you would have thought they were the ones being bullied on Virginia’s colleges. I thought I was living in an alternate reality when I have heard the anti-Israel VCU students recount their experiences of 29 April 2024 when the VCU encampment was shut down. The common thread through all their stories was that they were given no warning & police suddenly pounced on them for no reason whatsoever. Video evidence conclusively proves otherwise. See here[3], here[4] & here[5]. You can clearly hear police with loudspeakers warning students to disperse & leave the area or they will be arrested. I understand VCU related similar warnings verbally earlier in the day, but have no evidence on hand of that. And note here[6] protestors already have barrier (pallets) erected & have linked arms (as they learned in their riot training on campus) to resist arrest. And if students are only there for a peaceful gathering, & were not expecting any escalation, why did they show up with gas masks as seen in the very start of this video[7]? This kind of blows a hole in the entire “No one told us to leave, I had no idea we had to leave the area, & the police attacked us without warning”, no? It is my hope that the your Committee can fulfill its mission & ensure the safety of ALL students on Virginia’s college campuses. In 2024, there is no reason for our college campuses to be a place where antisemitism is given a pass.  To understand where some of these actions have crossed over into antisemitism, I refer you to the examples given in the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism as passed into Virginia Law in 2023 (HB 1606/SB 1252).  Thank you for your time in reading my testimony. (1) https://www.adl.org/resources/backgrounder/slogan-river-sea-palestine-will-be-free (2) https://www.hilleluw.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Guide-on-Polarizing-Rhetoric.pdf (3) https://youtu.be/TU9bLcWv-iA (4) https://youtu.be/_B7SuXgZVfI (5) https://youtu.be/lPak8scYCcQ (6) https://youtu.be/KcFkp1irejY (7) https://youtu.be/TU9bLcWv-iA

Free speech doesn’t and shouldn’t include hate speech or incitement to violence from one group to another. In this stage, it seems that all discussion about Judaism and Jewish students is hate filled rhetoric, saying that we should all die. They want equal rights. Our students deserve equal rights to survive in college without fear of hatred, reprisal, or violence.

November 20, 2024 Dear Committee Members: My name is Eric Rozenman and I am a resident of Fairfax City. I am the author of Jewish Make the Best Demons: "Palestine" and the Jewish Question (2018, New English Review Press), which examine how anti-Zionism became the gateway drug to resurgent antisemitism. I served on the 2022 Virginia Commission to Combat Antisemitism and chaired the education subcommittee. Attached is an MS Word file of the Op-Ed I co-authored with Julie Strauss Levine, an attorney and fellow commission member, for the Nov. 14, 2024 edition of the Washington Jewish Week. It examines the activities and roots of the false-flag group calling itself Students for Justice in Palestine both at George Mason University in Fairfax and nationally. Functionally, SJP cheerleads for Hamas, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization, and doing so celebrates its murders of Jews and others. This directly and indirectly incites violence and intentionally contributes to a hostile--and illegal--academic environment for Jewish and other students. The headline is "Students for Justice in Palestine Flunks Out." The commentary shows why SJP should be banned from all state-supported colleges and universities in Virginia. It deserves the same standing as a student Ku Klux Klan chapter on campus, which is to say, none. I urge committee members to see through apologetics and fraudulent First Amendment claims of those who confiscate and then invert Jewish history to advance a false "Palestinian narrative" with the aim of destroying the one Jewish state (there are 21 Arab countries, 48 Muslim majority states) and marginalizing if not erasing the Jewish people. Sincerely, Eric Rozenman www.ericrozenman.com

Please review the letter attached on behalf of the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA). For any follow up questions, I can be reached at MPoliakoff@goacta.org or (202) 467-6787. Thank you. Michael Poliakoff

Hello, my name is Stella Hitch, I am a high school student from Arlington, Virginia who has experienced antisemitic harassment and the failure of my school to respond effectively. After October 7th, 2023, a classmate hurled antisemitic slurs and threats at me. I was scared to face him at school, but I hoped the school would discipline the student. The school essentially did nothing. I felt completely isolated, unsafe, and unsupported. The harassment worsened. My classmate, who had made Holocaust jokes in the past, continued to verbally assault me calling me slurs. Despite repeatedly reporting this harassment, the school took no meaningful action. I was left feeling even more vulnerable. Not only were students harassing and intimidating Jewish students, but the curriculum materials teachers used delegitimized Israel’s right to exist, and even a teacher harassed Jewish students. APS offered no real protection to Jewish students violating our Title VI rights guaranteeing a safe learning environment free from discrimination based on ethnicity and national origin. The harassment took an emotional and physical toll on me. My GPA dropped while I dealt with the fear of harassment and growing health issues. My experience highlights a critical issue: schools are hiding behind so-called free speech protections when in fact the students and even teachers are harassing, intimidating, and excluding Jewish students based on our connection to our ancestral homeland. This is not free speech. No student should have to choose between their education and their identity. I am calling upon school districts and the Commonwealth of Virginia to provide the same protection for Jewish students we rightly provide for other minority students. Thank you.

