Swarthmore College has a Chabad.

Litigation & Investigations

In March 2024, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights opened a Title VI investigation at Swarthmore.

What’s Happening on Campus?

Swarthmore has active Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) chapters. Since the October 7 Hamas attack, the SJP chapter has organized rallies, teach-ins, and walkouts. On October 30 2023, SJP sent a list of demands to the administration including divestment “in companies that fund the settler-colonial state of Israel” and calling on the college to “boycott… brands that fund Palestinian genocide.”

In February 2024, SJP and JVP projected messages onto a campus building with slogans like, “Globalize the intifada,” “How many kids did you kill today?” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” In Spring 2024, the College sponsored a problematic speaker series that compared Gaza to Apartheid South Africa. 

In May 2024, a professor attending the on-campus encampment was reported to have said that “Holocaust exceptionalism is rampant” and that Jews benefit from the exaggeration of the Holocaust. Messages reading “Student Intifada” were also found on campus, and protestors took over the stage during a campus concert in order to accuse Israel of committing genocide.

In October 2024, at an anti-Israel rally, protesters displayed signs with messages that included ‘Intifada Until Victory’ and inverted red triangle imagery, a symbol popularized by Hamas.

University Policies and Responsive Action

According to a December 2023 statement, the University is actively investigating antisemitic and anti-Israel incidents in the aftermath of October 7. In a message to the campus community, the administration stated that the Division of Student Affairs has issued warning letters to several students involved in such incidents and that anyone found to be in violation of school policies will be held accountable.

In May 2024, in response to a series of antisemitic vandalism incidents on campus, the administration stated that those found to be involved would face immediate disciplinary action. Later that month, for the first time in its history, the College chose to move commencement off campus.

The University has a Bias Incident Response Team, charged with ensuring prompt responses to bias on campus, including antisemitism. Religious identity as a basis for hate and bias generally, and antisemitism more specifically, are included in DEI training that is provided for students during new student orientation. The College Rabbi also offers multiple opportunities throughout the year for the campus community to learn about antisemitism.

The College has also hosted numerous guest speakers and panel discussions on the Israel-Hamas war, and has organized a series of dialogue-based initiatives, including Community Conversations and Conversations of Care, that provide opportunities for civil discourse on difficult topics that are open to students, staff, and faculty.

In October 2024, the Vice President of Student Affairs released a strong condemnation of students and student organizations who had celebrated the October 7 2023 Hamas attack on Israel. 

In March 2025, the College barred SJP from organizing events on campus after they posted a message on social media that included a reference to the Ku Klux Klan and was directed toward a Jewish staff member. This came after the group was placed on an interim suspension following a protest in Parrish Hall. Also in March 2025, a student was suspended and 13 others were sanctioned due to the participation in previous protests. 

Swarthmore College has a Chabad.

Litigation & Investigations

In March 2024, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights opened a Title VI investigation at Swarthmore.

What’s Happening on Campus?

Swarthmore has active Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) chapters. Since the October 7 Hamas attack, the SJP chapter has organized rallies, teach-ins, and walkouts. On October 30 2023, SJP sent a list of demands to the administration including divestment “in companies that fund the settler-colonial state of Israel” and calling on the college to “boycott… brands that fund Palestinian genocide.”

In February 2024, SJP and JVP projected messages onto a campus building with slogans like, “Globalize the intifada,” “How many kids did you kill today?” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” In Spring 2024, the College sponsored a problematic speaker series that compared Gaza to Apartheid South Africa. 

In May 2024, a professor attending the on-campus encampment was reported to have said that “Holocaust exceptionalism is rampant” and that Jews benefit from the exaggeration of the Holocaust. Messages reading “Student Intifada” were also found on campus, and protestors took over the stage during a campus concert in order to accuse Israel of committing genocide.

In October 2024, at an anti-Israel rally, protesters displayed signs with messages that included ‘Intifada Until Victory’ and inverted red triangle imagery, a symbol popularized by Hamas.

University Policies and Responsive Action

According to a December 2023 statement, the University is actively investigating antisemitic and anti-Israel incidents in the aftermath of October 7. In a message to the campus community, the administration stated that the Division of Student Affairs has issued warning letters to several students involved in such incidents and that anyone found to be in violation of school policies will be held accountable.

In May 2024, in response to a series of antisemitic vandalism incidents on campus, the administration stated that those found to be involved would face immediate disciplinary action. Later that month, for the first time in its history, the College chose to move commencement off campus.

The University has a Bias Incident Response Team, charged with ensuring prompt responses to bias on campus, including antisemitism. Religious identity as a basis for hate and bias generally, and antisemitism more specifically, are included in DEI training that is provided for students during new student orientation. The College Rabbi also offers multiple opportunities throughout the year for the campus community to learn about antisemitism.

The College has also hosted numerous guest speakers and panel discussions on the Israel-Hamas war, and has organized a series of dialogue-based initiatives, including Community Conversations and Conversations of Care, that provide opportunities for civil discourse on difficult topics that are open to students, staff, and faculty.

In October 2024, the Vice President of Student Affairs released a strong condemnation of students and student organizations who had celebrated the October 7 2023 Hamas attack on Israel. 

In March 2025, the College barred SJP from organizing events on campus after they posted a message on social media that included a reference to the Ku Klux Klan and was directed toward a Jewish staff member. This came after the group was placed on an interim suspension following a protest in Parrish Hall. Also in March 2025, a student was suspended and 13 others were sanctioned due to the participation in previous protests.