Jewish CUNY students recall horrifying antisemitism on-campus as chancellor grilled over response: Not enough just to show up

Jewish students at the City University of New York recalled horrifying acts of antisemitism during a City Council hearing Monday — as the school’s chancellor was grilled over his handling of on-campus hate. CUNY Chancellor Félix V.Matos Rodríguez was slammed by lawmakers for providing scant details about what actions he has taken since an independent report found the public university needed to overhaul its policies to combat an “alarming” number of antisemitic incidents.“We want a CUNY that is safe and welcoming for all students.

Those conversations become very challenging when that data doesn’t exist, or it exists, but it’s not being shared, or you didn’t come prepared with it,” Councilmember Eric Dinowitz (D-Bronx), chair of the Committee on Higher Education, scolded.Rodríguez, for instance, was unable to provide the number of complaints made by students or staff or say whether any faculty members had been disciplined.“It’s just wholly unsatisfactory.It’s not enough just to show up,” Councilmember Julie Menin (D-Manhattan), who is also on the committee, fumed.The report — commissioned by Gov.

Kathy Hochul and conducted by former New York chief judge Jonathan Lippman — made 13 recommendations to CUNY, including in regards to revamping its complaints system, hiring practices and training of diversity officers and professors.Other recommendations from the report, released in September, included collaborating with law enforcement and security professionals to ensure students felt safe and developing a clear definition of antisemitism.Students who testified at the hearing Monday begged CUNY to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism, which reads: “Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews.Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish com...