Statements From the April 17 Congressional Committee Hearing

Statement of Professor David Schizer, Co-Chair, Columbia University Task Force on Antisemitism, before the Committee on Education and the Workforce, U.S. House of Representatives

April 17, 2024

I am David Schizer. Thank you, Chairwoman Foxx, and thank you Ranking Member Scott, for inviting me to testify today.

In the wake of Hamas’s barbaric atrocities on October 7th, there has been a chilling surge of antisemitic incidents across the globe and, unfortunately, on the Columbia campus as well. As part of the university’s response, President Shafik asked me to serve as one of three co-chairs of a new Task Force on Antisemitism. I’m here today to share some of the Task Force’s initial findings and recommendations. There is a lot to do–and we aren’t yet where we need to be–but we are making real progress.

Before I get into the details, I will explain why the Task Force’s work is so important to me. One reason is obvious. Columbia is my home. I’ve been on the faculty for twenty-six years, including ten years as dean of the law school from 2004 to 2014. I also have devoted years of my life to combatting antisemitism, including as CEO of American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee or “JDC,” a Jewish humanitarian organization.

There is another reason why it is so important to me personally for Columbia to provide a welcoming environment for Jews and everyone else. That reason is grounded in my family history.

My grandfather grew up in a village in Western Ukraine. His grandfather was lynched in a pogrom. A few years later, he almost met the same fate. A group of antisemitic thugs put my grandfather up against a wall and were about to shoot him, but he managed to get away. This near-death experience persuaded him to leave Ukraine, and he arrived in New York harbor a few months later.

So what did my grandfather do? He taught himself English in the public library and took whatever work he could find. Eventually, he was able to enroll in Columbia Teachers College. That changed his life. It offered him a fulfilling career as a Judaic studies teacher in a Hebrew school. His son became a lawyer, and so did his grandson, who is here before you today.

Columbia had the same transformative impact on the other side of my family. My mother got a scholarship to go to Barnard College and Columbia Law School, where she was one of just twelve women in her class. Her brother (my uncle) also got a scholarship to go to Columbia College and Columbia Medical School.

This is a long way of saying that Columbia is not just my professional home; it is my cause. I am inspired by what the university has done for my family and for so many other families like us. I know the difference it makes in the lives of my students. For well over a century, Columbia has been a welcoming place for people of diverse backgrounds from all over the world, including Jewish families like mine. It is critical to preserve that proud tradition.

So my work on the Antisemitism Task Force has special meaning for me. An added bonus is that I work with two talented and dedicated co-chairs, Ester Fuchs of the School of International and Public Affairs and Nicholas Lemann of the Journalism School, as well as twelve other distinguished senior faculty from across the university. Every day, I am inspired by their wisdom, energy, and commitment.

But our job has not been easy. In the past six months, we’ve heard too many heartbreaking stories from Jewish and Israeli students. For example, one of my students who wears a kippah was approached in the law school lobby by another student who said, “F*** the Jews.” Another was spat upon at a protest. A student wearing a shirt with an Israeli flag was surrounded by protesters, pinned against a brick wall, and told to “keep f***ing running” when he broke free. When I heard about this, my first thought was of my grandfather being pushed up against a wall in Ukraine. This is simply unacceptable.

We were heartbroken to learn that many Jewish, Israeli, and other students feel unwelcome in student groups having nothing to do with the Middle East merely because of their real or perceived ties Israel. Their Zionism and belief in a Jewish homeland should not disqualify them from joining a dance group or volunteering to work with NY City public school students. This sort of pressure–signaling that Jews are accepted only if they reject a core part of their religion and identity–sounds like old-fashioned bigotry from long ago. Again, this is simply unacceptable in 2024. Indeed, it would be wrong to exclude or harass anyone based on their religion or identity, whether they are Palestinian, Black, Asian, Latino, LGBTQ+, female, or members of any other group.

Every Columbia student is entitled to feel at home on our campus. Jewish and Israeli students deserve no less. This is not negotiable. Columbia’s Jewish and Israeli community is large and their experiences vary. Some students are less affected than others. The climate for Jewish and Israeli students also varies across Columbia’s seventeen schools. But the complaints from those who have come forward are harrowing and unacceptable.  

So although there are problems at Columbia, many capable and dedicated people are working hard to address them. Our task force has been in close touch with President Shafik, her leadership team, an impressive group of faculty and staff from across the university, as well as students, graduates, and parents. We have strong support from David Greenwald, Claire Shipman, and their colleagues on Columbia’s Board of Trustees. We also regularly seek advice and share ideas with the leadership of Hillel, Chabad, antisemitism task forces at other universities, leaders of the Jewish community, and experts from a range of other institutions.

Our task force has sought to identify steps that will have the most immediate and sustained impact on students feeling threatened or isolated because of their identity. We began by focusing on the many campus protests since October 7, which have contributed to a tense campus climate. Last month, we issued a report on the rules governing protests, which offered four main recommendations.

First, Columbia needs better rules about where and when protests can be held. The right to protest has to be protected, regardless of subject matter or viewpoint. It is a core part of the university’s commitment to free expression and academic freedom. At the same time, the university also has to ensure that protests don’t disrupt classes and other activities. To strike this balance, the rules should allow protests only in designated locations on campus, not in academic buildings. We are very pleased that President Shafik and her leadership team have already implemented this idea—indeed, they did it three weeks before our report was issued. This is a major step forward.

