UW-Madison graded on antisemitism 

Jewish Telegraphic Agency 

Many schools got an “F,” and though University of Wisconsin-Madison fared better, with a “C,” the director of Hillel there said that his school deserved a stronger showing. 

Last month, the ADL unveiled its Campus Antisemitism Report Card. It is a series of letter grades assigned to 85 colleges and universities based on how well the antisemitism watchdog organization believes they are addressing antisemitism.  

Hillel and Chabad directors at several individual schools also decried the ratings system to JTA, including the University of Wisconsin-Madison, George Washington University and the University of Vermont (which all received Cs). 

Greg Steinberger, director of Wisconsin’s Hillel, told JTA that Jewish life on his campus “is better than the grade offered by ADL, which has a limited view of the campus and the vibrant Jewish experience offered by the university, and by on-campus organizations like UW Hillel.” 

Michigan State University scored an F. The Hillel and Chabad of Michigan State University issued a joint statement condemning the failing grade, saying it “misses the holistic picture of Jewish life on our campus.” 

Only two schools — Brandeis, which was founded by Jews, and Elon — earned an “A.” Many others fared quite poorly, with Harvard, Stanford, Princeton and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology among the 13 “F” grades. Another 24 came away with “D”s, from Columbia and Barnard to Northwestern, Rutgers and Ohio State.  

“Parents and students and other folks are used to seeing college grades and guides and rankings,” Shira Goodman, the ADL’s senior director of advocacy, told JTA. She compared the report cards to the influential national college rankings by U.S. News and World Report.  

But according to some of the Jewish students and professionals working on the campuses, the ADL got it wrong. After the ADL released the grades, a number of students and Hillel directors — along with the CEO of Hillel International — spoke out about the letter grades. One called the grade a “massive oversimplification” of complicated yet vibrant realities for Jewish students.