Cornell University, an Ivy League institution, has been at the center of antisemitic incidents on college campuses ever since war erupted in the Middle East. The school week ended with no classes being held due to, in the words of the university president, the “extraordinary stress” of vitriol on campus.
The university has seen two major newsmaking incidents of antisemitism. Cornell professor Russell Rickford drew outrage in early October for saying he was “exhilarated” over the brutal attack by Hamas that killed over 1,000 Israelis (he is now on leave). And earlier this week, 21-year-old student Patrick Dai was arrested and federally charged with threats of violence against Jewish students and the Jewish living center. Approximately 20% of Cornell students are Jewish.
In an email from university administration, they hoped Friday would serve as a “community day” with students and most staff having the day off.
“We hope that everyone will use this restorative time to take care of yourselves and reflect on how we can nurture the kind of caring, mutually supportive community that we all value,” the email said, which was reported in the university’s student newspaper.
The Israel-Hamas war has provoked hateful acts as reactions about the conflict have spilled over into American society. The Anti-Defamation League said last week that there’s been an almost 400% increase in reported incidents of antisemitic actions based on preliminary data, while the Council on American-Islamic Relations said last week that it has recorded nearly 800 complaints and reported bias incidents against Muslims nationwide since the war broke out.