Our report’s second main recommendation is that the university needs to be more effective in enforcing its rules. Our report identified a number of reasons why enforcement has fallen short, and we suggested ways to deal with them. For example, we have called for more proactive responses when violations are taking place, a more streamlined process for filing complaints, more time to investigate them, and the release of aggregate data about our disciplinary processes. I’m pleased that the university has worked to implement these (and other) ideas to make enforcement more effective.

Third, we also have recommended enhancements and clarifications to the university’s antidiscrimination rules. Years ago, the University launched a major initiative to combat gender-based misconduct. We recommend a comparable effort to combat antisemitism–and, indeed, other forms of hate and discrimination. We know that President Shafik and her leadership team are committed to this goal.

Fourth, the university needs to avoid double standards. For example, when members of a group say that particular phrases or comments interfere with their ability to learn and work, should the University defer to them? In recent years, this sort of deference has been commonplace, for instance, when women, Black and transgender students have registered concerns in discussions of sexual assault, policing, and transgender rights. But the response has been different when Jewish and Israeli students lodged similar complaints after October 7. There has not been the same deference. Instead, the focus has shifted from the impact on the audience to the intent of the speaker. While there are policy justifications for either approach, the university cannot use one approach for Jews and another for other groups. Speaking only for myself, I personally would lean in the direction of allowing more speech, even when it is disturbing or offensive. But either way, Jews need to receive the same treatment as other groups. The university agrees that a consistent approach is needed.

While our task force began with these four recommendations about rules, we are hard at work on many other issues as well. Next month, we will issue another report spotlighting our students’ experiences, drawing on over 20 listening sessions across the university. We also will make recommendations about how to incorporate content on antisemitism in student orientation and other training, how to define antisemitism in these contexts, the work of our student services office, student groups, and more. We will issue additional reports next year, and will conduct methodologically rigorous surveys and qualitative research to shed more light on how antisemitism manifests at Columbia

When the university combats antisemitism and other forms of hate, it is essential also to protect academic freedom. Vibrant debate is the hallmark of a great academic community. Needless to say, members of our community are free to hold different views on the Israeli government and its policies, including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Just as Israelis regularly criticize their own government and its policies, it is appropriate (and not antisemitic) for others to do so as well.

Nevertheless, antisemitism can still emerge in debates about Israel. For example, it is not appropriate to make assumptions about the views of American Jews on Israel or to attribute Israel’s policies to them. In addition, certain criticisms clearly are antisemitic. For example, the use of antisemitic stereotypes and tropes in these critiques is antisemitic, as are efforts to rationalize or endorse the murder of Jews or the destruction of the state of Israel. That is well outside the bounds of policy critique. It is threatening and unacceptable. But we can and should debate the policies of Israel as a nation-state, just as we do for other nation-states across the globe.

Even though our Task Force focuses on antisemitism, we know that Jews and Israelis are not the only ones targeted in this difficult time. Our recommendations can also bolster efforts to combat other types of bigotry.  

In all this work, we are mindful of a university’s solemn responsibility to teach the next generation. Our students must learn to think critically, seek knowledge, cherish and defend liberty, and build a better world. 

To do that, we must never shy away from the great issues of the day. Our University must always strive to shed the light of reason on the defining challenges of our time. To advance our mission, we must be willing to express strong views, follow evidence and arguments where they lead, and confront painful truths. As part of this process, members of our community inevitably will disagree.

But even as we express competing views, a University is at its best when we all strive to state our position with civility and collegially. Making the case in this way shows not only skill as an advocate, but also human decency, respect for shared values, and respect for each other.

*          *          *

I appreciate the opportunity to speak with you and look forward to answering your questions.

Statement of Ms. Claire Shipman, Co-Chair of the Board of Trustees, Columbia University, before the Committee on Education and the Workforce, U.S. House of Representatives

April 17, 2024

Chairwoman Foxx, Ranking Member Scott, and Members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to be here today and discuss Columbia University’s efforts to combat antisemitism.

Antisemitism is dangerous and reprehensible. It has no place at Columbia, or in our society. I am grateful, as a citizen and a co-chair of our Board, for the spotlight that you are putting on this ancient hatred, and the critical role you play holding our most important institutions to account. As a reporter, I always have a bias toward transparency and accountability.

It is difficult, and heartbreaking, to hear, as we do regularly, that members of our community feel unsafe. I am a parent of college-age children, I know dozens of students at Columbia, and I feel this current climate on our campus viscerally. It’s unacceptable. I can tell you plainly that I am not satisfied with where Columbia is at this moment. As co-chair of the Board, I bear responsibility for that. This role is one of the great privileges of my life, and I take the weight of its responsibility seriously. I am dedicated to addressing these concerns.

The days immediately following October 7 are the most painful I have experienced on our campus. I knew, as word of the horrific Hamas terrorist attack started to spread, that the tragedy would have a devastating impact, especially on our Jewish students. Two days later, President Shafik and I joined hundreds of members of our community for a somber, candlelight vigil on the steps of Low Library. The grief was intense, but it was a moment of comfort. It would be fleeting.

The last six months on our campus have served as an extreme pressure test. Our systems were not equipped to manage the unfolding situation. But with each challenge, we have moved to adapt decisively. Physical safety was, and is, paramount, and we were seeing protests unprecedented in type and scale, a level of threats and harassment, especially directed at our Jewish students that was unacceptable. We shut our gates and backed the critical decision to invite the New York City Police department onto our campus during demonstrations for the first time since 1968. We’ve also brought on other law enforcement experts, rewritten our rules, and beefed up our enforcement process, suspending two student groups for non-compliance, more than a dozen individual students, and also disciplining faculty members. We’ve created an independent antisemitism task force, and launched training across the University on antisemitism. I hope to discuss more of our efforts later, but let me say something equally important: We are far from done. I am outraged by the vile sentiments I continue to hear, by those who ignore our rules, and we are holding them accountable. This problem, though, goes deeper than discipline. It’s about returning to our core values as an institution.

