Campus Response to October 7

Campus Response to October 7 — Supporting Jewish Students, Faculty, and Staff 

Since October 7, 2023, students, faculty, staff, alumni, and administrators at UC Berkeley have undertaken a variety of initiatives to support the university’s Jewish students, faculty, and staff. The goals have been:

  1.  To maintain the strength and unity of our campus Jewish community;

  2. To promote Jewish belonging and inclusion on campus;

  3. To provide educational content and discussion forums to process and learn about developments in Israel and the surrounding region. 

While we face very real challenges and are always working to improve, these efforts are proving vital in tangible ways to the resiliency of our students, staff, and faculty.

Coordination of Campus Efforts

Faculty and staff from the Center for Jewish Studies (CJS), the Antisemitism Education Initiative (AEI), and the Helen Diller Institute for Jewish Law and Israel Studies (HDI), along with the leadership ofChabad andBerkeley Hillel, engage in regular meetings with student leaders and senior campus officials (including leadership of the Division of Equity & Inclusion, the Division of Student Affairs, the head of the Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination, the Provost, and the Chancellor) to share information, strategize responses to incidents, and to ensure coordination around campus security measures. Representatives from throughout the campus and the broader community participate in meetings and communications via the Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Jewish Student Life and Campus Climate (CACJSLCC), which informs campus stakeholders of the concerns and needs of Jewish students, faculty, and staff.

Faculty statement

More than 380 UC Berkeley faculty signed apublic statement unequivocally condemning the Oct. 7 terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel. Signatories included Provost Ben Hermalin, Law School Dean Erwin Chemerinsky, former Chancellor Carol Christ, Mark Yudof (former president of the University of California system), and multiple Nobel laureates. Many students, alumni, parents, and colleagues at other universities expressed tremendous appreciation for this statement and cited it as a positive example for other universities. ‘

Educational Programming and Events

Since October 7 and the start of the current war, theCenter for Jewish Studies (CJS), the Antisemitism Education Initiative (AEI), and theHelen Diller for Jewish Law and Israel Studies (HDI) have provided spaces to learn about the situation in the Middle East. Our efforts have included a mix of public events and more intimate programs connecting directly with students, faculty, and staff.

Collaboration with Student-Facing Offices 

We work regularly with staff and leadership in Berkeley’s Division of Equity & Inclusion (E&I), Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination (OPHD), and Division of Student Affairs (SA), to make sure antisemitism is included in the ongoing, regular work of these units. 

Creating community

Student leaders and staff at Berkeley Hillel and Berkeley Chabad regularly facilitate spaces for reflection, learning, dialogue, and community, facilitated variously by rabbis, staff members, faculty, and mental health experts. Staff and faculty of the HDI also provide regular opportunities for community virtually and in-person among their affiliated student and faculty fellows: frequent Zoom briefings with experts on the ground in Israel; and in-person meetings with faculty and staff to discuss the latest issues together in community. 

Student-led actions and leadership

In the wake of October 7 and the war, the need for Jewish students and allies to be together in community has never been more urgent, and Jewish student groups on campus organized vigils, rallies, and community-building events at an unprecedented scale. Student leaders devoted hours upon hours of time and energy to support fellow students and to amplify student needs and concerns to campus leadership and to faculty and staff affiliated with CJS, HDI, the AEI, Chabad, and Hillel.

Security

We are committed to making sure that Jewish members of our campus community are physically safe on campus and that they feel supported. Since October 7, campus leadership, in partnership with UCPD, has ramped up security measures in response to tensions on campus. In addition to maintaining a strong presence of uniformed and plainclothes UCPD officers at campus rallies and protests, the campus regularly hires private security for events. Staff from the Division of Student Affairs regularly attend and monitor all rallies and protests.

Reporting and responding to threats, harassment, and antisemitic incidents

We urge members of the campus community to report ALL incidents of discrimination or harassment (including online doxing, trolling, or online stalking). To do so, connect withOPHD. For incidents that are possibly criminal in nature (such as vandalism, threats of violence, etc.) or if there are immediate concerns about safety, call 911. If it’s not an emergency, contactUCPD to file a report

Mental Health Support and Academic Accommodations

The campus offers emotional and mental health resources to all students which can be accessed via University Health Services Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS).

Campus-focused Jewish groups and programs

For individuals looking to engage with community, here’s a list of groups and programs you can connect with:


For questions and concerns, please contact Ethan Katz (CACJLCC chair) or Gregg Drinkwater (AEI program director).