In response to anti-Israel protests, encampments, and security issues on campuses since the October 7 Massacre, the Hillel Foundation for Jewish Campus Life and North American Jewish safety NGO Secure Community Network (SCN) announced on Thursday a new security partnership at over 50 campuses as the fall semester commenced.
The new partnership, Operation Secure Our Campuses, will see full-time intelligence analysts monitor campus developments and provide information and real-time support. SCN will provide assessments of Jewish facilities on campuses, and the partners will offer consultations on physical security, emergency plans, and procedures.
SCN said in a press release that it was launching a new training initiative for Jewish students, faculty, and staff on certain campuses to help them develop situational awareness skills, instructions on how to address confrontations and life-threatening situations, how to report incidents, and how to contact law enforcement. The new program builds on previous cooperation, including SCN provision of guidance, resources, training, assessment, and event security planning. Since October 7, SCN said that it had trained 200 people and assisted in security plans for 10 Hillel events across the US.
“Creating vibrant Jewish life on campus depends on having safe environments for Jewish college students, which is why we are so proud to work alongside SCN in strengthening our security support for campus Hillels worldwide,” Hillel International CEO and president Adam Lehman said in a statement. “Together, we will continue to invest in expanded security resources that facilitate safe and secure opportunities for students to take advantage of the broad array of Jewish experiences and programs available through Hillel and its partners.”
SCN national director and CEO Michael Masters said that it was unacceptable that Jewish students, faculty, and staff were unable to walk across campus "free from fear, harassment, or targeted violence," and pledged to ensure that they could pursue their education with a sense of safety.