Late last fall, I moderated a powerful event with two brilliant women—the Israeli dean of our foreign policy school, Keren Yarhi Milo, and her friend, Amani Jamal, the Palestinian dean of Princeton’s foreign policy school. They didn’t agree on everything, but the women spoke with empathy, wisdom, common sense, and respect. That should be our steady state.

40 years ago—I arrived in New York from Columbus, Ohio, a full financial aid student with little sense about the school, the city, or the world. I was challenged by the breadth of ideas and outlooks—I drank up the chance to rub shoulders with cutting edge DNA researchers, and frontline cold war strategists who upended my political point of view. Columbia changed my life. That is what universities are meant to do—teach students how to think, not what to think. To challenge and broaden, not to intimidate and terrorize. We can be a campus that both battles antisemitism and all bigotry, and a place that allows for vigorous debate. A place that can weigh the most difficult questions in the world—in a civilized, respectful fashion. We are determined to create, again, a flourishing ecosystem. But, a healthy Columbia must start with respect for each other, and our rules. Let me be clear: Antisemites, bigots of any sort, those without common sense and common decency are not welcome at the Columbia we are rebuilding.

We are committed to being honest about where we are, and doing the hard work, going forward, of making Columbia better. I look forward today to getting your input.

More specifically, the Hamas terrorist attack, and subsequent war in Gaza, and the effects on our community, have revealed shortcomings in our system that we must, as leadership, come together and resolve. As they existed six months ago, our systems were not equipped for crisis management. Our process had been built, broadly, to respond to issues like academic dishonesty, and the use of alcohol or illegal substances, and it struggled to handle new realities on campus after October 7. But we have moved to adapt quickly, with our most fundamental goal, at all times, being the protection of our community.  

We knew that securing physical control over the campus, within days, was necessary for safety. We typically have an open campus, but that approach, especially in New York, posed substantial risk. As a Board, we considered decisions to hire outside security firms, to close the gates of our campus to those unaffiliated with the school, and to invite the New York City Police Department onto our campus, and we decided to implement all three options. We knew we might face internal criticism, Columbia had not had the NYPD on campus for demonstrations since 1968, but it was important to keep our community safe. We now know that NYPD presence is making a difference, we are grateful for their excellence and their help, and we are committed to working with the police indefinitely.   

We quickly began work to review and revise University policies—especially around events and discipline—to ensure that the policies are sufficient to address the situation at hand. Especially in light of the protests we saw on campus that were unprecedented in type and scale, we recognize that the University needs better rules and enforcement. We have adopted measures to limit the time, place, and manner of protests. These measures are meant to help protect our community from fear and threats, and simultaneously protect speech freedoms. We are also working to enforce these rules. Following a series of rules violations and non-responsiveness by group leaders, the University’s event policies were used to suspend indefinitely two student groups on November 19. We are committed to continuing to consider revisions and additions to the rules as we see how they operate in practice  

In addition to focusing on the physical safety of students and faculty on campus, we took concrete actions to confront antisemitism and support the Jewish members of our community. To help connect with Jewish students and better understand the needed resources, Columbia’s trustees met with students or attended campus events, including at Hillel. I met with Israeli Defense Forces veterans, for example, in our General Studies program, incredible young women from Israel who were struggling to comprehend the attacks at home. These students shared their fear of being targets walking across campus. That was unacceptable to me. In response to hearing devastating information like that, we worked to add resources to hotline and escort services to ensure students who felt threatened could get the protection they needed.

The University has also taken extensive actions to confront antisemitism by improving reporting and training processes. We have enhanced the process by which members of our community can institute complaints regarding discrimination and harassment, making reporting easier. We have added additional resources—through both internal staff and hiring external support—to address these complaints. We have enhanced our training process for everyone working with students and student groups and brought in outside training on Title VI and reporting obligations. We’ve also brought in significant outside investigative help to assist in efficient processing of harassment and discrimination complaints, and to allow a more rapid administration of justice.

President Shafik, less than a month after October 7, launched a Task Force on Antisemitism, one made up of three of the University’s most respected Jewish community members, to identify the challenges ahead of us and provide recommendations for the University’s response. The Task Force has already given us constructive feedback and suggestions. On the Board of Trustees, we also created a task force that tracks ongoing events and feeds recommendations to the administration. In addition, Columbia is working to foster productive conversations through programs like Dialogue Across Difference and connecting our community through listening forums. This is something our students, over and over, have said they need. 

As we continue improving, we have a number of longer-term efforts underway. Our ongoing rules review will provide comprehensive guidelines for demonstrations and protests that will lead to even greater accountability and a safer campus. That will provide one method of longer-term education. But rules and consequences will only get us so far. In the long term, it is our duty to educate deeply. To help our students to learn to listen with respect. To that end, we have invested extensively in antisemitism training for faculty and staff, which is already underway. We are also adding antisemitism education to our student orientation programs. We will continue investing in scholarship and academic programming that elevates campus debates on difficult issues. And we will focus on educating our community about the dangers and realities of antisemitism.  

