Columbia University classes moved online after rabbi says Jewish students should ‘return home’

Columbia University will hold classes virtually on Monday amid ongoing unrest and heightened concern for Jewish students’ safety on campus.

The school’s president, Minouche Shafik, announced the shift to online learning early Monday and instructed faculty and stuff to work remotely if they can do so.

“Our preference is that students who do not live on campus will not come to campus” on Monday, Shafik said.

These steps were taken “to deescalate the rancor and give us all a chance to consider next steps,” Shafik said.

The announcement follows a reported call from one campus rabbi for Jewish students to return home “as soon as possible,” citing safety concerns ahead of the start of the Jewish holiday of Passover on Monday evening.

“What we are witnessing in and around campus is terrible and tragic. The events of the last few days, especially last night, have made it clear that Columbia University’s Public Safety and the NYPD cannot guarantee Jewish students’ safety in the face of extreme antisemitism, and anarchy,” a rabbi for the Orthodox community at Columbia/Barnard told students in a WhatsApp message, CNN anchor Jake Tapper reported on Sunday.

“It deeply pains me to say that I would strongly recommend you return home as soon as possible and remain home until the reality in and around campus has dramatically improved. It is not our job as Jews to ensure our own safety on campus. No one should have to endure this level of hatred, let alone at school,” the rabbi continued.

The campus Hillel director issued a statement calling on the school and the city to do more to protect Jewish students but didn’t echo the call for students to return home.

“This is a time of genuine discomfort and even fear for many of us on campus. Let me be clear – the Kraft Center for Jewish Student Life is and will remain open. Students looking to be in community with one another, or in need of a quiet place to study or be with friends, are welcome to come by the Kraft Center at any time,” Brian Cohen said.

The White House on Sunday also condemned calls for “violence and physical intimidation targeting Jewish students” as protests continue at colleges in the U.S., including Columbia University.

“While every American has the right to peaceful protest, calls for violence and physical intimidation targeting Jewish students and the Jewish community are blatantly Antisemitic, unconscionable, and dangerous — they have absolutely no place on any college campus, or anywhere in the United States of America,” White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates said in a statement shared with The Hill.

The Columbia president on Monday said that a working group of deans, faculty and university administrators will work in the coming days “to try to bring this crisis to a resolution.”

“I know that there is much debate about whether or not we should use the police on campus, and I am happy to engage in those discussions. But I do know that better adherence to our rules and effective enforcement mechanisms would obviate the need for relying on anyone else to keep our community safe. We should be able to do this ourselves,” Shafik said.

“Over the past days, there have been too many examples of intimidating and harassing behavior on our campus. Antisemitic language, like any other language that is used to hurt and frighten people, is unacceptable and appropriate action will be taken,” the statement continued.