Statement on ADL’s Report card

We are deeply disappointed by the ADL’s recent “C” rating, as the report fails to capture the full picture of Jewish life at UMD. The reality on the ground is far more positive than the report suggests.

Antisemitism has no place at UMD, and even one incident is one too many. Maryland Hillel takes every isolated act of antisemitism seriously and remains deeply committed to supporting Jewish students on campus. ADL’s report cherry-picks isolated antisemitic incidents to suggest the existence of more numerous issues on campus, which negates the strong campus atmosphere that our resilient Jewish students continue to cultivate We are proud of the vibrant Jewish community at UMD, but we also acknowledge that challenges remain, and we will continue to address them head-on.

The Israel story on campus supports the excellent rating on Jewish Life on Campus. Our programs have engaged thousands of Jewish and non-Jewish students this year, including a 1,000-person Israel solidarity Shabbat dinner in the fall and an October 7th vigil with over 1100 people in attendance. We thank the UMD administrators for their leadership, including initially canceling the Students for Justice in Palestine’s (SJP) attempt to co-opt a National Day of Mourning and their participation in our vigil. We are committed to working alongside university leadership to foster an inclusive and supportive campus for all students.

Unfortunately, the ADL’s report mischaracterized or omitted critical context regarding events over the past year. The University of Maryland never permitted an encampment on campus, as the University of Maryland Police Department (UMPD) proactively ensured that no tents or overnight protests occurred. We thank UMPD for their actions in keeping the campus encampment-free. The report also failed to mention that UMD is the only school in the country to defeat BDS resolutions twice within the past year, demonstrating that the student body sees no place for such initiatives on campus.

Maryland Hillel is proud of the positive environment we are seeing at UMD. Maryland Hillel, UMD, and UMPD are aligned in supporting Jewish life on campus. We remain steadfast in our mission to advocate for Jewish students, support their needs, and ensure that UMD continues to be a place where Jewish life flourishes.