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The letters to five of Pennsylvania's biggest schools come as President Donald Trump has continued to leverage accusations of antisemitism to withhold funding.
As President Donald Trump continues his battle to yank funding from universities, Pennsylvania’s senators sent letters to five of the state’s largest colleges urging them to commit resources to combatting antisemitism on their campuses.
Sen. John Fetterman, a Democrat, and Sen. Dave McCormick, a Republican, announced Wednesday they wrote to each college president, “as a leader of a Pennsylvania university with a large Jewish student population, to commit to ensuring Jewish institutions on your campus are equipped to protect the students they serve.” The letters were issued to the presidents of Penn State, Temple University, the University of Pittsburgh, Lehigh University, and University of Pennsylvania — schools that enroll Pennsylvania’s highest numbers of Jewish students, according to the Senators’ news release.led to fears that Trump would use accusations of antisemitism A total of 60 schools nationwide received letters from McMahon “warning them of potential enforcement actions if they do not fulfill their obligations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act to protect Jewish students on campus,” according to the education department.in federal research and grant funding from universities for various perceived transgressions. Of the schools named in McMahon’s antisemitism investigation, at least two — Columbia and UCLA — haveby allowing transgender athletes to participate in sports. Penn was also at the center of a controversy over alleged antisemitism during pro-Palestinian protests on its campus, and saw the university’s president ousted over the issue. Similar claims were made at many other campuses with regard to students demonstrating against Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza — although the Trump administration did not say what, if any, specific incidents prompted McMahon’s letters to Lehigh, Temple, and the other schools. In their letters, Fetterman and McCormick wrote that “Pennsylvania campuses have been no exception to the alarming rise of antisemitic harassment and violence. 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.” The senators did not elaborate on those incidents or say if they had occurred at the five schools that received their letter. PennLive also asked the senators’ offices if they had reason to expect any type of action from the Trump administration regarding the five schools, but has not received a reply. Most data sets show a rise in reported instances of antisemitism over the past several years. Hate crimes have increased broadly, with aBut for Jewish leaders who are skeptical of Trump’s methods, it can be difficult to separate legitimate concerns for the safety of Jewish students with the administration’s “The letter is not wrong: antisemitism is a real problem on campuses, and our schools are taking meaningful steps to address it. I welcome those discussions,” state Rep. Dan Frankel, D-Allegheny County, said in an email. Frankel, along with Gov. Josh Shapiro, is one of Pennsylvania’s most outspoken Jewish elected officials. But, Frankel said, it is difficult to take antisemitism concerns from the federal government at face value given Trump’s track record, including his“My frustration as a lawmaker and a Jewish person is that so many who recognize the dangers of antisemitism when it’s in academia fall silent when the antisemitism comes from those who were involved in the January 6 riots or the President’s circle of conspiracy peddlers,” Frankel added. Penn State received the letter and “will respond to the Senators directly,” said university spokesperson Wyatt DuBois. “Penn State 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, noting that Penn State works closely with Jewish campus groups and has devoted additional university police resources toward protecting the Jewish community. Pitt spokesperson Jared Stonesifer provided a statement from the school saying that Pitt has “demonstrated a strong commitment to combating antisemitism through education and training,” and takes “pride in our deep and long-standing engagement with Jewish student organizations,” including on safety measures.Pa. House kills Senate budget, transit bills as battle lines remain unchangedPa. Senate set to return to Harrisburg as House presses transit issueIf you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation.and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our
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