In an interview with The Berman Archive, Nexus Project National Director Jonathan Jacoby discussed the Shofar Report and Nexus’s work to protect civil liberties and counter antisemitism and act as a watchdog organization.
The Guardian interviewed Nexus Project National Director Jonathan Jacoby about his calls for Jewish establishment organizations to stop engaging in an over-heated and divisive response following the election of NYC mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani.
eJewish Philanthropy spotlighted the Shofar Report and the Nexus Project’s ongoing work to protect American Jews and civil liberties. The message to other Jewish organizations is to make protecting democracy a number one priority for
Jonathan Jacoby told Moment Magazine that it’s wrong for leading Jewish organizations to abandon their commitment to civil rights, and that combating all forms of hatred is critical to maintaining Jewish American safety.
Jonathan Jacoby penned an open letter to ADL’s CEO Jonathan Greenblatt, urging him to address right-wing extremism and emphasize unity against the Trump administration’s attempt to divide Jewish Americans.
After the ADL narrowed its mission by modifying its website to eliminate ‘Protect Civil Rights’ amid right-wing attacks, Nexus Project National Director Jonathan Jacoby, warned: “The Trump administration’s actions are not just challenging liberals or
Ella Messler, Nexus Project’s Programs Associate, spoke with the Washington Jewish Week about her work with the Nexus Project, which includes supporting the Nexus Task Force and advocacy initiatives. Ella spoke about rising antisemitism, noting
Following the release of the Nexus Project’s Shofar Report, JTA reported on the report’s impact as a major Jewish response to Heritage Foundation’s Project Esther. JTA summarized the report’s aims and purpose: “fighting antisemitism requires
The Forward announced the release of the Nexus Project’s Shofar Report, highlighting its extensive recommendations for countering antisemitism and preserving democracy. Nexus Project National Director Jonathan Jacoby told The Forward about the critical intersection of
A newly released Impose poll conducted in collaboration with the University of California, Berkeley and the University of Rochester, showed that 72% of Jewish Americans are concerned about antisemitism on campus and nearly 60% disapprove
After GOP Rep. Nancy Mace made a hateful comment to Jewish Congresswoman Sara Jacobs reflecting antisemitic stereotypes, the Nexus Project swiftly condemned Mace’s remark, calling on Mace and all members of Congress to refrain from
Professor David Myers, a Nexus Project Task Force member and professor of Jewish history at the University of California, Los Angeles, highlighted that universities settling litigation related to antisemitism claims with the Trump administration could
After House Republicans requested that three universities produce detailed documentation of their responses to allegations of antisemitic behavior on their campuses, Nexus National Director Jonathan Jacoby warned that the Trump administration was once again using
Nexus Project’s Washington Director Kevin Rachlin spoke with the San Francisco Chronicle about Project Esther and other organizations that dangerously weaponize antisemitism to target free speech and harass students on college campuses. While Project Esther
Professor David Myers, a Nexus Project Task Force member and professor of Jewish history at the University of California, Los Angeles, co-wrote an op-ed for the LA Times calling the Trump administration’s lawsuits around antisemitism
After Prime Minister Netanyahu’s announcement of a planned Israeli occupation of Gaza City, The Forward reported on perceptions among American Jews toward the war. Nexus Project National Director Jonathan Jacoby warned that Israeli military action
The New Republic reported on waning support for the ongoing war in Gaza among American Jews, particularly following reports of mass starvation of Gaza. Nexus National Director Jonathan Jacoby spoke on the trend saying, “This
Professor Joshua Shanes, a Nexus Project Task Force member and professor of Jewish history at the University of California, Davis, spoke to JTA about antisemitic conspiracy theories related to the Jeffrey Epstein files. He shared:
Investigative reporting outlet Snopes reported on Project Esther, a blueprint for silencing pro-Palestinian protests under the guise of countering antisemitism. The article extensively cited Nexus Project’s analysis on Project Esther, stating that though the project
As a Boston court weighed the legality of the Trump administration’s efforts to deport foreign students involved in pro-Palestinian activism, Nexus Project National Director Jonathan Jacoby spoke with The New York Times about how the
The New York Times’ podcast, The Daily, released an episode discussing Project Esther, a blueprint developed by the Heritage Foundation, and embraced by the Trump administration, that laid the groundwork for deporting pro-Palestinian students under