We recognize that, despite our best efforts and intentions, Columbia did not always respond swiftly and forcefully enough, and we therefore fell short of addressing the enormous outpouring of grief and fear that our Jewish community was experiencing. Although we have not always gotten it right, and we still have much work to do, we are committed to making progress and overseeing improvements. We have also heard our Palestinian students, and other students from the region, who have felt unfairly doxxed, or targeted for their identity. I’ve met with and heard from a number of them. That is also unacceptable. It is our first imperative that all our students feel safe attending classes, sharing their perspectives on the conflict, and participating in campus life to the fullest. We are committed to hearing feedback from our community, this Committee, and our alumni and supporters around the world.  

Right now, Columbia is facing a critical moment and a serious challenge. We have significant and important work to do to address antisemitism and to ensure that our Jewish community is safe and welcome and that all of our community can continue to thrive. Our first—and most important—duty is to our students, and at every step of our response, I will keep that in mind.  

The remainder of my testimony has additional details on the University’s efforts to confront and combat antisemitism. 

Board of Trustees of Columbia University

The Columbia Board of Trustees advises the President and other senior University officials. We hire and oversee the President, who is responsible for hiring officers and running the day-to-day operations of the University. We also act in an oversight capacity, overseeing the University’s operations, finances, and compliance with the law. We take great care in executing our role and guiding the implementation of the strategic direction of the University in close consultation with the University’s senior leadership. All Trustees, other than the President, are volunteers. We are not paid, and do not make a career out of being Trustees. Our work comes from our love for Columbia, and our desire to support and improve the University in every way we can.  

Much of our work is not public facing. The Board does not publish press releases and does not have a social media presence. We have not released a statement about antisemitism, because we think it is important for all public statements to come from the administration, led by the President, so Columbia speaks with one unified voice.  

During this crisis we have been in constant communication with President Shafik about strong, consistent, and meaningful responses to antisemitism on campus. We have made sure that a diversity of perspectives is heard and considered in the University’s approach. The Trustees have met with students or attended campus events, including at Hillel.

The primary concern of the Board was—and is—student safety. We were involved in Columbia’s decisions to ensure the physical security of our campus and to provide additional resources to students experiencing pain and trauma in the wake of October 7.  

Columbia University’s Actions to Combat Antisemitism Since October 7, 2023

The Board is committed to building a university with an active discourse where all students, faculty, and staff can share their views on the issues important to them, but we refuse to tolerate threats, violence, and hatred. It is the Board’s responsibility, in conjunction with all University leadership, to build a community where everyone is safe and able to thrive. Our efforts will not be over until that goal is achieved in full.  

Columbia has seen a rise in complaints of antisemitic incidents on campus since October 7. We are taking these complaints seriously and have implemented a number of initiatives to address this harassment and hatred and to ensure safety on our campus. Simultaneously, these initiatives are built to ensure that all members of our community have access to the resources and support that they need to handle these incidents.  

a. Immediate Action Was Taken to Provide Physical Safety on Campus

Columbia’s disciplinary processes and support services were not prepared for the volume and the nature of violations that we saw after October 7. Traditionally, our campus has been open for public debate, including between students, faculty, and those not affiliated with Columbia. But the demonstrations and confrontations between student groups were unprecedented, and immediate action was needed to ensure the physical safety of our students.

Columbia began restricting access to campus to only Columbia ID holders during major events. Additionally, we increased the presence of public safety personnel across all of our campuses, hired outside security firms for additional support, and ensured that the NYPD were present or on standby for all major events. This is the first time in 50 years that Columbia has had a police presence on campus during demonstrations. We suspended two student groups, Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace, following a series of rules violations and group leaders’ non-responsiveness to our repeated entreaties to comply. Many of these decisions were not popular, and provoked strong reactions from students, faculty, and outside groups. But President Shafik, the Board, and other University leaders felt they were essential to ensure the safety of our students on campus.  

b. Enhanced Reporting, Resources, & Student Policies

Combatting antisemitism starts with understanding the full scale of the issue. To increase the reporting of antisemitic and other hate incidents, Columbia launched the Enhanced Reporting Initiative. This initiative increased the online accessibility of the University’s reporting system, Maxient, to make it easier for community members to file reports. The initiative also created posters with QR codes directing members of our community to the system. Additionally, the initiative created a telephone helpline to answer any questions about reporting incidents and accessing support. Combined, these efforts will bring additional incidents to the University’s attention so that they can be addressed appropriately. Columbia has also created a Doxing Resource Group to assist students who have been subjected to doxing attacks. This group provides students with crucial support and has already assisted more than 90 students.  

Columbia maintains rules that prohibit antisemitic harassment, discrimination, and violence and will punish those who violate them. Since December, Columbia has undertaken a review of all event policies and the Rules of Conduct to make sure that they are appropriately formulated to prevent acts of hate against Jewish community members. The University Senate is also reviewing University rules, and the Board looks forward to reviewing their findings and recommendations in the coming months. While this larger review was essential, it was also important to provide more immediate changes to protect our community.  

Columbia also released updated Interim Demonstration Policies, which create designated demonstration areas where students are allowed to protest and share their views, so long as the protest does not disrupt the functioning of the University or otherwise violate the University’s code of conduct or the law. These designated locations are intended to be prominent and central, while still limiting interference with ongoing University activities and ensuring the safety of students. Limiting demonstrations to set areas will make it possible for students who do not wish to interact with protestors to avoid these events while still attending classes and participating in other aspects of life at Columbia. If students wish to hold a demonstration outside of one of these designated areas, they must seek University approval. All demonstrations require two working days’ advance registration to ensure that Columbia has time to make necessary safety preparations. Finally, students are not permitted to promote a demonstration on campus until after their registration is approved. The policy also lays out a clear procedure for adjudication of alleged violations and consequences for students and student groups who break the rules.  

