An Open Letter from WJC NextGen Members
We, members of WJC NextGen, Jewish students and changemakers from all over the world, express unwavering solidarity with our peers in light of the shocking and violent antisemitic and anti-Israel demonstrations on university campuses across the United States and around the world.
Encampments in the middle of campus prohibiting the safe movement of Jewish students, horrific antisemitic rhetoric being used, BDS resolutions being passed, and vandalization are shocking and cannot be accepted as normal.
Universities are built to unite students from diverse backgrounds and are intended to serve as centers of freedom of expression and assembly – and yet, the anti-Israel protests are continuing to escalate into actions that directly threaten the safety and well-being of Jewish students and staff. We vehemently condemn the harassment, intimidation, and violence targeting Jewish individuals as well as those who stand against these mobs. Violence and incitement to violence based on one’s identity or beliefs are wholly unacceptable. Every student deserves to feel safe and respected on campus, regardless of who they are or what they believe.
It is abhorrent that in the 21st century, Jewish students are ostracized and their presence on college campuses is jeopardized with threats to their physical safety. Their fundamental human rights, such as the right to freedom of religion or belief and the right to education, are being severely compromised while the world looks on.
We pledge to work closely with universities, student organizations, and other stakeholders to ensure that Jewish students feel safe and supported. As NextGen members, a part of the World Jewish Congress, the international organization representing over 100 Jewish communities around the world, we pledge that this will not be tolerated. Together, join us in ensuring that education is accessible to all and create an environment where all students feel valued and empowered to engage in constructive dialogue and learning.
We call on all university administrations to take immediate and decisive action to address the deep-rooted antisemitism within their student bodies and faculty. Hate speech has no place within educational facilities, and the rights of all students must be protected to uphold the universal values of mutual respect and equal access to education for all. We demand a firm commitment to these principles, enforced through robust policies and clear, uncompromising actions against any form of discrimination or intolerance. Specifically, we insist that those who perpetuate antisemitic actions be held accountable. Universities must act decisively to identify and penalize individuals and groups that contribute to a hostile and unsafe educational environment, ensuring that such behaviors are unequivocally condemned.
As signed,
Adam Abergel | United States | Cornell University ‘24
Gila Aberman | South Africa | University of the Witwatersrand ‘21
Daniel Agmoni | Japan | Duke University ‘25
Dan Alpert | Hungary | University of Maryland ‘21
Elan Arnowitz | United States | University of Michigan ‘21
Joe Beare | United States | Emory University ‘23
Ethan Bergman | Netherlands | Leiden University ‘24
Aaron Black | United Kingdom | Leeds Beckett University ‘23
Maia Carolina Bornsztein | Argentina | Universidad Torcuato Di Tella ‘20
David Britva Beraha | Brazil | Hebrew Union College ‘24
Joshua Bonafante | Italy | UGEI & EUJS Board Member
Emily Bowman | Hungary | University of Amsterdam ‘22
Tomas Blaser | Argentina | Universidad Torcuato Di Tella ‘27
Rebecca Cantor | United States | North Carolina State University ‘25
Rhiannon Chajmovicz | United States | City University of New York, Baruch College ‘21
Elliot Cina | New Zealand | University of Auckland ‘28
Samantha Chussid | United States | Cornell University ‘24
Caterina Cognini | Italy | London School of Economics and Political Science ‘24
Brooke Cohen | Singapore | Brown University ‘26
Michal Cohen | United States | American University ‘21
Claire Cutler | United States | Hamilton College ‘24
Sofia Dabbah Gindi | Mexico | Universidad Iberoamericana '24
Guy Dabby-Joory | United Kingdom | University of Oxford '22
Holly Feldman | Australia | University of Melbourne ‘25
Claire Frankel | Canada | McGill University ‘24
Sruli Fruchter | Israel | Yeshiva University ‘22
Kayla Ginsberg-Slotow | South Africa | University of Witwatersrand '21
Rose Goldstein | United States | Wellesley College '24
Emma Günsberger | Czechia | Charles University ‘24
Micah Gritz | United States | Tufts University ‘24
Yoni Hammerman | United States | Binghamton University ‘18
Abel Hernández Eskenazi | Cuba | Universidad Tecnológica de La Habana '23
Máté Holler | Netherlands | University of Amsterdam ‘23
Emma Hallali | Belgium | Utrecht University, the Netherlands ‘23 | President, European Union of Jewish Students
Nechama Huba | United States | Columbia University ‘24
Natacha Hubelé | France | PSO Eckartsweier ‘25
Emily Kalo | Canada | University of Manitoba ‘24
Florencia Kaplun | Argentina | University of Buenos Aires Law School ‘27
Noah Katz | United Kingdom | Lancaster University ‘24
Ábel Keszler | Belgium | The University of Glasgow ‘23
Noa Kohai | Israel | Bar-Ilan University '24
Samuel Kramer | United Kingdom | Oxford University ‘25
Daniel Lazer | Sweden | ERASMUS University ‘25
Tamara Listenberg | United States | American University ‘24
Ben Low | United Kingdom | Loughborough University ‘23
Ana Maman Martinez | Spain | University of Westminster ‘23
Alan Mekibel | Israel | Syracuse University & IE University ‘19
Avrohom Malachowski | United States | City University of New York, Baruch College ‘24
Samuel Moses | Canada | McGill University ‘24
Nora Monasheri | United States | Binghamton University ‘24
Yana Naftalieva | Israel | Reichman University ‘21 | Member, WJC Executive Committee | President, World Union of Jewish Students
Joshua Norman | South Africa | Maastricht University ‘25
Hanna Nir | Sweden | Uppsala University ‘27
Judith Offenberg | Israel | University of Cambridge '22
Isaac Ohrenstein | United States | Harvard University ‘26
Nati Pressmann | Canada | Queen’s University ‘25
Annabelle Pundaky | Canada | University of Western Ontario ‘24
Alex Ross | Canada | McGill University ‘25
Tia Sacks | Canada | University of British Columbia ‘25
Elliot Sadoff | United States | Columbia University ‘24
Liat Sadovitch | Mexico | Universidad Anáhuac ‘23
Yael Sanchez | Spain | Universidad Francisco de Vitoria ‘25
Eryn Sarkin | Belgium | UN University for Peace ‘22
Hannah Sarkin | Portugal | University of Lisbon ‘23
Rebecca Schneider | United States | Washington State University ‘21
Hannah Siegel | United States | Southern Methodist University ‘25
Adam Shapiro | United States | Cornell University '20
Ben Spilg | Canada | McGill University ‘22
Danielle Sobkin | United States | University of California at Berkeley ‘24
Tamara Sparagen | Israel | Eufom Business School ‘24
Anna Swanström | Finland | Abo Akademi University ‘24
Lika Torikashvili | Georgia | Bennington College ‘22
Cami Tussie | United States | Harvard School of Dental Medicine ‘25
Hanna Veiler | Germany | University of Tubingen ‘24
Sharon Vos | Sweden | Karolinska Institutet ‘23
Galia Wechsler | Israel | University at Buffalo ‘22
Shayna Wise Till | Canada | University of Leicester ‘21
Elizaveta Zaidman | Switzerland | Freie University Berlin ‘20
Linzee Zalta | United States | SUNY New Paltz ‘20
Emma Zentner | Canada | University of Manitoba ‘26
Joseph Zeleznikow | Australia | Australian Catholic University ‘25
Blake Ziegler | United States | University of Notre Dame ‘23