The events on Virginia Commonwealth University’s campus in Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 directly and personally affected me. Since October 8, 2023, I have been subject to anti-Jewish discrimination by campus protestors, VCU staff, and VCU students. In November 2023, I was publicly accused of supporting genocide by an individual who was later arrested on our campus. Over the course of the academic year, I had VCU students incite their peers to disrupt my classes and was labelled as "Zionist" on the website “Rate My Professor” simply because I am Jewish. These actions posed such a threat to my safety that VCU’s Police Department developed a personal safety plan for me and recommended that I teach my courses online. The blatant anti-Jewish discrimination on VCU’s campus ought to have been recognized as a violation of my civil rights. Instead of ensuring that I had a workplace free from discrimination, the protestors successfully established a so-called “anti-Zionist zone” by making our campus such a hostile environment that Jewish faculty, staff, and students sought to avoid traveling through key areas of campus or coming to campus at all. Only after police action was taken on April 29, 2024 did a sense of normalcy return to campus. Following changes in key policies in late August 2024, I no longer fear for my physical safety on campus. However, the university continues to waver on these policies and has not routinely enforced Virginia’s anti-masking law. The Code of Conduct of Students for Justice in Palestine’s VCU chapter continues to advise its students “not to engage” with so-called “Zionists”, which is blatant political and religious discrimination and yet the Equity and Access office could find no potential resolution for this discrimination. A VCU School of the Arts faculty member canceled her class in support of a student walk-out, which is clear political activity and served to suppress free discourse on campus. I have been explicitly asked about my religious identity by other faculty members. The VCU students and staff that I interact with as a faculty member affiliated with Jewish Life at VCU speak of being afraid to express their Jewish identity out of fear of being labelled as “complicit in genocide”. One student, who donned an Israeli flag on October 7, 2024, was followed back to his residence and attacked. Students, and myself, feel unwelcome in university spaces where other students and faculty speak of Palestine as a state but simultaneously speak of the State of Israel as the Zionist Occupying Forces. The VCU Division of Inclusive Excellence has brought in a Palestinian guest speaker but made no effort to bring in an Israeli one. This is not presenting multiple viewpoints on an issue. I believe in the protections afforded by the First Amendment. I also believe that universities have a moral and ethical responsibility to foster an environment where all lines of inquiry and all political positions should be meaningfully considered. I ask that furthering both of these commitments—to the First Amendment and to intellectual diversity on campus—be central to the work of this committee. Without having the intellectual freedom to voice our opinions without retribution, shaming, or condemnation by our colleagues and peers, our physical safety is meaningless. Sincerely, Jessica Trisko Darden, PhD Associate Professor of Political Science Virginia Commonwealth University

Good afternoon, Protests are an important part of our freedoms and rights. College campuses are an environment where those rights have been utilized for years. The protests are a message of where they stand on a topic. The protests are not allowed to break campus rules. Not allowed to interfere with classes, not cause fear in other students and not lead to further actions agains a population. Our civil rights include freedom of religion. The message of the protests are for genocide of Jews, villifying those that believe in the right of a Jewish state and have continued to allow Jewish students to fear for their safety. The climate on campus prevents Jewish students being able to reachout to administrators due to the allowance of hateful protests. These protests started, world wide, as the sun rose on Oct 8th. They were pre-planned by those that want Jews to again be blamed and persecuted. The protests do not speak of Hamas, nothing about how Palestinians have been treated by their leaders, nothing about how the 20+ Arab countries have not supported their needs for infrastructure. There needs to be consequences for breaking campus rules and need to supply a safe space for Jewish students and ways to communicate on the messages that are being received. Help the climate of study be safe and open to all that want to learn without fear of persecution.

Written testimony of my experience at the student protests at VCU this past Spring

SJP uses propaganda and false narratives to teach hate, intolerance and encourage violence toward Jews and Jewish students. This can not be allowed on college campuses.

