Princeton University

Princeton University

2025
Grade

D

Jump To

2025 Report Card

Publicly Disclosed Administrative Actions Above Expectations
Jewish Life on Campus Excellent
Campus Conduct and Climate Concerns High

Princeton University has the Center for Jewish Life (which houses the campus Hillel) and a Chabad.

Litigation & Investigations

In April 2024, the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights opened a Title VI investigation into Princeton.

What’s Happening on Campus?

Princeton has a recent history of anti-Israel activism on campus and the school has hosted antisemitic speakers. A 2019 guest speaker told a student veteran of the Israel Defense Forces that he should “feel shame” for his role as a “concentration camp guard.”

In 2022, a BDS referendum on campus asked for Princeton to disassociate from the Caterpillar construction company because of its business with Israel, but ultimately failed to receive support from a majority of the student body.

In February 2023 and again in 2025, the University has hosted Palestinian writer and poet Mohammed El-Kurd, who called Jewish organizations “agents of apartheid” and expressed support for Hamas’ actions on October 7.

More recently, pro-Palestinian protests, walk-outs, and vigil events, including those organized by SJP, have devolved into comparing Israeli politicians to Adolf Hitler and "long live the Intifada" chants.

In October 2023, a chalk drawing of the Israeli flag located outside a student’s dorm room was crossed out and drawn over. That same month, anti-Zionist and pro-terror rhetoric was present at an anti-Israel rally on campus. In December 2023, cannons outside of two eating clubs were vandalized with the words “Free Gaza” and “F**k Israel”.

In April 2024, anti-Israel protestors established an encampment on campus. A series of incidents were reported, including two protestors reportedly yelling that “Hamas are freedom fighters,” Hezbollah flags being flown, calls for intifada, and a professor reading an antisemitic poem.

In September 2024, fliers were posted around campus that read "Death to 'Israel,'" "Tel-Aviv will burn," "to free Palestine armed struggle + popular liberation war PFLP" and "We support Hamas." In October 2024, the United Nation’s Francesca Albanese – previously accused of promoting antisemitism – spoke at a Princeton event, leading to protests against the event.

University Policies and Responsive Action

University students published a letter to administrators in November 2023, signed by more than 1,700 students and alumni, calling on the school to release a statement of support for the campus Jewish community and to create a task force to monitor and to address antisemitism on campus. The letter seemingly received no public response from the University.

The University has been in regular contact with Hillel, supporting Hillel’s ongoing workshops for students on understanding and responding to antisemitism. Princeton’s Rose Castle Society brings together student activists, including Pro-Israeli and Pro-Palestinian students, to learn how individuals with differing viewpoints can interact productively across these differences.

While the student government failed to adopt the IHRA definition of antisemitism in 2022, it passed a measure calling for the school to increase antisemitism trainings that use the definition in 2022. The University administration has declined to support BDS, most recently in 2022.

In January 2024, Princeton amended its no-contact order policy following concerns that had been raised by ADL and others about the improper use of non-contact orders to censor student journalists covering anti-Israel demonstrations on campus.

Protestors cleared the encampment in May 2024, following calls from the administration for the protestors to disband. President Eisgruber also announced that a Council of the Princeton University Community (CPUC) Resources Committee meeting would be held to discuss divestment from Israel.

In October 2024, President Eisgruber delivered a Yom Kippur speech at the Jewish Center on “Antisemitism and Free Speech on Campus.” In the speech, President Eisgruber noted that he had been “the target of antisemitic comments or behavior twice in the past six months” and re-affirmed his commitment to fighting antisemitism on campus.

In March 2025, Princeton's Resources Committee announced that a proposal for the University to cut divest from certain Israeli companies would not move forward, rejecting the proposal reportedly due to the campus community showing a lack of consensus on the topic.

The University’s Judaic Studies department is currently hosting a 2024-25 Lecture Series on Antisemitism.

Criteria

Above Expectations

Publicly Disclosed Administrative Actions i

Key
Publicly Disclosed Administrative Actions
Above Expectations
Meeting Expectations
Below Expectations
This college was not assessed on the specified criteria.
Full ADL Criteria Details →
Antisemitism included in Code of Conduct and Policies
Clear process for reporting antisemitic incidents
Advisory council to address antisemitism
Clear religious accommodations policy
Mandatory antisemitism education for students and staff
Has an official position against BDS
Publicly condemns antisemitic incidents
Partnerships with Israeli institutions
Conducts surveys to assess Jewish student experiences
Civil discourse initiatives on campus
Clear time, place and manner policies
Participated in program to address antisemitism
Excellent

Jewish Life on Campus i

Key
Jewish Life on Campus
Excellent
Satisfactory
Subpar
This college was not assessed on the specified criteria.
Full ADL Criteria Details →
Active Hillel, Chabad, or other Jewish student organization
Jewish Greek life
Jewish studies program or class
Kosher dining
Interfaith initiatives on campus
School promotes awareness of Jewish holidays
Israel studies or study abroad programs
Rabbi/Jewish educator
Jewish religious services
Jewish alumni group
Jewish staff and faculty group
Partnerships with Jewish organizations
Active pro-Israel group
High

Campus Conduct and Climate Concerns i

Key
Campus Conduct and Climate Concerns
Low to none
Medium
High

*Incident levels reflect the number of incidents relative to the total student population on campus. 'Severe' and 'other' incidents were only counted if they were recorded between April 2024 and December 2024.

Full ADL Criteria Details →
Level of severe antisemitic and anti-Zionist incidents
Level of other antisemitic and anti-Zionist incidents
Level of hostile anti-Zionist student government activity
Level of hostile anti-Zionist student groups 
Level of hostile anti-Zionist staff and faculty activity

Princeton University contributed information to our assessment.

This page was last updated on Mar 7, 2025, 10:54 am