The task force heard from Adam Lehman with Hillel International, which describes itself as the largest and most inclusive Jewish campus organization in the world.
Lehman rolled off a number of worrying statistics regarding the rate of harassment and vandalism instances targeting Jewish students across the 850 colleges where the organization operates.
"We have never seen anything like the tsunami of hate and harassment that has sprung up since October 7th."Adam Lehman, speaking on the national picture
While much of Lehman’s presentation dealt with national numbers, he did say the atmosphere at Kentucky schools leaves more of an opening for interfaith dialogue — one of a number of strategies Hillel seeks to promote.
"Our understanding is the Kentucky campuses have not had as many or as severe a set of issues as in many other states. It actually gives you a better opportunity, I think, to broker that kind of dialogue and relationship building," Lehman said.
Wednesday’s meeting of the antisemitism task force was the first since the rapid rise of Pro-Palestine protests on campuses in the U.S. Hillel put forward a number of strategies it’s employing – from security grants to wellness support – as possible options in Kentucky.
The governor’s task force has been asked to identify the growing threat of antisemitism in the commonwealth and to assess existing educational programs.