As a parent, I am deeply concerned about the recent incidents involving the excessive use of force by university police against students who are simply exercising their right to express political opinions. Like many others, my daughter attends college not only to receive an education but to grow and develop her voice in an environment that values free expression. It is heartbreaking and infuriating to see this right met with aggression and intimidation in universities around the country. Students should feel safe on campus, whether they are attending class, participating in peaceful protests, or engaging in respectful debates. The university should be a place where ideas, even controversial ones, are discussed and challenged, not silenced. When university police respond to peaceful demonstrations with excessive force, it sends a message that anyone who expresses their beliefs is dangerous, and those who speak out will be punished. As a parent, I expect the university to protect my child’s rights, not to endanger them. I urge university administrators to hold their police forces accountable and stand by their students’ right to free speech. 

Freedom of speech is wonderful as long as it does not impair another from the same right. It is wonderful as long as it does not incite violence. It is wonderful as long as it does not inspire hate. Horrible acts have been allowed to occur in the name of free speech. This must be better defined and consequences must be metered out to those that cross the line between Freedom of speech and hate.

Students have the right to attend school /university without fear of protests interrupting classes, fear of hate speech and blockades of protesters outside of school buildings, cafeterias, and dorms. Students should be protected from this type of hate, rhetoric, and anti-American behavior. VA schools and universities are not doing enough. Free speech is not an excuse to bully, instill fear, spew hateful comments, and create a hostile environment for Jewish students on school campuses. Consequences for such actions by students and consequences for the lack of swift action by school officials must be enforced to ensure that this type of dangerous conduct is not tolerated or normalized.

Good afternoon, My name is Alan Weinraub, and I’m writing to you out of concern for my daughter, a junior at the College of William & Mary. The reason for this note is to express my deepest/most sincere apprehension regarding the wave of anti-Semitism sweeping our college campuses, both across the country AND here in the Commonwealth. We’ve all seen the bullying and harassment of Jewish students on the news, and I’m imploring you to take a serious look at the underlying problem(s) they face. While the US is founded on the premise of liberty and freedom of speech, legal findings over the years have limited the more egregious violations of this right….with an eye toward assuring the well-being of all. Yes, the ability of someone to express unpopular….even toxic…opinions is protected, but NOT at the expense of either causing a threat to the public OR creating a hostile environment in which some (especially minorities) feel unsafe. Unfortunately, this is PRECISELY what has been normalized since 10/7/23, the Jewish Community's darkest day since WW2’s end. In the interim, Jews (across the political, social and economic spectrum) have been singled out and targeted simply because of their faith. While there are/will be efforts to whitewash the hate by linking it to Middle Eastern politics, I would caution you not to be fooled by the rhetoric. You’ll note that the singular denominator which connects each case of hatred and violence is Judaism. This has been demonstrated in our cities and, even more troubling, at ALL levels of our education system. My daughter routinely experienced threats and anti-Jewish “activism” while attending Fairfax County Public Schools, and…more recently….on the campus of William & Mary (one of our nation’s most prestigious centers of higher learning). The school itself has an active chapter of the self-proclaimed “Students for Justice In Palestine” (SJP), which has staged numerous “protests” in which Jewish students are rendered exposed and vulnerable. A similar offender is “Jewish Voices for Peace” (JVP), which is neither Jewish nor the least bit interested in peace. Even the college's president was the victim of an antisemitic incident, simply because her husband happens to be a Jew. And, while I can’t speak to empirical data regarding other schools falling under the dominion of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV), I know from anecdotal reports that my friends’ kids have it just as bad elsewhere. Again, the common theme is the targeting of Jews, skillfully camouflaged by the disingenuous rhetoric of “Anti-Zionism”. That fact is that they’re one and the same, and cannot be decoupled purely for the purpose of pushing a political agenda. As such, I beg that you consider the safety and welfare of a minority group which has faced historical persecution. We, as a community, believed ourselves to be safe from antisemitism here in America, but it’s clear that these latent tendencies have come to the surface and been normalized on campus. Worse, it’s often those in positions of authority (administrators, educators, etc) who not only look the other way, but are often actively involved. PLEASE know that your actions will play a part in either reining in this scourge, or enabling it to grow unchecked. This is NOT about “free speech”, it’s about the right to live free of fear and intimidation. Very respectfully, LCDR Alan Weinraub, USN (ret)

It is shameful that in the 21st century, Jews must not only endure bombs and pogroms but also fight for their right to learn, defending themselves against blatant antisemitism disguised as protection for the Arab population of Gaza. This population needs protection, but from the terrorists who control their lives: Islamic Jihad, the Muslim Brotherhood, and its offshoots Hamas and Hezbollah. I am ashamed of you for even discussing this.

