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
The administration and its Republican congressional allies will use last month’s House Education Committee report on campus antisemitism as a platform to target federal funding for higher education and academic freedom. The Nexus Project will
Hannah Rosenthal, a member of the Nexus Task Force and a former US Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism, reflects on this period of profound reflection as we commemorate the Jewish High Holidays and the anniversary
Writing in The Los Angeles Times, David N. Myers and Nomi M. Stolzenberg discuss how university administrators, faculty and students can understand when terms and calls for action in college protests should and should not
Writing an opinion for the Boston Globe, Jonathan Jacoby discusses how Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will come to America armed with familiar tactics: casting himself as a victim of unjust persecution, portraying his critics as
Writing an Opinion for eJewish Philanthropy | eJP, Amy Spitalnick states “At a time when antisemitism is on the rise, it’s no accident that fundamental democratic norms and freedoms are under threat. That’s because, at
In an opinion piece for The Forward, Alan Solow writes that the Antisemitism Awareness Act handicaps our ability to fight anti-Jewish bigotry. Alan Solow serves on the board of the Nexus Leadership Project and is
This article appeared in the April 17, 2024 edition of The Hill, Civil Rights Section summarizes the Legislative bill introduced by Senators Jacky Rosen, James Lankford, and Reps. Kathy Manning and Chris Smith and calls
New York Times reporter Sharon Otterman writes about the issue of antisemitism at Columbia University. In the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, Columbia University set up a task force to combat and monitor
The framers of the National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism understood that the IHRA definition is too limiting to carry the weight of fighting antisemitism on its own, so they endorsed additional definitional resources — including
Members of the Nexus Task Force defend the appointment of Derek Penslar as co-chair of the Harvard antisemitism task force. “We reject efforts to cynically weaponize antisemitism by inflaming divisions or undermining university initiatives to
The Nexus Project, which has been advocating for a more nuanced understanding of issues related to Israel and antisemitism, has found traction with the White House and Congress — and is staffing up.
Writing for The New York Times, Jonathan Weisman discusses the political debate surrounding anti-Zionism and antisemitism. Jonathan Jacoby said Nexus Task Force had wrestled with the issue for several years now, seeking a definition of
Jewish Americans face the threats of escalating antisemitism and growing white nationalism at the same time that the Israeli government’s anti-democratic policies are eliciting increasingly harsh condemnation worldwide. An article written by Jonathan Jacoby which
Both sides say debate over what definition of antisemitism should be used is a waste of energy — but that hasn’t dampened the dispute
Overused accusations of antisemitism are preventing open and nuanced debates about Israeli policies and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“Our criticisms emanate from a love for Israel and a steadfast support for its security and well-being,” said the statement. “Some will try to dismiss their validity by labeling them antisemitic.” Instead, the statement said,
A slate of 169 prominent American Jews, including former leaders of major mainstream Jewish organizations, called on U.S. politicians not to conflate criticism of Israel with antisemitism, a signal of worsening relations between the new
The statement calls for a “critical and necessary debate” about the government’s policies and cautioned against false accusations of antisemitism aimed at Israel’s critics.
The growth of White Nationalism in our country is exponential: from social media to traditional media, from school boards to law enforcement to the United States Congress. Today’s White Nationalists descend from last century’s Nazis,
Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., was a featured speaker at the Republican Jewish Coalition’s Annual Leadership Meeting last weekend at the Venetian. After being elected as Republican Leader on Nov. 15, McCarthy now needs to strengthen
The occupation has tempered my confidence in Israel’s survival as a democratic homeland for the Jewish people. Weaponizing antisemitism also hurts Israel. Toxic environments leave no space for debate. Without an open debate about Israeli
Anger at Israel has been rapidly morphing into anti-Semitism since its surge during the conflict last spring between Israel and Hamas. There is no justification for it.
Copyright © 2024 – 2025 Nexus Project.
All Rights Reserved.
Copyright © 2024 – 2025 Nexus Project.
All Rights Reserved.
