Amherst College has a Chabad, shares the Five College Hillel with Smith, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke and UMass Amherst, and has Amitim, a program that facilitates discussions around Jewish culture, antisemitism, discrimination and Holocaust denial.

What’s Happening on Campus?

Students held an anti-Israel walkout on campus in November 2023, calling for the College to divest from companies that do business with Israel and to end study abroad programs with Israeli universities. However, organizers said they specifically tried to avoid antisemitic rhetoric, including not using the chant “From the river to the sea.”

An unofficial student newspaper published an anonymous letter titled “In Defense of Hamas” in 2022. Student groups also hosted Human Rights Watch’s Omar Shakir in 2022, who gave a talk asserting Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians was “apartheid.”

In August 2024, a student at Amherst College reportedly posted on X "From the river to the sea is absolutely a threat, when I say it I mean it in the most threatening way possible with the most rage behind my voice and yes my intent IS harm and I don’t give a fuckkkk anymore no more being palatable It’s scaring zios season who’s in.”

University Policies and Responsive Action

Amherst has posted an extensive guide to antisemitism on its diversity, equity and inclusion website and has established a working group to create community resources. The College has also reviewed its security protocols and clarified that harassment that creates a hostile environment violates the school’s code of conduct.

In June 2024, the Board of Trustees formally rejected calls for divestment. Ahead of the 2024-25 academic year, the College conducted a review of policies related to protest and posting and worked to clarify what forms of protest are acceptable. All incoming students, orientation leaders and community advisors were additionally required to complete a Civil Rights and Title IX training that included a focus on antisemitism. Key student-facing staff also attended a multi-day workshop on antisemitism this summer at Brandeis University.

Moreover, the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion has convened an inter-departmental group that meets regularly to review reports of identity-based harm promptly, assess for immediate safety concerns, identify potential supports, and recommend actions. The campus Rabbi is also working with the Center for Counseling and Mental Health to ensure strong support for Jewish students and is facilitating opportunities for respectful dialogue between Jewish students and others on campus.

Amherst College has a Chabad, shares the Five College Hillel with Smith, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke and UMass Amherst, and has Amitim, a program that facilitates discussions around Jewish culture, antisemitism, discrimination and Holocaust denial.

What’s Happening on Campus?

Students held an anti-Israel walkout on campus in November 2023, calling for the College to divest from companies that do business with Israel and to end study abroad programs with Israeli universities. However, organizers said they specifically tried to avoid antisemitic rhetoric, including not using the chant “From the river to the sea.”

An unofficial student newspaper published an anonymous letter titled “In Defense of Hamas” in 2022. Student groups also hosted Human Rights Watch’s Omar Shakir in 2022, who gave a talk asserting Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians was “apartheid.”

In August 2024, a student at Amherst College reportedly posted on X "From the river to the sea is absolutely a threat, when I say it I mean it in the most threatening way possible with the most rage behind my voice and yes my intent IS harm and I don’t give a fuckkkk anymore no more being palatable It’s scaring zios season who’s in.”

University Policies and Responsive Action

Amherst has posted an extensive guide to antisemitism on its diversity, equity and inclusion website and has established a working group to create community resources. The College has also reviewed its security protocols and clarified that harassment that creates a hostile environment violates the school’s code of conduct.

In June 2024, the Board of Trustees formally rejected calls for divestment. Ahead of the 2024-25 academic year, the College conducted a review of policies related to protest and posting and worked to clarify what forms of protest are acceptable. All incoming students, orientation leaders and community advisors were additionally required to complete a Civil Rights and Title IX training that included a focus on antisemitism. Key student-facing staff also attended a multi-day workshop on antisemitism this summer at Brandeis University.

Moreover, the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion has convened an inter-departmental group that meets regularly to review reports of identity-based harm promptly, assess for immediate safety concerns, identify potential supports, and recommend actions. The campus Rabbi is also working with the Center for Counseling and Mental Health to ensure strong support for Jewish students and is facilitating opportunities for respectful dialogue between Jewish students and others on campus.