Columbia recognizes the importance of free speech, even on incredibly divisive topics, and will not deny a group the right to protest peacefully based on their viewpoint. However, there will be consequences for those who fail to abide by the demonstration policy. If the policy is violated, student groups will be reported to their respective student governing board, which will recommend sanctions to the Administration. Individual students who violate the policy will be reported to the Center for Student Success and Intervention. Repeated violations of the policy by an individual student can result in referral to the University Judicial Board, who can recommend that the student be placed on probation, suspended, or expelled.

Four months later, these policy changes are yielding important results. The new time and place restrictions on protests, and corresponding penalties for noncompliance, appear to be reducing the number of events that violate University rules. Students are asking for more events that involve dialogue on the larger issues and can have more conversations with each other. And in the cases where things do go wrong, we are seeing faster-paced discipline.

Our hope is that these changes will make it so that our Jewish community members feel safe, secure, and welcome at Columbia, while also permitting other students the ability to make their voices heard. We are optimistic about the power of this policy, which was endorsed by the Task Force on Antisemitism. We will continue evaluating these policies over the coming months, and as necessary, we will amend the policies to ensure the safety of the Columbia community.  

c. Columbia University Task Force on Antisemitism

Shortly after the October 7 terrorist attacks, Columbia University launched a Task Force on Antisemitism led by three prominent Jewish faculty members on our campus to develop a forum for feedback and suggest improvements. The Task Force has been at the core of the University’s response to antisemitism and has met with representatives from all 17 schools at Columbia to learn more about what our Jewish community is encountering on campus.

The Task Force was entrusted with three critical efforts, which they have been relentlessly working on since. First, the Task Force was asked to assess the events and other causes contributing to the pain in Columbia’s Jewish community. Second, they were asked to review the relevant policies, rules, and practices that impact our campus. Finally, the Task Force was empowered to propose other methods to help the entire community understand the impact of antisemitism at Columbia. To better understand the experiences of the Columbia community, the Task Force hosted listening sessions. During these sessions, Task Force members heard from our community about the impact of antisemitism at Columbia to inform their later actions.  

To advance these goals, the Task Force rapidly released their first report, which focused on Columbia’s rules for demonstrations. Their report endorsed Columbia’s new Interim Demonstration Policy aimed at promoting the ability of community members to engage in debate and conversations regarding differing opinions while still ensuring student safety and allowing students to participate fully in campus life. The report also called for stronger enforcement of our policies, a goal we are working towards. While the Task Force’s praise of the new Demonstration Policy is not a sign we are done, it is a heartening indication that we are moving in the right direction. The Task Force will be releasing additional reports, which the Board is eagerly awaiting. We will continue incorporating its findings into our ongoing efforts to make Columbia a welcoming environment for all.  

d. Dialogue Across Difference (DxD)

Columbia also created the Dialogue Across Difference (DxD) Program, which has been holding programming, providing professional development opportunities for faculty hoping to facilitate difficult conversations in our community, and providing seed grants that will permit students, faculty, and staff to create their own programs focused on facilitating dialogue across difference.  

DxD has already hosted four events focused on facilitating effective and respectful dialogues amongst those with differing opinions. The events have covered a diverse range of topics, including a discussion detailing the history of Middle East conflicts and the chances for peace in the region, a conversation about divisions in our democracy, and a discussion on artificial intelligence and its future impacts on future public dialogues and freedom of speech. These events were not merely wonderful learning experiences on a wide range of topics, they were also demonstrations of how those with differing opinions can have productive debates and discussions—even regarding high-stakes issues.  

In addition to these community-wide events, the University is providing professional development and training opportunities for faculty through the DxD program. In January and February of this year, DxD trained Columbia faculty on “Having Difficult Conversations” and “Employing Empathetic Objectivity in the Classroom.” DxD also partnered with an organization outside the University to provide skills trainings to Columbia staff, aimed at responding to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, de-escalating situations that become too heated, and facilitating conversations despite difference.

Finally, the DxD program provides funding to support faculty and students who want to create their own partnerships and programming to support positive conversations across differences. This will allow individuals throughout our community to play an active role in building productive bridges across differences and promoting more beneficial conversations and collaboration. Although this program is still young, we are pleased with the incredible progress that has been made, and we look forward to continued growth and collaboration fostered by DxD in the coming months and years.

e. President’s Listening Forums

We recognize that a problem as deeply entrenched and critical as antisemitism must be addressed with consistent communication between University leadership and our broader community. It was therefore important to open a channel of communication directly from students to the President of the University to make sure a diverse array of feedback was incorporated. In this spirit, in the months after the October 7 attack, President Shafik began hosting biweekly listening forums where students can share their feedback directly. So far, more than 90 students have participated, and these listening forums will be a permanent part of President Shafik’s schedule moving forward.  

In addition to these formal listening forums, many Trustees, President Shafik, and senior administrators have attended vigils and Jewish student gatherings on and off campus. We also meet on a regular basis with Jewish campus leaders. For example, my Trustee Co-Chair and I have met weekly with the Director of Hillel.  

