Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has a Hillel and a Chabad on campus.

What’s Happening on Campus?

Only hours after the October 7 2023 attack, a student group called the Coalition Against Apartheid (CAA) joined with other student groups at MIT and nearby Boston-area schools and issued a statement that they “hold the Israeli regime responsible” for Hamas’ violence, and justified Hamas’ terrorism by “affirm[ing] the right … to resist oppression and colonization.”

MIT CAA has co-sponsored multiple protests on campus in which there have been expressions of support for anti-Zionism, including a 12-hour protest in November 2023 that reportedly forced MIT to use its emergency notification system to tell students to avoid the area.

Two Jewish students later filed a lawsuit against the school, claiming some students have deferred graduation or exams because of safety concerns. Professor Mauricio Karchmer also resigned, claiming the university leadership “exhibited open hostility” towards Jews and Israelis.

In December 2023, MIT President Sally Kornbluth testified on Capitol Hill, leading to widespread criticism after she, alongside two other university presidents, did not adequately condemn campus antisemitism. That same month, a Jewish graduate student at MIT spoke about antisemitism on campus during a press conference at the U.S. Capitol. She described troubling, antisemitic comments from her peers and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion staff. Also in December, a Jewish Israeli student on campus was reportedly targeted with online death threats.

In April 2024, anti-Israel protestors established an encampment. During the 3-week encampment, several incidents were recorded, including calls for “Death to Zionists” and a crowd of students cheering a speaker who was praising Hamas and other terrorist organizations.

In August 2024, anti-Israel flyers featuring a link to an interactive map of Jews and Zionists in Massachusetts were distributed at orientation for new MIT students. The flyers were quickly condemned by President Kornbluth.

In November 2024, an antisemitic manifesto was distributed at MIT that advocated for violence against Zionists and included a symbol associated with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a U.S.-designated terrorist group.

University Policies and Responsive Action

MIT has launched “Standing Together Against Hate,” which includes training on antisemitism for students and staff, and has announced reviews of the school’s disciplinary processes. MIT has also reiterated its policies against harassment and threats. MIT suspended CAA in February 2024 for holding an unapproved demonstration.

In May 2024, three weeks after the establishment of the encampment, the encampment was cleared by law enforcement and nine students were arrested, with an additional ten arrested the day prior to the dismantling of the encampment.

As part of MIT’s participation in Hillel’s CCI program, the University added new questions about religious identity, experiences of bias, free expression, and the discourse around Israel and Palestine to the campus-wide Quality of Life survey and brought independent researchers to campus to conduct focus group interviews with Jewish and Israeli members of the campus community. The University has also launched a discussion group on antisemitism, “Still Becoming MIT,” that will prepare staff and student ambassadors to bridge differences and build community.

Prior to the beginning of the 2024-25 academic year, the University published and circulated new guidelines to all members of the campus community. These included an updated residential postering policy, the prohibiting of encampments and unauthorized space takeovers and overviews of what constitutes discriminatory conduct and how incidents can be reported.

In addition, MIT’s Institute Community and Equity Office (ICEO) funds weekly lunches for members of the Jewish and Middle Eastern/North African (MENA) communities to gather separately to build community. The University has also developed “3rd Space Luncheons,” a weekly luncheon of faculty, staff, and students who identify with multiple communities including Jewish/Israeli and Muslim/Palestinian who enter into unstructured civil dialogue to build bridges.

MIT’s administration is also supporting a new program called MIT-Kalaniyot, a faculty-driven effort to support the Jewish campus community through programming and to strengthen MIT-Israel research collaborations. 

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has a Hillel and a Chabad on campus.

What’s Happening on Campus?

Only hours after the October 7 2023 attack, a student group called the Coalition Against Apartheid (CAA) joined with other student groups at MIT and nearby Boston-area schools and issued a statement that they “hold the Israeli regime responsible” for Hamas’ violence, and justified Hamas’ terrorism by “affirm[ing] the right … to resist oppression and colonization.”

MIT CAA has co-sponsored multiple protests on campus in which there have been expressions of support for anti-Zionism, including a 12-hour protest in November 2023 that reportedly forced MIT to use its emergency notification system to tell students to avoid the area.

Two Jewish students later filed a lawsuit against the school, claiming some students have deferred graduation or exams because of safety concerns. Professor Mauricio Karchmer also resigned, claiming the university leadership “exhibited open hostility” towards Jews and Israelis.

In December 2023, MIT President Sally Kornbluth testified on Capitol Hill, leading to widespread criticism after she, alongside two other university presidents, did not adequately condemn campus antisemitism. That same month, a Jewish graduate student at MIT spoke about antisemitism on campus during a press conference at the U.S. Capitol. She described troubling, antisemitic comments from her peers and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion staff. Also in December, a Jewish Israeli student on campus was reportedly targeted with online death threats.

In April 2024, anti-Israel protestors established an encampment. During the 3-week encampment, several incidents were recorded, including calls for “Death to Zionists” and a crowd of students cheering a speaker who was praising Hamas and other terrorist organizations.

In August 2024, anti-Israel flyers featuring a link to an interactive map of Jews and Zionists in Massachusetts were distributed at orientation for new MIT students. The flyers were quickly condemned by President Kornbluth.

In November 2024, an antisemitic manifesto was distributed at MIT that advocated for violence against Zionists and included a symbol associated with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a U.S.-designated terrorist group.

University Policies and Responsive Action

MIT has launched “Standing Together Against Hate,” which includes training on antisemitism for students and staff, and has announced reviews of the school’s disciplinary processes. MIT has also reiterated its policies against harassment and threats. MIT suspended CAA in February 2024 for holding an unapproved demonstration.

In May 2024, three weeks after the establishment of the encampment, the encampment was cleared by law enforcement and nine students were arrested, with an additional ten arrested the day prior to the dismantling of the encampment.

As part of MIT’s participation in Hillel’s CCI program, the University added new questions about religious identity, experiences of bias, free expression, and the discourse around Israel and Palestine to the campus-wide Quality of Life survey and brought independent researchers to campus to conduct focus group interviews with Jewish and Israeli members of the campus community. The University has also launched a discussion group on antisemitism, “Still Becoming MIT,” that will prepare staff and student ambassadors to bridge differences and build community.

Prior to the beginning of the 2024-25 academic year, the University published and circulated new guidelines to all members of the campus community. These included an updated residential postering policy, the prohibiting of encampments and unauthorized space takeovers and overviews of what constitutes discriminatory conduct and how incidents can be reported.

In addition, MIT’s Institute Community and Equity Office (ICEO) funds weekly lunches for members of the Jewish and Middle Eastern/North African (MENA) communities to gather separately to build community. The University has also developed “3rd Space Luncheons,” a weekly luncheon of faculty, staff, and students who identify with multiple communities including Jewish/Israeli and Muslim/Palestinian who enter into unstructured civil dialogue to build bridges.

MIT’s administration is also supporting a new program called MIT-Kalaniyot, a faculty-driven effort to support the Jewish campus community through programming and to strengthen MIT-Israel research collaborations.