The University of Chicago has 800 Jewish undergraduate students, representing 10% of the undergraduate population, and 1,000 Jewish graduate students, comprising 12% of the graduate student body. University of Chicago has a Hillel, Chabad, Jewish Greek life organizations and the Greenberg Center for Jewish Studies.

What’s Happening on Campus?

The University has a number of active anti-Israel organizations on campus.

In October 2023, Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) staged a counter-protest to a University-sanctioned pro-Israel rally on the quad reportedly without securing the necessary campus approvals or following school protocols. According to reports, the Dean-on-Call who was present did not intervene. 

Additionally, SJP staged an "occupation" of the quad following the October Hamas attack on Israel, vowing to continue every day "until the genocide ends."

There have been recent vandalism and graffiti incidents, including "Zionist freakshow off our campus" being written; a display of Israeli flags, Israeli hostage posters and a sign stating, "#BringThemHome" being vandalized with red paint; and the main quad at the University of Chicago being vandalized with the words: "Zionist IDF terrorists off our campus."

Following the dismantling of the pro-Palestinian encampment, protestors took over the Institute of Politics building in May 2024 and UChicago United for Palestine released a statement that called for “consequences” to the “privacy and safety” of those deemed to participate in and actively support Israel in the Israel-Hamas war. In June 2024, a group of anti-Israel student protesters walked out of the University’s commencement ceremony in protest of the school withholding the diplomas of four seniors over their involvement with the encampment.

University Policies and Responsive Action

The University leadership did not release a statement of condemnation following Hamas’ attack on October 7.

A few days after the encampment was set up in April 2024, President Alivisatos published a statement saying "On Monday, I stated that we would only intervene if what might have been an exercise of free expression blocks the learning or expression of others or substantially disrupts the functioning or safety of the university. Without an agreement to end the encampment, we have reached that point.” On May 7th, President Alivisatos released an op-ed outlining why the administration chose to dismantle the encampment, stating: “Students demanded that we side against Israel, violating the core principle of institutional neutrality.

Commendations

On June 18, 2024, ADL issued a commendation to the University of Chicago for its swift action to address campus encampments.