Antisemitic attacks on Jewish students on college campuses in New York and beyond skyrocketed following the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas terrorist attack on Israel that left 1,200 people dead and 251 others kidnapped.
According to the 2023-2024 ADL annual report on anti-Israel activism on U.S. campuses, anti-Israel incidents — which include protests, assault, vandalism, harassment, and divestment resolutions — increased by 628% between June 2023 and May 2024, compared to the same period in 2022-2023.
To confront the rampage of hatred through collaborative initiatives and innovative action, Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) held a two-day event titled “Rise and Respond Global Student Summit Against Antisemitism” at the Ziegfeld Theater in Midtown Manhattan on March 22-23. More than 300 Jewish students and allies from universities across the globe, community leaders, influencers, and officials attended the summit, where they celebrated the launch of CAM’s “Fighting Antisemitism On Campuses Effectively” (FACE), a 10-step roadmap for a global student-led effort to fight hate, defend truth, and strengthen Jewish life on campuses.
The summit kicked off Saturday evening with a welcome reception and remarks by Manhattan Borough President and candidate for NYC Comptroller Mark Levine, Republican US Rep. Claudia Tenney (NY-24), Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon, social media influencer Montana Tucker, and CAM’s Student Activism Award recipient Michael Kaminsky, a student at DePaul University who was the victim of an antisemitic attack, among others.
A story of survival
Long Island native and CAM public affairs officer 29-year-old Natalie Sanandaji is a survivor of the Nova music festival where Hamas terrorists killed 370 music lovers on Oct. 7, 2023. She shared her harrowing story of survival with amNewYork Metro before the reception.
The daughter of an Iranian father and an Israeli mother attended the festival with her friends and was looking forward to the sunrise ritual.
“Instead of waking up to the sunrise music, we woke up to rockets,” Sanandaji recalled.
She and her friends tried to escape by car. However, security instructed them to get out of their cars and run.
“We pulled our car over, and we were sitting in the car for a few moments, confused, and that’s when we heard the first gunshots, and from there, we ran for four hours on and off. Anytime we didn’t hear gunshots for a few minutes, we would kind of slow down to catch our breath. In Israel in October, it’s still very hot, so it was like 98 degrees,” said Sanandaji, who was eventually rescued by Moshe Sati and his sons, who saved hundreds of lives that day.
Sanandaji was one of the first survivors to share her story publicly, garnering the attention of CAM, which offered her a position. It is her way of coping with her experience and giving back since she isn’t an Israeli citizen and, therefore, can’t join Israeli forces.
“I couldn’t physically help in that sense. And I felt like that as someone who survived, I was so lucky, and I felt like my voice was the one thing I [could] give to those who are less fortunate than me, those who lost their voice. So, I want to be their voice,” said Sanandaji, who is working on a project bringing Iranian activists together to speak out against the Iranian government and its ties to Hamas.
‘Make them answer for it’
Danon reminded the crowd that antisemitism didn’t begin on Oct. 7, 2023, and urged the students to stand together and continue to expose antisemitism.
“When your universities refuse to protect you, make them answer for it; when student governments push anti-Israel resolutions, challenge them, fight them. When they try to erase the truth and the facts, remind them that we are here,” Danon said.
Tenney promised that she was standing with the students in their fight against antisemitism.
“This is your world you’re going to improve; not just make a better America, you’re going to make a better world with tolerance and freedom and unity and finding what unites us as people,” Tenney said.
Tucker has 14 million followers on social media and has visited Israel five times in the past year, where she met with victims. The one thing Tucker noticed in all the victims was “pride, strength, resilience, and hope,” characteristics she wanted the students to embody as well.
“All of you are also on the front lines,” Tucker told the crowd. “You’re speaking up in classrooms where professors won’t even say the word hostage. You’re walking past antisemitic signs and protests. I’m sure there are times when you’re wondering if it’s even possible to make a difference. But let me tell you something. It is, and you all are making a difference because we all have a role to play.”
Manhattan Borough President and candidate for NYC Comptroller Mark Levine explained that New York City had the largest population of Jewish people outside Israel. Over 1 million Jews call New York City home, or 13% of its total population. However, in 2024, over half of all hate crimes in New York were committed against Jews.
Levine called out the pro-Palestinian protests, which, he said, supported Hamas.
“But against this backdrop, against this rise of hate targeting us, something incredible is happening,” Levine added. “Synagogues are bursting at the seams. Enrollment at summer camp is all booked. Jews are standing up now and coming together and refusing to be silent. This is happening now. This gives me hope.”
‘Never again’ has never been more critical
Ellen Beren presented DePaul University student Michael Kaminsky with the CAM Student Activism Award. Galvanized by the Oct. 7 attacks, Kaminsky organized the largest pro-Israel rally in DePaul’s history.
On Nov. 6, while offering information on campus to educate fellow students about Israel, Kaminsky and his friend Max Long were physically assaulted by masked assailants in broad daylight. A university safety officer who stood a few feet away did not intervene. Kaminsky recently underwent surgery for his injuries, and no arrests have been made. However, the criminology major remains steadfast in his advocacy for the Jewish people and fellow Jewish students.
“Despite all, Max and I have begun taking proactive steps to ensure the safety of Jewish students. I’ve spoken with lawmakers in Washington, DC about how to make college campuses safer for Jewish students,” Kaminsky shared. “Max and I continue to educate students by partnering with IDF reservists to show the truth about Hamas’ atrocities. We have been tirelessly exposing the years-long antisemitism on our campus through social media posts. We are building coalitions with students of all backgrounds, showing that this is not just a fight for Jewish students but a plight for Western values and democracy.”
Kaminsky recently met with Holocaust survivors, the families of Hamas hostages, and Jewish leaders who reminded him that the Hamas terror attacks and pro-Palestinian protests were a defining moment for his generation.
“As we look forward to the days ahead, we must remember that ‘never again’ has never been more critical. We cannot be silent or scared. We must act. History will remember those who stood up to fight for our civil rights and will hold those accountable who were complacent in the face of atrocities, for we are not Jews with trembling knees,” Kaminsky vowed.
