The University of Pennsylvania has a Hillel, Chabad, Jewish Greek life organizations, and the Herbert D. Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies.

Litigation & Investigations

In November 2023, the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights opened a Title VI investigation into Penn, following a complaint by the Brandeis Center alleging the school failed to protect Jewish students from harassment.

What’s Happening on Campus?

In March 2024, members of the Penn Faculty for Justice in Palestine sued the University to prevent it from sending internal documents to a Congressional committee investigating antisemitism on the campus.

Following 16 days of a ‘Gaza Solidarity Encampment’ set up in April 2024, Penn campus and state police dismantled the encampment and arrested 33 protestors, including 9 students.

In October 2024, graffiti was located in multiple areas of the campus reading "Sinwar Lives," "Kill Zios," "Kill Your Local Zio Nazi" and "Sinwar Strikes Back."

In April 2025, a mezuzah was torn from the dorm room doorframe of a Jewish Penn student. In July 2025, an online program at Penn was zoombombed by an individual who displayed racist and antisemitic imagery and shouted "Heil Hitler" and "N-----."

In August 2025, U.S. Senators Dave McCormick and John Fetterman sent a letter addressed to Penn’s President Jameson urging the protection of Jewish students amidst a rise in antisemitic incidents on Pennsylvania college campuses.

University Policies and Responsive Action

Former President Magill launched an antisemitism task force and action plan before her resignation. The University has since developed its own overview of antisemitism and has said they will “refer” to the IHRA Definition as well. Penn has also made efforts to encourage more students to report bias or harassment and has increased its security services on campus.

In March 2024, the University began investigating 'Penn Against the Occupation,' removing them from the official student club registry until the conclusion of the investigation. In April 2024, the student club was banned.

Penn's schools have offered a variety of antisemitism education opportunities to the campus community, including a Bystander Intervention Workshop to Stop Antisemitic Harassment, an Economic Antisemitism Workshop, and an Exploring Jewish Identity and Building Inclusive Communities Workshop.

In May 2024, Penn’s Task Force on Antisemitism (established in 2023) and the Presidential Commission on Countering Hate and Building Community (established in 2024) published their final reports, outlining recommendations for addressing antisemitism on campus. Under the Forward Focused implementation initiative, these recommendations have informed new training programs, have been circulated to all faculty, and have led to the development of a project manager position to oversee the implementation of the recommendations.

Additionally, in June 2024, Penn adopted new Temporary Standards and Procedures for Campus Events and Demonstrations to ensure expressive activity is appropriately managed. New students were also provided with training focused on antisemitism and protest policies, while a workshop on combating hate was offered to new faculty.

Penn currently has approximately a dozen active, formal partnership agreements with Israeli organizations and partners with a number of internal and external Jewish organizations including Hillel, the ADL, Jewish Federation, AJC, Shoah Foundation, Weitzman Museum, and more. During the 2025-26 academic year, the University also welcomed prominent Israeli scholars and leaders to campus.

In December 2024, Penn became the first university to establish a dedicated Office of Religious and Ethnic Interests (OREI), serving as a centralized resource for addressing complaints of religious and ethnic bias under Title VI while also leading proactive education and outreach. OREI has already launched a training for all incoming students during orientation. As part of its programming, Penn OREI has also already developed numerous tailored trainings on Antisemitism, Islamophobia, and other forms of religious and ethnic identity-based bias, discrimination, and harassment. Furthermore, OREI also partnered with the Center for Excellence in Teaching, Learning and Innovation (CETLI) to include content focused on combating hate in annual workshops and training held in August 2025 for faculty who are new to Penn.

Penn also launched a new undergraduate climate survey in Spring 2025 on belonging, safety, and religious and ethnic inclusion.

Through OREI, as well as a number of schools, centers, and programs, Penn has also been delivering a wide range of opportunities to engage in civil discourse, including via the SNF Penn Paideia Program, the Perry World House’s Critical Conversations event series and a 2026 course on “Interfaith Dialogue in Action.” In addition, during the 2025-26 academic year, the College of Arts and Sciences piloted a new program called “The College Dialogue Initiative” to train faculty members and peer learning assistants to enable students to engage in complex conversations.

Following a comprehensive assessment by an external organization, the University has implemented enhanced security measures for religious spaces across campus. Penn’s University Life is also hiring a Program Coordinator of Jewish Life to focus on the needs and cultural experiences of Jewish students.

The work of the Task Force on Antisemitism and the Presidential Commission on Countering Hate and Building Community continues to shape efforts on campus, with implementation led by Professor Michael Weisberg. Furthermore, in 2025, Kalaniyot, a national faculty-led organization that promotes and provides opportunities for faculty to deepen ties with Israeli scholars, has launched at Penn.

