Vanderbilt University tackling antisemitism on campus: ADL
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – A new report by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) showed that Vanderbilt University has made significant strides in addressing antisemitism on campus.
The private school in Nashville was one of 135 schools addressed by the ADL in 2025, up from 85 schools the academic year prior. The organization uses 30 metrics such as 'Jewish life on campus' and 'publicly disclosed administrative actions' to assign letter grades A to F to each college in its Campus Antisemitism Report Card.
After receiving a C rating in the 2024 report, Vanderbilt was assigned an A in the ADL's latest evaluation, making it one of 10 schools to move up two grade levels.
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After the Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas, the ADL noted that members of the Vanderbilt Students for Justice in Palestine chapter set up a demonstration that depicted bodies in bags with blood. Additionally, the group reportedly built an 'Apartheid Wall' exhibit on Rand Yard, and nearly 30 students on campus held a sit-in in protest of an administrative decision to remove a Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS)-related proposal from the student ballot.
Based on Vanderbilt's efforts to combat antisemitism on campus since then, it now finds itself among the ADL's top-eight performing universities in the country.
'We engaged in a really substantive dialog,' said Eytan Davidson, regional director for the ADL Southeast chapter. 'Vanderbilt has just been terrific in terms of taking this issue very seriously, not just for Jewish students, but for their entire student body, and we believe that they've really been leaders on this issue.'
The ADL told News 2 that more than 70% of the universities that were covered in the first round of the report card ended up engaging with ADL on ways that they could improve their campus climates.
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'I said it last year and I'll say it again: every single campus should get an 'A', this isn't a high bar – this should be the standard,' said Jonathan Greenblatt, chief executive officer of the ADL. 'While many campuses have improved in ways that are encouraging and commendable, Jewish students still do not feel safe or included on too many campuses. The progress we've seen is evidence that change is possible – all university leaders should focus on addressing these very real challenges with real action.'
According to the organization's latest report card, 45% of the schools previously evaluated improved, while only 9% declined.
'The improvement on campus is largely due to new administrative initiatives implemented in response to the campus antisemitism crisis,' said Shira Goodman, ADL's vice president of advocacy. 'We're glad that improving the campus climate for Jewish students was a priority for many of these schools, and we hope all colleges and universities understand the importance of developing and enforcing strong policies and procedures to create a safe and welcoming environment for Jewish students and all students.'To learn more, visit the ADL's website.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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