The San Francisco Chronicle reported on measures universities are taking to avoid retribution over their handling of antisemitism by the Trump administration. The article highlights Nexus Project’s work as an antisemitism watchdog, and Nexus’ concerns
After the Trump administration told Harvard University it violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act over antisemitism on campus
The New York Times’ June 14, 2025, editorial on antisemitism made some important points. It called attention to the significant surge in antisemitism and the importance of calling it out. It accurately noted that “the
Nexus Washington Director spoke to AFP about Project Esther and attacks on higher education institutions, “[t]here is anti-Semitism on those campuses… But to give the broad claim that the thrust to fight anti-Semitism is to
Nexus Washington Director Kevin Rachlin told The Washington Post, “since Trump came [into office, the Trump administration is] weaponizing Jewish fear to advance a very specific agenda.” Rachlin noted that the Trump administrations endanger Jewish
In the wake of the violent attack on Jewish and Israeli advocates in Boulder, Colorado, Jonathan Jacoby, National Director of the Nexus Project told Religion News Service, “there’s a correlation between the violence in Gaza
The New York Times published an investigative article on the Heritage Foundation’s Project Esther, a divisive plan to counter antisemitism on college campuses that laid the groundwork for deporting students and defunding universities. Nexus National
Nexus National Director Jonathan Jacoby highlighted Nexus Project’s report, “Fighting Antisemitism, Protecting Democracy: A Strategy for the Trump Era,” stating that “[the Trump administration] cannot exploit our fear for your nefarious purposes. We will not
Kevin Rachlin, Washington Director of the Nexus Project, told the Philadelphia Inquirer, “Unequivocally, antisemitism in America has increased over the last 24 months. You can see it, you can feel it…To lump as antisemitic all
The Nexus Project and 10 progressive Jewish organizations signed onto a joint letter opposing the Antisemitism Awareness Act, stating the legislation would “represent an endorsement of the Trump Administration’s escalating efforts to weaponize antisemitism as
Following President Trump’s targeted firings of Democratic nominees to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum Board of Directors, Nexus said, “the Holocaust Museum, of all places, should not be used by the president as a vehicle
Nexus National Director Jonathan Jacoby told Reuters, “By taking a strong stand against antisemitism and Islamophobia without criminalizing dissent and the right to peaceful protest, the report demonstrates what we know: combating antisemitism and protecting
Jonathan Jacoby, National Director of the Nexus Project, a nonprofit dedicated to combating antisemitism, discussed the dangers of codifying the IHRA definition, or any other definition” of antisemitism. Jacoby told Moment Magazine that the Antisemitism
Axios reported on measures to monitor immigrants’ social media for alleged antisemitic content, which could be used to justify deportations. Jonathan Jacoby told Axios, “Using vague language like ‘terrorist sympathizer’ to target and punish immigrants
Nexus National Director Jonathan Jacoby told Haaretz, “The Trump administration continues to exploit our community’s concerns to unfairly target others – all while elevating and engaging in antisemitism themselves,” following U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Jonathan Jacoby told the Boston Globe the new USCIS policy weaponizes antisemitism as a pretext for deporting immigrants. He “criticized McLaughlin’s use of the term ‘terrorist sympathizer’ as ‘vague’ and said using it ‘to target
Following the announcement by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services that it will begin monitoring immigrants’ social media for alleged antisemitic content, the Nexus Project told The Guardian: Treating antisemitism as an imported problem does not
Reuters reported on the announcement from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services that it would monitor social media posts from immigrants for alleged antisemitism and use it as grounds for deportation. Kanishka Singh wrote, “The Nexus
Opinion Columnist Thomas Friedman explores the U.S.-Israel relationship under the Trump and Netanyahu administrations and how the two leaders undermine democracy to push their autocratic agendas. Friedman interviewed Nexus National Director Jonathan Jacoby about Nexus’s
POLITICO analyzes Heritage Foundation’s Project Esther, which the Trump administration has used as a blueprint to combat antisemitism, including detaining student protestors and pulling funding from universities. Kevin Rachlin commented, “There is real resistance from
The New York Times reports on the varying reactions from Jewish groups and Jewish leaders to the Trump administration’s approach to countering antisemitism. Jonathan Jacoby, the national director of the Nexus Project, expressed concern over
