University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) has a Hillel, a Chabad and Jewish Greek life on campus.

Litigation & Investigations

In December 2024, the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights entered into a resolution agreement with UCSC, outlining a series of actions that the university must take to address antisemitism on campus.

What’s Happening on Campus?

In October 2023, the Critical Race and Ethnic Studies (CRES) department at UCSC issued a statement supporting the Institute for the Critical Study of Zionism, known for its embrace of BDS and anti-Zionist stance, and co-sponsored their conference. This marked the beginning of several anti-Zionist statements and protests against Israel encouraged by CRES.

In March 2024, the campus chapter of Faculty for Justice in Palestine co-sponsored a BDS resolution with SJP, which passed during a student senate meeting. Jewish students opposing the resolution were reported to have been prevented from speaking, heckled, and harassed.

In April 2024, professors at UCSC posted an Instagram message calling for a march against Zionism and stating that Zionism was not welcome on the UCSC campus. Then, in May 2024, anti-Israel students issued a demand for UCSC to sever ties with Jewish organizations. That same month, law enforcement was forced to dismantle an unlawful anti-Israel encampment and remove a dangerous blockade from the campus entrance.

In October 2024, at an anti-Israel rally celebrating the anniversary of Hamas’s October 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel, a speaker stated, “We all stand in solidarity with the Jews when they rose up against their Nazi killers in the ghettos and concentration camps. So why are we all not standing in full solidarity with the Palestinian Resistance fighters breaking out of their own Zionist-imposed ghettos such as Gaza?”

University Policies and Responsive Action

UCSC has participated Hillel International’s Campus Climate Initiative and has attended numerous summits designed to combat antisemitism on campus.

In May 2023, UCSC condemned a number of antisemitic and anti-LGBTQ incidents reported around campus, including a group of students allegedly celebrating Adolf Hitler’s birthday, and referred these incidents to student conduct for follow-up.

In September 2024, UCSC announced various initiatives aimed at addressing antisemitism and other forms of hate on campus. These initiatives included expanding mental health resources, promoting community-building events, offering new educational programming, and creating new outlets for students to share their perspectives on improving campus climate.

As of September 2024, the Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ODEI) is leading an effort to develop educational programs for leaders, staff, and faculty on antisemitism and other forms of hate.