As a parent of 3 children who lives in northern Virginia ( I was born and raised here also), it is disheartening, terrifying and disgusting what pro-hamas and pro-palestinian groups do within our school system within the local counties. Assigned reading from teachers at Washington and Liberty high school, that blatantly praises martyrs and terrorism. Or the anti-Semitic drawings the students at Langley high school so proudly displayed for social media last year , an hour before a " school walkout "- American flags that had swastikas instead of stars. Where is the punishment? Where is Michelle Reid to use these instances as examples of what SHOULD NOT be happening in our schools? Due to the lack of authority and backbone within our public school system, I have chosen to send my kids to private schools in the area. It terrifies me to no end what my Jewish children would experience if they attended public school in this region and they would have no authority figure to protect and defend them.

ADL has provided written testimony concerning the rising increase of antisemitism on our college campuses. Our testimony also includes recommendations on how to balance free speech with hate, harassment and incitement to violence.

As a Jew, I find the Pro Palestine protests on college campuses only spark more anger and antisemitism towards Jews. My daughter will be attending college in Virginia next year and I do not want her to fear for her safety. Please Ban Pro Palestine protests on Virginia college campuses.

SJP uses propaganda and false narratives to teach hate, intolerance and encourage violence toward Jews and Jewish students. As far as I know no other hate group is allowed to participate or is sanctioned on campus. It is time to stand against hate and antisemitism.

VCU campus continues to be very dangerous and not safe for Jewish students, faculty and Jewish people in general. Starting right after October 7th, 2023 the activity became unbearable. The peak was with the occupation of campus in April, 2023. The occupation on the campus of VCU was not peaceful. The leader of SJP at the beginning of the occupation declared the area a Zionist Free Zone and Zionists were not welcome there. There were chalking's at the Compass and elsewhere that made statements such as "Globalize the Intifada", "Long Live the Intifada", Hang Biden and Harris" among other non welcoming, divisive statements. Banners hung that said "From the River to the Sea Palestine Will Be Free." As I was walking and looking at the chalking's and signs, two professors followed me around, took my picture/video taped me. They were intimidating and harassing me. Prior to the tents going up later in the day, they began to beat a drum and chant, people created a circle around those setting up tents, they locked arms and those on the street side had wooden pallets in front of them. As the video will show you, the people at the occupation were repeatedly told to leave and that they were in violation for being there. The video also shows that instead of dispersing, the crowd locked arms, chanted, placed the wooden pallets on the front row of people and the proceeded to walk towards the police bracing for a clash. They had teach ins on how to handle such situations. Currently at VCU, every Antisemetic, Anti Jewish, Anti Zionist and Anti Israel activity such as walk outs, rallies, chalking take place at the Plaza which is directly in front of Jewish Live at VCU. Other activity these same groups call for, not related to the above, such as teach ins, rally for someone being executed, etc. is not held in the same location. It can be Abner Clay Park or Monroe Park as an example. Current chalking's are glorifying Hamas, Hezbollah and their leaders that have been eliminated. These are designated terrorist organizations that these people are supporting and glorifying. I am including a link to an album created with only a fraction of the posts or photos and videos taken since October 2023. These photos/videos support all the information provided above. https://photos.app.goo.gl/R2PeaQZxQBZVaH9N8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TU9bLcWv-iA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_B7SuXgZVfI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPak8scYCcQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcFkp1irejY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TU9bLcWv-iA Note: you will see people in gas masks as they were taught to be prepared as they escalate their tactics. Respectfully submitted, Rebecca Strulson Haine

Please see the attachment about my experiences with Antisemitism on College Campuses. In the narrative that is attached includes pictures and background. At VCU Jewish students and faculty are facing antisemitism as part of their day to day lives. College campuses are becoming a hostile environment. Jews are the subject to hate.