I am thankful that President Shafik, my co-chair David Greenwald, and I have been able to work collaboratively together—and with the rest of the Board and the administration. I am grateful for the tireless and collegial work of our Board. I am especially thankful to have President Shafik leading Columbia during this time of turmoil. When the Board of Trustees set out to find the twentieth President for Columbia University, we completed an exhaustive and time intensive search. After considering an enormous number of candidates, President Shafik was the clear choice. She is an esteemed economist who has solved problems at high levels in the real world. She is not afraid to make hard decisions, and she does so with incredible wisdom and empathy. Despite the struggles Columbia has faced in recent months, the Board of Trustees fully support President Shafik. With President Shafik’s leadership I am confident we can continue moving in the right direction.

*          *          *

 Thank you for this opportunity to discuss our ongoing work to end antisemitism at Columbia. I welcome any questions that you may have.  

University leadership, including the four of us here today, know the importance of standing up for the rights of all individuals, particularly our Jewish community at this critical time, and we are committed to ensuring the safety of all our students, faculty, and staff.

Statement of Mr. David Greenwald, Co-Chair, Columbia Board of Trustees, before the Committee on Education and the Workforce, U.S. House of Representatives

April 17, 2024

Chairwoman Foxx, Ranking Member Scott, and Members of the Committee, thank you for having us here today to discuss how Columbia University is fighting antisemitism. Since the revolting and horrific terrorist attack by Hamas on Israeli citizens on October 7, 2023, there has been a surge of antisemitism in communities around the country. It sickens me that Columbia’s campuses have not been immune to this horrible trend. Antisemitism across the country, including on Columbia’s campuses, is a real issue that must be dealt with. We appreciate the opportunity to assist the Committee in its important effort to examine antisemitism on college campuses during today’s hearing.

Let me make clear from the outset: any targeting of Jews for hate, harassment, violence, intimidation, discrimination, or exclusion is antisemitic and unacceptable at Columbia. The University’s leadership—including President Shafik and the Board of Trustees—is committed to stopping these incidents at Columbia and standing with our Jewish community, of which I am a proud part. While we are working diligently toward this goal, we know this work is not complete.

My name is David Greenwald, and I have been co-chair of Columbia’s Board of Trustees, together with my co-chair Claire Shipman, since last September. I am in my sixth year of service on the Board. As a graduate of Columbia Law School, I have been part of Columbia’s community for decades.

The Board of Trustees helps oversee the strategic direction of Columbia and advises the President and other senior University officials. While we do not participate in day-to-day operations of the University, we are an active Board, one that is highly involved with advising on matters across the University. We are committed to good governance—governance that includes mission, strategy, and self-reflection. We need to stick closely to our mission, continue to review and renew our strategies, and be candid with ourselves about what we are doing right and what we can do better. Serving as a Trustee is always a great responsibility, but that responsibility is especially pronounced as our community has struggled with the horrific events of October 7 and its aftermath.

In recent years, antisemitism has been on the rise across the world, throughout the United States, and on university campuses. This undercurrent was suddenly brought to the forefront in October. Ever since, the Board of Trustees has played an active role in Columbia’s response to antisemitism. We have been in constant contact with the University’s leadership, including President Shafik. Throughout this time, we have prioritized the safety of our students, faculty, and staff. That is our paramount concern.

All universities, including Columbia, have an obligation to foster conversations about complicated and divisive issues in a way that is empathetic toward those with whom we disagree while promoting lively and respectful debate. Difficult inquiries, robust exchange of ideas, and even respectful conflict are at the core of higher education. Columbia is committed to having a pluralistic and positive environment on campus and to remaining a place where differing views and intellectual challenge are welcome and past and present conflicts are analyzed with an eye toward resolution and improvement. However, when those debates devolve into antisemitic harassment, discrimination, or violence—as has unacceptably happened at Columbia after October 7—there must be consequences.

We recognize that despite our best intentions, Columbia has not always gotten it right. We did not always respond quickly and forcefully enough. We, therefore, fell short of both addressing the grief and fear that our Jewish community was experiencing and making them feel safe and welcome on campus. We still have work to do, and we are committed to making progress and overseeing improvements. It is our first imperative that our students feel safe attending classes, sharing their perspectives, and participating in campus life to the fullest.

I will cover three principal topics with the remainder of this statement. First, I will focus on my experience with antisemitism as an American Jew. Second, I will address the role of Columbia’s Trustees. Finally, I will discuss some of the steps that the University has taken, including steps the Trustees have taken, to address antisemitism on our campuses.

Background on Antisemitism

I am a Jewish American. I became a bar mitzvah when I was 13. My wife Beth and I were married by a rabbi. I am active in the Jewish community. In 2017 I proudly accepted the American Jewish Committee’s Learned Hand Award. The AJC works to combat antisemitism and bigotry in all forms. The Learned Hand Award is given to outstanding leaders in the legal profession who exemplify the integrity and high principles that Judge Hand stood for.

Antisemitism has existed for millennia. It is the oldest hate. Across the ages, Jews have experienced oppression, expulsion, state-run genocide and terrorist attacks like that which took place on October 7. While I am not an expert on the subject, I can speak to it from my own experience. My maternal grandparents fled pogroms in Russia. My parents experienced antisemitism. I also have been the target of antisemitism. All one-off instances, but nevertheless each occurrence was shocking. Some were threatening and intended to create fear.

I, of course, have been aware of antisemitism throughout my life, even when it has not been directed at me or my family. Sadly, I could mention many occurrences before October 7. I will note only two: the march in Charlottesville in 2017 and the 2018 murder of members of the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. While antisemitism has been on the rise in recent years, the explosion of antisemitism on and after October 7 was surprising, no—shocking. I recently heard someone say that “antisemitism is a light sleeper,” and I agree with that sentiment.

