Campus Violence and Threats Against Jewish Students Since October 7, Part I

For obvious reasons, everyone is talking about political violence in the US. Coincidentally, I have been working on two lists for an appendix to an article I am writing about hostile environment law. The first list, below is of actual physical battery. The second is of threats and intimidation against Jewish individuals or institutions like Hillel. Since the article is not done and won't be out for a while, I thought it would be helpful to others working on related topics, and of course to curious blog readers, to see these lists. Note that these are not complete lists, but only contain incidents regarding which I could find public sources. I know of two cases of battery against Jewish students, one at Johns Hopkins and one at George Mason, that aren't on my list, and presumably there are many more. Note that while some of these incidents are more serious than others, they are listed in chronological order, not order of gravity.

Part I. Assaults and Physical Violence
This section documents reported incidents of physical violence directed against Jewish students or visibly Jewish individuals on or adjacent to U.S. university campuses. Entries are arranged in chronological order. For reading ease, I will delete the citations, but I'm happy to send them to anyone who requests them. Most of these assaults are attributable to anti-Israel activists, but in some cases the precise motivation (beyond targeting a Jewish student or students) is unknown.

Drexel University (Oct. 2023) — (Philadelphia, PA)
The door of a Jewish student's dorm suite in Race Hall was intentionally set on fire. The incident was investigated as arson and antisemitic harassment by local police and federal authorities.

Oct. 26, 2023 – Tulane University (New Orleans, LA):
During a campus rally in support of Israel, an anti-Israel counter-protestor swinging a pole struck a Jewish student in the face, causing visible injuries. Tulane police confirmed arrests.

Nov. 5–6, 2023 – UMass Amherst (Amherst, MA):
After an Israel solidarity event, a Jewish student carrying a flag was punched and the flag spat on. The suspect was arrested and barred from campus.

Nov. 10, 2023 – Ohio State University (Columbus, OH):
Two Jewish students were attacked near campus, with one reporting he was punched 'because he was Jewish.' The case was investigated as a hate crime.

Nov. 2023 – Harvard University (Cambridge, MA):
A Jewish student recording a protest 'die-in' at Harvard Business School was physically assaulted by demonstrators. Two students were charged with assault and battery. In February 2025, a Boston judge dismissed hate crime charges, but assault charges remained; the defendants were referred to a first-offender program.

February 26, 2024 – UC Berkeley (Berkeley, CA):
Students broke into Berkeley'
s Zellerbach Playhouse rioted outside an event organized by Jewish student groups featuring an Israeli speaker. Approximately 200 protesters surrounded the building, chanting "Intifada" and "You can't run! You can't hide! We charge you with genocide!" while banging on the building's windows and doors. Students attempted to attend the event were harassed and assaulted by the protesters. One student was grabbed by the neck and another student was spat upon. Protesters shattered windows and broke open an entrance to the building. The audience to be evacuated from the building under a police escort. Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ and Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Ben Hermalin publicly acknowledged reports that Jewish students were subjected to "overtly antisemitic expression" including "allegations of physical battery, as hate crimes."

March 4, 2024 – Tufts University (Medford, MA):
At a student government meeting discussing anti-Israel resolutions, a Jewish student reportedly asked an anti-Israel student to stop laughing as the pro-Israel Jewish students presented their position. In response, the laughing student said, "Shut up b*tch," and spat on the Jewish student.

Apr. 25–May 2, 2024 – UCLA (Los Angeles, CA):
During the Palestine Solidarity encampment, Jewish students reported being physically blocked from entering parts of campus. A federal judge later ruled UCLA had failed to protect equal access.
Jewish students also reported: (1) a Jewish student who was lawfully filming the encampment being slapped by a UCLA teaching assistant; (2) another Jewish student was pepper-sprayed by a protestor; (3) a student from Israel being assaulted by protestors.