The University of Pennsylvania has a Hillel, Chabad, Jewish Greek life organizations, and the Herbert D. Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies.

Litigation & Investigations

In November 2023, the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights opened a Title VI investigation into Penn, following a complaint by the Brandeis Center alleging the school failed to protect Jewish students from harassment.

What’s Happening on Campus?

In March 2024, members of the Penn Faculty for Justice in Palestine sued the University to prevent it from sending internal documents to a Congressional committee investigating antisemitism on the campus.

Following 16 days of a ‘Gaza Solidarity Encampment’ set up in April 2024, Penn campus and state police dismantled the encampment and arrested 33 protestors, including 9 students.

In October 2024, graffiti was located in multiple areas of the campus reading "Sinwar Lives," "Kill Zios," "Kill Your Local Zio Nazi" and "Sinwar Strikes Back."

In April 2025, a mezuzah was torn from the dorm room doorframe of a Jewish Penn student. In July 2025, an online program at Penn was zoombombed by an individual who displayed racist and antisemitic imagery and shouted "Heil Hitler" and "N-----."

In August 2025, U.S. Senators Dave McCormick and John Fetterman sent a letter addressed to Penn’s President Jameson urging the protection of Jewish students amidst a rise in antisemitic incidents on Pennsylvania college campuses.

University Policies and Responsive Action

Former President Magill launched an antisemitism task force and action plan before her resignation. The University has since developed its own overview of antisemitism and has said they will “refer” to the IHRA Definition as well. Penn has also made efforts to encourage more students to report bias or harassment and has increased its security services on campus.

In March 2024, the University began investigating 'Penn Against the Occupation,' removing them from the official student club registry until the conclusion of the investigation. In April 2024, the student club was banned.

Penn's schools have offered a variety of antisemitism education opportunities to the campus community, including a Bystander Intervention Workshop to Stop Antisemitic Harassment, an Economic Antisemitism Workshop, and an Exploring Jewish Identity and Building Inclusive Communities Workshop.

In May 2024, Penn’s Task Force on Antisemitism (established in 2023) and the Presidential Commission on Countering Hate and Building Community (established in 2024) published their final reports, outlining recommendations for addressing antisemitism on campus. Under the Forward Focused implementation initiative, these recommendations have informed new training programs, have been circulated to all faculty, and have led to the development of a project manager position to oversee the implementation of the recommendations.

Additionally, in June 2024, Penn adopted new Temporary Standards and Procedures for Campus Events and Demonstrations to ensure expressive activity is appropriately managed. New students were also provided with training focused on antisemitism and protest policies, while a workshop on combating hate was offered to new faculty.

Penn currently has approximately a dozen active, formal partnership agreements with Israeli organizations and partners with a number of internal and external Jewish organizations including Hillel, the ADL, Jewish Federation, AJC, Shoah Foundation, Weitzman Museum, and more. During the 2025-26 academic year, the University also welcomed prominent Israeli scholars and leaders to campus.

In December 2024, Penn became the first university to establish a dedicated Office of Religious and Ethnic Interests (OREI), serving as a centralized resource for addressing complaints of religious and ethnic bias under Title VI while also leading proactive education and outreach. OREI has already launched a training for all incoming students during orientation. As part of its programming, Penn OREI has also already developed numerous tailored trainings on Antisemitism, Islamophobia, and other forms of religious and ethnic identity-based bias, discrimination, and harassment. Furthermore, OREI also partnered with the Center for Excellence in Teaching, Learning and Innovation (CETLI) to include content focused on combating hate in annual workshops and training held in August 2025 for faculty who are new to Penn.

Penn also launched a new undergraduate climate survey in Spring 2025 on belonging, safety, and religious and ethnic inclusion.

Through OREI, as well as a number of schools, centers, and programs, Penn has also been delivering a wide range of opportunities to engage in civil discourse, including via the SNF Penn Paideia Program, the Perry World House’s Critical Conversations event series and a 2026 course on “Interfaith Dialogue in Action.” In addition, during the 2025-26 academic year, the College of Arts and Sciences piloted a new program called “The College Dialogue Initiative” to train faculty members and peer learning assistants to enable students to engage in complex conversations.

Following a comprehensive assessment by an external organization, the University has implemented enhanced security measures for religious spaces across campus. Penn’s University Life is also hiring a Program Coordinator of Jewish Life to focus on the needs and cultural experiences of Jewish students.

The work of the Task Force on Antisemitism and the Presidential Commission on Countering Hate and Building Community continues to shape efforts on campus, with implementation led by Professor Michael Weisberg. Furthermore, in 2025, Kalaniyot, a national faculty-led organization that promotes and provides opportunities for faculty to deepen ties with Israeli scholars, has launched at Penn.

