Fetterman, McCormick call on Pa. universities to combat antisemitism

Pennsylvania’s two U.S. senators are calling on five of the state’s universities, including the University of Pittsburgh, to ensure that Jewish organizations on their campuses are “equipped to protect the students they serve.”

U.S. Sens. John Fetterman, D-Braddock, and Dave McCormick, R-Pittsburgh, said their request comes on the heels of an academic year that saw a record number of antisemitic incidents on college campuses and just weeks before the two-year anniversary of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel.

“Pennsylvania campuses have been no exception to the alarming rise of antisemitic harassment and violence” that have occurred in the United States since the Hamas-led attacks ignited war in the Middle East, Fetterman and McCormick jointly wrote in identical letters to leaders at Pitt, Penn State University, the University of Pennsylvania, Temple University and Lehigh University.

The five universities have the state’s largest Jewish student populations.

In their Aug. 28 letter, the senators cited a report from the Jewish campus organization Hillel International that showed more than 2,300 incidents of antisemitism were reported on campuses during the 2024-2025 school year, up from fewer than 300 in 2022-2023, before the Hamas-led attacks in Israel.

“Chabad houses have been vandalized, entrances to Hillel buildings have been targeted, and Jewish students have been assaulted. To protect the students and faculty they host, many Jewish institutions have been forced to cover the costs of additional security,” Fetterman and McCormick said.

“No student should feel like they must risk their safety to exercise their First Amendment rights to peacefully assemble and freely practice their religion. No campus institution should have to curtail its services to cover security expenses,” the senators added, urging the universities to allocate resources to help Jewish institutions protect the students they serve.

Fetterman and McCormick didn’t cite any specific incidents at the five Pennsylvania universities in their letters.

Last school year, anti-Israel protests at Pitt featured antisemitic messaging, and at least three Jewish students were assaulted on or near campus.

In August 2024, police said two students wearing yarmulkes were attacked by a 52-year-old man wielding a bottle near the Cathedral of Learning. A criminal case against the man is pending.

Then, the following month, police said a Pitt student wearing a Star of David necklace was attacked a few blocks from campus by a group of six to eight men uttering antisemitic slurs. No arrests were made.

Pitt responded to the assaults by, among other things, ensuring Jewish members of the university community could request escorts from security personnel as they attended religious services during the High Holidays. It also organized a number of educational sessions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and authorized the creation of a working group to address antisemitism.

In a statement Wednesday, Pitt spokesman Jared Stonesifer said, “The University of Pittsburgh unequivocally condemns all forms of antisemitism, and we are committed to fostering a campus environment where students, faculty and staff feel respected and able to fully participate in their education, research and work without fear.”

Stonesifer said Pitt has combated antisemitism through various education and training initiatives, including holding multiple events focusing on Jewish identity and the historical and contemporary forms of antisemitism.

“These efforts engage students, faculty and staff across the university and are designed to promote understanding, empathy and respectful dialogue,” Stonesifer said. “We take pride in our deep and long-standing engagement with Jewish student organizations, and university administrators meet regularly with students to hear directly about safety concerns and actively work to enhance campus safety through responsive measures.”

Penn State spokesman Wyatt DuBois said in a statement that the university “shares the senators’ view that every student should feel safe and welcome on our campuses, and certainly our Jewish students have our unwavering support.”

DuBois added: “Our university continues to partner with our campus chapters of Hillel and Chabad to support our Jewish students. In addition, University Police has taken numerous steps to provide added support for Jewish members of our communities beyond the department’s usual protections and service. We also continue to offer resources available to all our students. Penn State remains dedicated to cultivating a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment where all members of our community can thrive.”