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A recent survey of Jewish and Israeli community members at the University of California, Los Angeles, found that two-thirds of students, faculty and staff reported antisemitism as a problem, and nearly three-quarters believed it was treated less seriously than other forms of hate.
The report, which was commissioned by UCLA interim chancellor Darnell Hunt and conducted by the Task Force to Combat Antisemitism and Anti-Israeli Bias, highlights a rise in antisemitic incidents on campus since Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked Israel, sparking an ongoing war in Gaza.
The survey’s sample of 428 people included Jewish students, staff and faculty members from a diverse array of religious, secular, Zionist, non-Zionist and anti-Zionist identities and organizations.
Over 70 percent of respondents said they thought UCLA’s spring 2024 encampment, which made national headlines and sent then-chancellor Gene Block to Capitol Hill for interrogation, fueled antisemitism. And 41 percent said they considered leaving UCLA due to the bias.
Dan Gold, executive director of Hillel at UCLA, applauded the task force for its work but noted that the findings reflect the deep challenges that Jews still face on campus, adding that more work needs to be done.
“Most unacceptable is how the vast majority of Jewish students, faculty, and staff respondents report a dynamic of blatant discrimination from their fellow students and faculty,” Gold said. “We have appreciated the university’s efforts over the past few months to better implement and tighten up their own policies and we look forward to this report helping accelerate additional needed changes to make UCLA a safe and comfortable place to be Jewish.”