1. The house committee should reccommend to university presidents to follow the lead of others including Tufts in labelling and expelling the SJP as a hate group on campuses: https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2024/11/18/pro-palestine-group-disaffiliates-from-tufts-after-being-suspended-until-2027/ 2. https://www.aol.com/chilling-report-reveals-just-widespread-110447349.html A staggering 72% of Jewish college students in the US feel “unwelcome” on their campuses, while more than half have been victims of antisemitism, a dismal new report shows. The civil-rights group StopAntisemitism issued “report cards” on how more than two dozen university campuses have been addressing hatred against Jews and re-evaluated five other campuses previously graded by the organization. Among the organization’s other findings, Jewish students at the surveyed campuses revealed: 72% feel unwelcome in certain spaces on campus simply for being Jewish. 52% had personally been victims of antisemitism at their schools. 67% feel their university did not take sufficient action to protect Jewish students in the wake of the Hamas Oct. 7, 2023, massacre in Israel 43% said they hide their Jewish identity from classmates out of fear, and the same percentage would not recommend their school to fellow Jewish students. 43% did not feel safe enough to report the antisemitism against them. Of those who did report it, a staggering 87% believe their school failed to properly investigate the crimes. 69% said they are blamed for the actions of Israel by Palestinian backers. Another group, Alums for Campus Fairness, reported similar findings about antisemitism in August. “Universities are failing their Jewish students, often leaving them vulnerable and unsupported,” the StopAntisemitism report said. 3. https://www.charlottesville.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1983 Court documents have revealed new and disturbing information regarding the arrest of a University of Virginia student earlier this month. Robert Romer, the 20-year-old second-year student charged Nov. 1 with threatening his housemate and brandishing a firearm at the former fraternity house where they live, faces allegations of extreme antisemitism directed at the same housemate. “I had requested that he stop posting anti-Semitic memes on text and in person,” the aggrieved housemate, whose name The Daily Progress will not be using out of concern for his safety, wrote in his criminal complaint against Romer. He told police that one meme featured a picture of American President Andrew Jackson captioned “Battle of 1820” atop another picture depicting orthodox Jews fighting police under the caption “Battle of $18.20.” He said that Romer reposted the offending meme in a group chat to convey his displeasure with his decision to host a party in their shared residence, the former Pi Kappa Alpha house at 513 Rugby Road in city’s Venable neighborhood near UVa Grounds. Around 11:20 p.m. on Oct. 23, Romer wrote something that his housemate, who is Jewish, construed as a threat. “At approximately 12:30, I am going to free Palestine,” Romer allegedly texted the group. “Anyone is welcome to join in the beating.” The housemate said his antagonist had been prodding other residents for his whereabouts, telephoned him to obtain his location and in at least one text message surrounded his name with Stars of David.

Good afternoon Honorable chair and fellow Delegates, My name is Eli Weinger, and I am a 3rd year student at the University of Virginia. I have testified before many of you before, but today I am here representing myself, today, I would like to tell you my story. If any of you would like to follow up with me, I’ve provided my email in my written testimony. I grew up in Rockland county, New York, and attended Jewish day school from the age of 4 to 14. I went to synagogue with my mother almost every shabbat. From the time I was little, I was taught about the horrors my people have endured, and that, because we understood what it was to be oppressed, it was our responsibility to lend a hand to anyone in need. I was taught and believe strongly to this day that it is all of our responsibility to speak up against injustice, and that is what students were attempting to do when state police were called to UVA by President Jim Ryan on May 4th of 2024. I watched in horror as two officers pinned a girl a third their size to the ground while a third took off her goggles to pepper spray her at point-blank range. How is this allowed? I would urge this committee to review code sections 18.2-405, 406, 411 and 412, all of which demonstrate the lackluster nature of existing transparency and accountability measures. There is no mechanism in the existing code to prevent a riot or unlawful assembly’s declaration on the basis of purely subjective determinations, and no requirement that such a reasoning be made public. I watched as my friends bled from their eyes while we pleaded for help from ambulance workers who told us the administration had specifically prohibited medical staff from providing treatment to protestors. Who did this violence keep safe? The only time I have felt unsafe as a Jewish student at the University of Virginia is when President Ryan used my identity and culture as a cudgel with which to violently oppress constitutionally protected speech. Since then, the administration has continued to repress free expression and has changed its rules surrounding speech, not to protect students, but to ensure that its leaders’ aren’t inconvenienced by speech they disagree with. Students, professors, parents, and everyday Virginians across this commonwealth are speaking up, pleading for help in the wake of the repression of speech we face from our universities. The only question is, will you listen? I pray that you do, for the sake of our democracy. If you would like to reach out and hear more from students like me, please reach out at eliweinger@gmail.com.