I mention these facts regarding my background to make clear that I come to these issues with personal experience. I have been profoundly saddened by October 7, as well as by many of the responses to the terrorist attack by members of the Columbia community. We had a professor glorify the barbaric terrorist attacks by Hamas on Israeli civilians, women, children, and babies. A group of faculty penned a letter saying the horrific terrorist attacks were legitimate military actions. I believe firmly in free speech and recognize that in America people can say terrible things, but these statements are alarming and horrifying. There are protests on campus in which protesters shout “from the river to the sea” and hold banners that say things like “whatever it takes.” Many Jews hear and see that as a call to wipe out Israel and Jews throughout the world. As a result, many Jewish students and other members of our Columbia community have not felt safe.  

The Board of Trustees and the University, including the four members of this panel, have taken many steps to make our community feel safe, but fully recognize that we must remain vigilant.  

Role of the Board of Trustees of Columbia University

As members of the Board of Trustees, we advise the President and other senior University officials and act in an oversight capacity. We hire and oversee the President, who is responsible for hiring officers and, together with those officers, running the day-to-day operations of the University. The Trustees oversee those operations, the University’s finances, and its compliance with the law. The Trustees also guide the implementation of the strategy of the University that the President and other officers develop.

Other than President Shafik, all 21 current Trustees are volunteers and our roles are parttime. In my case, I had a full-time job as Chairman of the international law firm, Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson, LLP, a position which I held for ten years until my retirement on February 29th of this year. Regardless of our status, we dedicate significant time, energy, and devotion to our service on the Board.

The obvious question is: why would we do this? The short answer is we all love and are dedicated to Columbia. I received an excellent legal education at the Law School and give it credit (along with my undergraduate school) for the success I have had in my career. Further, the mission and values of Columbia resonate with me.  Simply put, Columbia is one of the great universities in the world. Our faculty educates the next generation of leaders and prepares students to be good citizens. Our researchers discover new knowledge, theories, and technologies that benefit humanity and the world. Our medical professionals provide unmatched care to patients. While Columbia is engaged internationally (including in Tel Aviv), our home is in New York City in the State of New York and in this great country of the United States. We are integrally involved in the city, the state, and the Nation. This important mission and set of goals are what attracts busy people, all of whom are graduates of one of Columbia’s schools, to become Trustees and to serve and improve the University that they love.

While much of our work is not public facing, we actively assist and advise on matters across the University. The response to antisemitism on campus has been the same, with the Board involved every step of the way. We have been in constant communication with the University’s leadership, including President Shafik, and have observed the University’s dedication to student safety and eradicating hate on our campuses firsthand. We were involved in Columbia’s decisions to ensure the physical security of our campuses and to provide additional resources to students in the wake of the October 7 terrorist attacks, and are also closely involved with the many other steps the University has taken to combat antisemitism.

Columbia University’s Actions to Combat Antisemitism Since October 7, 2023

By their very nature, universities are places for lively debate and disagreement, but those debates must be respectful, peaceful, and collegial. The active participation of our students and faculty on an issue of such importance as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is hardly surprising: Columbia is a university full of enthusiastic students and faculty who make their views known. However, there is a difference between exercising a right to protest and spreading antisemitism, committing violence, threatening violence, or harassing others.

Tragically, since October 7, we have seen an increase in complaints of antisemitic behaviors, threats, and occasionally violence. We take these incidents, and the harm they have on our community, incredibly seriously. President Shafik has published numerous statements making clear that antisemitism (and all forms of hate) are wrong and that antisemitic acts and speech that violate the University’s policies and rules will not be tolerated. We have initiated disciplinary proceedings and, where appropriate, we have involved Columbia Public Safety, the New York City Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Incidents of antisemitic violence have resulted in criminal referrals, and resources have been made available to all members of our community to facilitate healing and productive dialogue moving forward.

The Board is committed to building a University with an active discourse where all students, faculty, and staff can share their views on the issues important to them, but we refuse to tolerate threats, violence, or hatred. It is the Board’s responsibility, in conjunction with all University leadership, to build a community where everyone is safe and able to thrive. Our efforts will not be over until that goal is achieved in full.

Below, I address some of the specific steps the University has taken to combat antisemitism on our campuses and ensure the safety of the Columbia community. These steps are important. The test will be whether we can change behavior on campus. In that regard, enforcement of the rules is critical to hold violators accountable and, by sending a message to the broader Columbia community, deterring others who might otherwise violate the rules.  

a. Columbia Took Immediate Action to Provide Physical Safety on Campus

Columbia’s disciplinary processes and support services were not prepared for the volume and nature of the violations that we saw after October 7. Traditionally, our campuses have been open for public interaction and debate, including for students, faculty, and those not affiliated with Columbia. But the demonstrations and confrontations between student groups after October 7 were unprecedented, and our policies for demonstrations were not designed for the volume of protests that occurred. Nor did Columbia have enough personnel to enforce the rules. Thus, immediate action was needed to ensure the physical safety of our students.

Columbia began restricting access to campus to only Columbia ID holders during major events. In addition, we increased the presence of public safety personnel across all of our campuses, hired outside security firms for additional support, and ensured that the New York City Police Department was present or on standby for major events. We suspended two student groups, Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace, following a series of rules violations and their leaders’ failure to respond to our repeated entreaties to comply. President Shafik, the Board, and other University leaders felt these steps were essential to ensure the safety of our students on campus.  

b. Enhanced Reporting, Resources, & Student Policies

Columbia maintains rules which prohibit antisemitic harassment and discrimination and set forth other standards of behavior and will punish those who violate them. Columbia took action to ensure that community members could more easily file reports of antisemitism and other hate incidents, receive responses to their complaints, and have their complaints investigated. To better facilitate filing reports and accessing support, Columbia launched the Enhanced Reporting Initiative and telephone hotline. Columbia has also created a Doxing Resource Group to assist students who have been subjected to doxing attacks.  