April 2024 - Northwestern University (Chicago, IL)
At the Northwestern "encampment," a Jewish Northwestern student photojournalist was identified by a masked student by name and physical description to hundreds of encampment members. Protestors then surrounded the student, shouting, "Shame! Shame! Shame!" In a separate incident, an encampment members assaulted a Jewish Northwestern student lawfully recording the encampment. Jewish students reported ordered to "go back to Germany and get gassed" and were spat at while walking past the encampment." [This one is on the borderline between intimidation/threat and battery, depending on where the spit landed.]

April 29, 2024 – Princeton (Princeton, NJ)
Jewish student David Piegaro was filming the aftermath of the arrests of several students involved with a Princeton encampment when a man, who later turned out to be a Princeton administrator, grabbed him and threw him down the marble stairs of a building. Piegaro suffered a concussion and rib injuries. Princeton officials pressed charges against Piegaro, claiming that he initiated the incident by bumping into the administrator's arm. Piegaro was found not guilty at trial by a judge, and now has a lawsuit pending against Princeton.

April 30, 2024 – Yale (New Haven, CT):
Protesters at Yale established checkpoints around the green guarded by so-called "marshals." These "marshals" physically prevented entry unless one was committed to "being committed to Palestinian liberation and fighting for freedom for all oppressed peoples." As a result, numerous Jewish students were physically prevented from access relevant areas of campus.

May 1, 2024 – UCLA (Los Angeles, CA):
Jewish student Elinor Hess was shoved, kicked, and pulled by the hair while attempting to retrieve a flag that fell within an anti-Israel encampment. She sustained a concussion and required medical treatment. The assailant was initially charged with felony assault, but prosecutors later downgraded the charges to misdemeanors.

Jun. 10–11, 2024 – UCLA (Los Angeles, CA):
Rabbi Dovid Gurevich of UCLA Chabad was surrounded by masked protesters, called 'pedophile rabbi' and told to 'go back to Poland,' and had his phone knocked away. Sources: The Forward:

May 2024 – Reed College (Portland, OR):
After antisemitic vandalism in dorms, a Jewish student was struck in the head with a rock while in her room, sustaining injuries. The attack was captured on surveillance cameras.

Aug. 31, 2024 – University of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, PA):
Two Jewish students wearing kippot were assaulted in Schenley Plaza, one struck with a bottle and suffering a concussion. Police arrested suspects.

Sept. 15, 2024 – University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI):
A Jewish student was assaulted outside a dorm and subjected to antisemitic slurs. Police classified it as aggravated assault and ethnic intimidation.

Sept. 27, 2024: University of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, PA):
A Jewish student at the University of Pittsburgh wearing a Star of David necklace was attacked by a group of people who used antisemitic language.

Apr. 2024 – Yale University (New Haven, CT):
Student journalist Sahar Tartak was assaulted while covering a protest, when a demonstrator jabbed her in the eye with a flagpole. She lost consciousness and was hospitalized.

Apr. 2024 – Emory University (Atlanta, GA):
At a protest outside Emory Chabad, a Jewish student was shoved and verbally abused. Chabad leaders described the attack as part of a climate of intimidation.
Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD):
An Israeli doctoral student was attacked during a pro-Palestinian protest. The university confirmed video evidence and promised to investigate.

November 6, 2024 - DePaul University (Chicago, IL)
Two Jewish students were physically assaulted by masked attackers while visibly supporting Israel. The attackers shouted antisemitic remarks during the attack. In April 2025, one suspect, Adam Erkan, was formally charged with a hate crime and aggravated battery in connection with that November 2024 assault. Another suspect remains at large.

Dec. 10, 2024 – Columbia University (New York, NY):
During a campus rally, a Jewish student was punched in the face. Columbia confirmed that disciplinary proceedings were underway.

July 31, 2025 – Florida State University (Tallahassee, FL):
A female graduate student approached a male student in the campus library who was wearing an Israeli Defense Forces t-shirt. After engaging in an expletive-laden tirade, she shoved him while apparently reaching for his drink. The offending student was arrested and charged with misdemeanor battery, and expelled from FSU.

Dates unknown – George Mason University (Fairfax, VA):
In a letter to the university community, university president Greg Washington alluded to two occasions on which "George Mason experienced unlawful activity associated with violent antisemitic actions by students."