In Letter, Jewish on Campus Calls on Mayor-Elect Mamdani to Present Clear Plan to Keep Jewish Students Safe at NYC Colleges and Universities
NEW YORK – Jewish on Campus (JOC) – a national grassroots organization founded by Jewish students to give voice to Jewish students – sent a letter to New York City Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani calling on him to present a clear plan for addressing antisemitism across New York City’s more than 120 colleges and universities.
With a national leadership body of Jewish student representatives from more than 70 colleges and universities, a collection of more than 3,500 student-submitted testimonials of antisemitic experiences in their communities, and nearly 30 million social media impressions this year alone, JOC has empowered the next generation of Jewish advocacy. Earlier this year, JOC leadership stood alongside New York Governor Kathy Hochul as she signed critical legislation to mandate Title VI coordinators on every college campus in New York.
In the letter, Julia Jassey, co-founder and CEO of Jewish on Campus, wrote:
“During your campaign, you simultaneously gave voice to young New Yorkers on issues such as affordability while refusing to condemn rhetoric that has fueled hate and violence against Jewish New Yorkers – including Jewish students. In these critical weeks before you take office, we implore you to outline tangible steps to ensure the safety of every student, including Jewish students.”
Jewish on Campus raised the following concerns, which they asked the Mayor-Elect to address:
“In August, you were absent on the vote to mandate Title VI coordinators on every New York college campus – a critical piece of legislation that provides an important resource for New York students, including Jewish students, to report civil rights violations. Will you work with Governor Hochul to implement the law on New York City campuses?
“In 2023, you said, “When the boot of the NYPD is on your neck, it’s been laced by the IDF.” What reassurance can you provide Jewish students that your personal opinions toward Israel won’t interfere with law enforcement efforts, such as those by NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, to combat antisemitic hate crimes, often committed under the guise of criticism of Israel?
“While we’re encouraged by your commitment to increase hate crime prevention funding by 800%, by what definition will you classify antisemitic violence as hate crimes?
“Will you meet with Jewish student leaders who were intimidated and harassed on New York City campuses during the Israel-Hamas War?”
Jassey concluded the letter by saying, “We hope to meet with you to discuss your vision for New York and make clear the priorities of Jewish students who come to the city in search of a safe and meaningful education.”
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Jewish on Campus is a Gen Z-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded by Jewish college students, for Jewish college students. Since its founding in 2020, JOC has filed civil rights complaints, collected thousands of testimonials of campus antisemitism and developed a national body of Jewish student leaders.
