New Initiative Formed to Document and Combat Campus Anti-Semitism

From our friends at the AMCHA Initiative

The need to combat harassment and intimidation of Jewish students at American universities is urgent. But the success of those efforts depends on the persistent identification, exposure, and careful documentation of abuses. Tammi Rossman-Benjamin and Leila Beckwith, cofounders of the AMCHA Initiative, are pleased to announce that they have expanded their efforts to include a crucial investigative arm, entitled "The Investigative Taskforce on Campus Antisemitism" (ITCA)

ITCA is a non-profit research project whose investigations underpin AMCHA’s efforts and expand the work to institutions of higher education across the country. ITCA acts to:

* identify, uncover, and investigate incidents of anti-Semitism at American colleges and universities
* serve as a trusted repository of information on manifestations of anti-Jewish bigotry that violate university policy, Title VI of the 1964 Civil Right Act, and other federal or state laws.
* make its research available to legal and advocacy groups, journalists, and legislators, and collaborates with them to address the problem of campus anti-Semitism.
* Student reports of anti-Jewish bigotry are essential to ITCA’s work. The Taskforce’s website contains two options for students to report information about anti-Jewish bigotry they may have experienced or witnessed:

Students are encouraged to fill out the Student Civil Rights Survey, which assesses the campus climate for college and university students, with a particular focus on potential civil rights violations.
Students and other concerned individuals can use the "Report a Concern" page to report an anti-Semitic incident on a college campus.
All information is confidential and no information or submitted materials will be disclosed or disseminated without the consent of the student.
In the coming weeks, members of the Muslim Student Association and Students for Justice in Palestine will be holding anti-Israel rallies, talk, and exhibits on several campuses throughout the state. These events may well be accompanied by expressions of anti-Jewish bigotry which some students find intimidating and harassing.

Please inform and encourage students you know to visit the ITCA website, to answer the Civil Rights Survey, and to report incidents of anti-Jewish bigotry they may have experienced or witnessed.

Your support is vital to the success of the ITCA. Please consider contributing. ITCA is a nonprofit organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. All donations are tax deductible. Its Federal Identification Number is 45-3327365. Contributions can be made through the website or by check to P.O. Box 7223, Santa Cruz, CA,95061.