Out of concern for the growing tension on college campuses across the country, Jewish Federations of North America, along with six other major Jewish organizations, recently requested a meeting with the U.S Secretary of Education. Below is a joint statement issued today from Jewish Federations, ADL (the Anti-Defamation League), Orthodox Union, Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, Hillel International, Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, and NCJW:

"Our organizations met today with Secretary of Education Cardona, White House Domestic Policy Council Director Tanden, Deputy Secretary of Education Marten, and other senior officials - as we had requested last week. It was a positive and productive meeting. We appreciate the Secretary rapidly making himself available to us at this critical moment.

As organizations who have been dedicated to defending and supporting Jewish students experiencing harassment and violence on college campuses around the country, we thank the Secretary of Education for the opportunity this afternoon to share our urgent concerns.

We directly raised our urgent concerns surrounding the current climate of antisemitism on campus and the lack thus far of effective response. In this moment of crisis, we asked the Department to be specific in their follow up and implementation of this week’s clear statement made by President Biden and to provide universities with a clear path to effective enforcement of that statement. By sharing specific recommendations, we urged the Administration to do more to protect Jewish students and the broader student community from intimidation, harassment, and violence."