The University of Pennsylvania has a Hillel, Chabad, Jewish Greek life organizations, and the Herbert D. Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies.

Litigation & Investigations

In November 2023, the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights opened a Title VI investigation into Penn, following a complaint by the Brandeis Center alleging the school failed to protect Jewish students from harassment.

What’s Happening on Campus?

In March 2024, members of the Penn Faculty for Justice in Palestine sued the University to prevent it from sending internal documents to a Congressional committee investigating antisemitism on the campus.

Following 16 days of a ‘Gaza Solidarity Encampment’ set up in April 2024, Penn campus and state police dismantled the encampment and arrested 33 protestors, including 9 students.

In October 2024, graffiti was located in multiple areas of the campus reading "Sinwar Lives," "Kill Zios," "Kill Your Local Zio Nazi" and "Sinwar Strikes Back."

In April 2025, a mezuzah was torn from the dorm room doorframe of a Jewish Penn student. In July 2025, an online program at Penn was zoombombed by an individual who displayed racist and antisemitic imagery and shouted "Heil Hitler" and "N-----."

In August 2025, U.S. Senators Dave McCormick and John Fetterman sent a letter addressed to Penn’s President Jameson urging the protection of Jewish students amidst a rise in antisemitic incidents on Pennsylvania college campuses.

University Policies and Responsive Action

Former President Magill launched an antisemitism task force and action plan before her resignation. The University has since developed its own overview of antisemitism and has said they will “refer” to the IHRA Definition as well. Penn has also made efforts to encourage more students to report bias or harassment and has increased its security services on campus.

In March 2024, the University began investigating 'Penn Against the Occupation,' removing them from the official student club registry until the conclusion of the investigation. In April 2024, the student club was banned.

Penn's schools have offered a variety of antisemitism education opportunities to the campus community, including a Bystander Intervention Workshop to Stop Antisemitic Harassment, an Economic Antisemitism Workshop, and an Exploring Jewish Identity and Building Inclusive Communities Workshop.

In May 2024, Penn’s Task Force on Antisemitism (established in 2023) and the Presidential Commission on Countering Hate and Building Community (established in 2024) published their final reports, outlining recommendations for addressing antisemitism on campus. Under the Forward Focused implementation initiative, these recommendations have informed new training programs, have been circulated to all faculty, and have led to the development of a project manager position to oversee the implementation of the recommendations.

Additionally, in June 2024, Penn adopted new Temporary Standards and Procedures for Campus Events and Demonstrations to ensure expressive activity is appropriately managed. New students were also provided with training focused on antisemitism and protest policies, while a workshop on combating hate was offered to new faculty.

Penn currently has approximately a dozen active, formal partnership agreements with Israeli organizations and partners with a number of internal and external Jewish organizations including Hillel, the ADL, Jewish Federation, AJC, Shoah Foundation, Weitzman Museum, and more. During the 2025-26 academic year, the University also welcomed prominent Israeli scholars and leaders to campus.

In December 2024, Penn became the first university to establish a dedicated Office of Religious and Ethnic Interests (OREI), serving as a centralized resource for addressing complaints of religious and ethnic bias under Title VI while also leading proactive education and outreach. OREI has already launched a training for all incoming students during orientation. As part of its programming, Penn OREI has also already developed numerous tailored trainings on Antisemitism, Islamophobia, and other forms of religious and ethnic identity-based bias, discrimination, and harassment. Furthermore, OREI also partnered with the Center for Excellence in Teaching, Learning and Innovation (CETLI) to include content focused on combating hate in annual workshops and training held in August 2025 for faculty who are new to Penn.

Penn also launched a new undergraduate climate survey in Spring 2025 on belonging, safety, and religious and ethnic inclusion.

Through OREI, as well as a number of schools, centers, and programs, Penn has also been delivering a wide range of opportunities to engage in civil discourse, including via the SNF Penn Paideia Program, the Perry World House’s Critical Conversations event series and a 2026 course on “Interfaith Dialogue in Action.” In addition, during the 2025-26 academic year, the College of Arts and Sciences piloted a new program called “The College Dialogue Initiative” to train faculty members and peer learning assistants to enable students to engage in complex conversations.

Following a comprehensive assessment by an external organization, the University has implemented enhanced security measures for religious spaces across campus. Penn’s University Life is also hiring a Program Coordinator of Jewish Life to focus on the needs and cultural experiences of Jewish students.

The work of the Task Force on Antisemitism and the Presidential Commission on Countering Hate and Building Community continues to shape efforts on campus, with implementation led by Professor Michael Weisberg. Furthermore, in 2025, Kalaniyot, a national faculty-led organization that promotes and provides opportunities for faculty to deepen ties with Israeli scholars, has launched at Penn.