Alan Solomont, member of the Nexus Project Board and Dean Emeritus of Tufts University’s Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life, responded to the detainment of Rumeysa Ozturk, a Tufts University PhD student. Solomont editorializes,
Axios reports on the release of Nexus’s Antisemitism Strategy for the Trump Era. Nexus National Director Jonathan Jacoby shared, “While the Trump Administration exploits the rise of antisemitism to target democratic freedoms and political opponents,
In JTA, Nexus Project and other Jewish groups vocally condemned the arrest of pro-Palestinian protestor Mahmoud Khalil. The Nexus statement, while expressing concern about antisemitism and the tome of campus protests, said, “Authoritarian federal overreach
David Knowles quoted Nexus Project’s reaction to the detainment of pro-Palestinian protestor Mahmoud Khalil. “We unequivocally oppose the use of violence and intimidation on campus. At the same time, when legitimate political protest has been
Jonathan Jacoby, Nexus Project’s national director, expressed concern that the arrest and promised crackdown would widen divides between Jews and other minority groups: “There has never been a safer and more flourishing experience than the
Haaretz reports on the Senate Judiciary Committee’s hearing on antisemitism amid increased pressure from the Trump Administration to cut funding or deport students involved in pro-Palestinian protests. “‘Jews have always been safest in pluralistic democracies,’
US News and World Report analyzes key moments from the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on antisemitism. “Kevin Rachlin, the Washington director of the Nexus Project, called on Congress to use its power to authorize action
Haaretz reports on Steve Bannon’s gesture resembling a Nazi salute at CPAC. “Enough with the rationalizations and excuses: the Nazi salute is not a troll, and it is not an accident,” added Nexus Project National
Reporting for the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Ben Sales writes that the embattled NYC mayor, facing corruption charges and allegations of a quid pro quo with the Trump administration, said his opponents are engaged in the
Jonathan Jacoby, voicing objections to the visit, noting Vance’s role in pushing Elon Musk (who recently made Holocaust jokes on X) in rehiring a staffer who publicly self-identified as a racist. “. . . until
Writing for Haaretz, Etan Nechin describes the mixed reaction from Jewish organizations to Trump’s Antisemitism EO. Jonathan Jacoby is quoted for Nexus and said the order “cynically weaponizes legitimate concerns about Jewish safety to suppress
Writing for The Jerusalem Post, Hannah Sarisohn reports that Trump said, “Jewish students have faced an unrelenting barrage of discrimination; denial of access to campus common areas and facilities.” She quotes Jonathan Jacoby of the
Reporting for the Jewish Insider, Haley Cohen and Marc Rod state that “The groups emphasized that deportations carried out under the executive order must be consistent with the First Amendment and existing laws.”
Writing for the CHE, Maddie Khaw references Nexus: With the new Trump administration turning its eye to higher education, Harvard in particular may be “bowing its head” to political pressure, preemptively “cutting [its] losses,” said
After the Israeli prime minister defended Musk following controversy over a gesture at a Trump rally, the tech executive wrote a tweet full of Nazi-related wordplay. Jonathan Jacoby is quoted: “Elon Musk has a long
Harvard reached a settlement in two ongoing Title VI lawsuits accusing the university of mishandling antisemitism. Harvard’s decision to adopt the IHRA definition could blur the lines between legitimate political discourse and antisemitic rhetoric. David
“While the rapid rise in campus antisemitism demands serious action by the incoming administration and Congress, threatening to deport students based on their political views about Israel and Palestine would be a dangerous overreach that
“That, to me, is the hard thing: to say you want to do something while at the same time endorsing classical antisemitic tropes,” said Kevin Rachlin, Washington director for the Nexus Leadership Project, a nonprofit
“Their goal is to make the Democrats the anti-Israel, anti-Jewish party,” said Jonathan Jacoby, the director of the Nexus Task Force, a national effort to combat antisemitism while making space for political criticism of Israel.
“Trump will use the idea of fighting antisemitism as a way of suppressing free speech and breaking up coalitions. One of the most important things to ensure Jewish safety is to have strong coalitions with
The report by UCLA’s Task Force to Combat Antisemitism and Anti-Israeli Bias underlines the urgency of developing effective strategies for countering antisemitism on college campuses in the wake of the horrific Hamas attack against Israel
“Republican leaders are exploiting the very real danger of antisemitism to advance their own hyper-partisan agenda and to suppress free speech, instead of doing the difficult but important work of building responsible bipartisan coalitions to
