ZBT is proud of the way our chapters and brothers support Israel and stand against antisemitism on campus, despite many of them being personally victimized. The year following the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks has seen one of the most difficult campus climates for Jewish students in U.S. history.

We estimate three-quarters of campuses where ZBT currently has a chapter saw a major antisemitic incident or protest encampment in the 2023-2024 school year. Over fall 2024, many of those campuses saw repeat incidents or even recurring incidents, depending on how strongly the university administration responded. Campuses that saw the highest rate of recorded anti-Israel activity with a ZBT presence included UC Berkeley, UCLA, Columbia, Rutgers, Cornell, UNC-Chapel Hill and Michigan (source: ADL).

The Fraternity’s first priority has been to support and secure undergraduate chapters and brothers. Safety remains a daily concern on campuses. Anti-Israel and antisemitic vandalism, harassment, assaults and protests have been prevalent in the past year, and we expect additional surges to come.

Taking Action

ZBTs have rallied to stand against antisemitism in their communities, and ZBT as a national entity has pushed for policy change and offered education and awareness training.

• Notable alumnus Robert K. Kraft, Delta (Columbia University) 1963, founder of the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism and Stand Up To Jewish Hate #🟦 movement, sent a personal letter of support to the brothers at UNC-Chapel Hill after the U.S. flag incident in spring. The climate in Chapel Hill continues to be very challenging for Jewish students, with rampant antisemitism. Read Brother Kraft’s letter here.

• ZBT was proud to offer the opportunity for three brothers to attend the Israeli American (IAC) Summit National Summit in September in Washington, D.C. Attending the summit offered an incredible opportunity to connect with pro-Israel students nationwide, engage with inspiring speakers and network. Students attending were Harrison Romero, Beta Phi (University of Pittsburgh) 2026; Jacob B. Kauderer, Beta Zeta Epsilon (University of Maryland-College Park) 2027; and Samuel R. Bitterman, Alpha Nu (Muhlenberg College) 2026.
• Generous Zeta Beta Tau Foundation donors have continued to support an emergency security and safety education fund for undergraduates in need. Please help us ensure that we can fund upgrades to physical safety infrastructure and partner with law enforcement to identify and respond to dangerous activity now and in the longer-term.

Partnerships and Programs

Heritage programming – the term the Fraternity uses to encompass any education surrounding Jewish culture and religion, Zionism, Israel and antisemitism – is the most important educational area offered within ZBT right now, reaching collegiate and alumni brothers, as well as their fellow students, campus partners and communities. ZBT’s leadership believes offering more antisemitism awareness and heritage programming is an incredibly powerful educational opportunity in this climate.

ZBT’s exclusive Combatting Campus Antisemitism program has reached over 600 brothers from across about half our chapters over the 2024 year. Two Israel education programs were offered, one in-person and another in a virtual setting, recently, and ZBT also offered two in-person large scale Holocaust education opportunities in mid-2024.  These programs are all generously funded by the Zeta Beta Tau Foundation.

ZBT partnered with three other Jewish fraternal organizations to offer an ADL-led webinar on Antisemitism on Campus in October. It was well attended, with 80 fraternity and sorority headquarters professionals joining. Our December hate prevention program, Summit Against Hate, engaged another 30 professionals from campuses around the U.S.

ZBT Stands with Israel

ZBT was founded 126 years ago as a Zionist student organization and remains committed to supporting Israel, particularly at this moment in history. We stand steadfast in our support of the right of the State of Israel and its people to live in peace and security with its neighbors and the right of the Jewish people to self-determination in their historic homeland.

Learn more at ZBT.org/October7.

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