Columbia has issued an Interim Demonstration Policy to allow students to express their views without endangering the safety or violating the rights of others. This policy limits demonstrations to only certain designated locations and requires groups to provide advance notice. Importantly, there will be, and have been, consequences for those who fail to abide by the new demonstration policy. The new time and place restrictions on protests and corresponding penalties for noncompliance appear to be reducing the number of events that violate University rules. Students are asking for more events that involve dialogue on the larger issues and can have more conversations with each other. And in the cases where violations occur, we are seeing faster-paced discipline. Our hope is that the changes described here will enable our Jewish community members to feel safe, secure, and welcome at Columbia. We are optimistic about the power of the Interim Demonstration Policy and will continue evaluating this policy and other relevant policies over the coming months, and will amend them as necessary to help ensure the safety of the Columbia community.

Columbia takes violations of our policies seriously. Since October 7, Columbia has initiated well over 100 disciplinary actions against students and has implemented at least 90 disciplinary measures against students, including 15 students who have been suspended and multiple students subjected to probation. Dozens more are in the disciplinary process.

c. Columbia University Task Force on Antisemitism

Shortly after the October 7 terrorist attack, Columbia University launched a Task Force on Antisemitism led by three prominent Jewish faculty to gain a deeper understanding of the situation on campus and to make recommendations about how the University should respond. The Task Force has been at the core of the University’s response to antisemitism.

The Task Force was entrusted with three critical efforts, which they have been relentlessly working on since. First, the Task Force was asked to assess the issues affecting Columbia’s Jewish community. Second, they were asked to review the relevant policies, rules, and practices that impact our campus. Finally, the Task Force was empowered to propose additional methods to help the entire community understand the impact of antisemitism at Columbia. To better understand the experiences of the Columbia community, the Task Force hosted listening sessions. During these sessions Task Force members heard from our community about the impact of antisemitism at Columbia in order to inform their actions.

To advance these goals, the Task Force has already released its first report, which focused on Columbia’s rules for demonstrations. The report endorsed Columbia’s new Interim Demonstration Policy aimed at promoting freedom of speech, while ensuring student safety and allowing students to participate fully in campus life. The report also called for stronger enforcement of our policies—a goal that the Trustees share and are working toward. The Task Force will be releasing additional reports, which President Shafik, the Board, and other University leaders eagerly await. We will continue incorporating their findings and recommendations into our ongoing efforts to make Columbia a welcoming environment for all, and I look forward to the implementation of the recommendations in the Task Force’s first report.

d. Trustee Task Force on Antisemitism and Other Efforts by the Trustees

As noted above, the Trustees have been and remain focused on addressing antisemitism on campus. At our Board meeting at the beginning of December, we heard from the three cochairs of the faculty Task Force on Antisemitism about their plans for the various workstreams of the Task Force. At our January videoconference Board meeting, President Shafik and other senior leaders reported, and the Trustees discussed, what was happening on campus and the steps being taken to address those developments. Antisemitism was also a topic at our Board meeting in March, and it will continue to be an important topic going forward.

The Trustees formed our own task force with a view to developing ideas for addressing antisemitism. I am honored to chair that Committee. Our initial focus was on steps we believed the University could take immediately and in the near-term. We delivered those ideas to President Shafik on December 7, 2023, and were pleased to see that they were included in the December 2023 “Our Community, Our Values” program aimed at addressing antisemitism and anti-Muslim hate on campus. The three co-chairs of the faculty Task Force on Antisemitism have presented to the Trustee task force and we have had reports regarding the enforcement of our policies and rules. The Trustee task force has also focused on the University’s Title VI rules prohibiting harassment and discrimination and policies and on enforcement of those rules and policies. We have received reports on these topics from senior leadership of the University. Next steps for the Trustee task force include identifying medium and long-term actions that the University can take to address antisemitism. We believe that the steps we are identifying will be useful to combat not only antisemitism, but also other forms of hate.

Further, the co-Chairs of the Board of Trustees have extremely frequent calls and meetings with President Shafik and her senior staff to discuss the critical issue of addressing antisemitism on our campuses. Indeed, we had daily calls in the lead up to the announcement of the “Our Community, Our Values” program. Our focus on combatting antisemitism at Columbia will continue.

*          *          *

The processes, statements of Columbia, and policy changes highlighted above are all important, to be sure. However, in my view, the most important actions taken to date include:  

1. Two student groups, Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace, have been suspended.
2. We engaged the Federal Bureau of Investigation in response to a vile and shocking unauthorized event that took place in a special interest community residence in March. 
3. Ten students involved in that despicable event were suspended from the University.
4. Consistent with the principles of free speech, protests on campus property have been restricted to locations consistent with our commitment to a safe and inclusive community.  
5. Action has been taken against multiple faculty members, and numerous additional faculty members are under investigation.
6. Columbia has implemented at least 90 disciplinary measures against students.  

If necessary, additional actions of this nature will be taken to combat antisemitism and to promote the safety of members of our community.

Conclusion

Thank you again for the opportunity to discuss a topic of critical importance to me, to Columbia University and, more broadly, to our Nation. Eliminating antisemitism takes unrelenting and aggressive effort. We have taken significant steps already, and we are committed to taking more action to address this ancient scourge.