A public health lecturer at Columbia University reportedly vented to a group of 400 freshmen about the university’s prominent Jewish donors, alleging they engage in “blood money laundering” and reject the notion of a Jewish state. This disturbing incident is highlighted in an anti-Semitism report released by the university.
This incident is just one of many detailed in Columbia’s latest report, which summarizes various troubling cases wherein some professors have transformed their classrooms into platforms for anti-Israel rhetoric.
“The shocking examples given highlight the deep-rooted anti-Semitism present at Columbia University,” remarked Ali Schrage, a graduate and co-founder of the Jewish Alumni Association.
Despite several known anti-Semitic incidents, this report uncovers further harassment faced by the Jewish community at the university. It does not, however, disclose the name of the lecturer involved.
Following complaints, the Postman School of Public Health chose not to renew his contract. He later responded to the Wall Street Journal, dismissing the students who complained as “privileged white students” unaware of their ties to “a system of white supremacy.”
Released after Columbia received an “F” on StopAntisemitism’s 2025 report card, the task force’s findings reveal that instructors have notably “singled out” Jewish and Israeli students.
One account involved an Israeli student who had served in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) during a class discussion about the ongoing conflict with Hamas. She reported that when the IDF was mentioned, it was described as an “army of killers,” and the professor pointed directly at her, labeling her a “killer” based on her service.
Columbia officials acknowledge that while such incidents are infrequent, they underscore the necessity for new policies stemming from the events following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack in Israel.
David Scissor, dean emeritus of the law school and a co-chair of the task force, noted, “Our faculty handbook clearly states the need to focus on subject matter, and these examples illustrate why that is essential.” While he doesn’t believe this is a widespread issue in every classroom, he admits it happens too frequently.
The report details instances where professors showed a blatant disregard for appropriate communication with students. For example, one student emailed a professor to challenge the portrayal of the Middle East conflict and was humiliated when the professor read the email aloud to the class, arguing against it line by line.
Scissor emphasized that while academic freedom is important, it does not permit harassment or discrimination.
Many Jewish and Israeli students echoed experiences where teachers voiced harsh anti-Israel sentiments, often irrelevant to class discussions.
One student recalled a vocabulary lesson in Arabic class where the professor used the sentence, “The Zionist lobby is the biggest supporter of Joe Biden.”
Occasionally, professors spread misinformation regarding atrocities committed by Hamas. In a class about advocacy, one instructor claimed that “accounts of sexual violence committed by Hamas are exaggerated or fabricated.” The report clarified that such violence is well-documented.
Discrepancies from the truth appeared frequently in Middle Eastern studies classes, where fierce criticism of Israel was commonplace. One student reported a professor stating that Theodor Herzl, who founded modern Zionism, was an anti-Semite.
Shoshana Ozien, a sophomore at Barnard College attending that class, expressed her disbelief at such assertions, stating it felt “completely irrational.” She further described the university’s program as filled with “historical revisionists.”
During the encampment protests last spring, which transformed Columbia’s campus into a protest site, some faculty encouraged student participation. This included canceling classes and even moving them to off-campus locations for political organizing purposes.
Some professors conducted classes and office hours right within the encampments, sometimes implying that Zionist students were not welcome.
Columbia has faced scrutiny, notably from the Trump administration, for allegedly worsening anti-Semitism on campus. There were threats to pull $400 million in federal funding from the university, leading to significant academic and disciplinary reforms in March to address these concerns.
