The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has launched Title VI investigations into four top medical schools—Harvard, Columbia, Brown, and Johns Hopkins—over allegations of antisemitism during their 2024 commencement ceremonies. The move marks a significant expansion of federal scrutiny into campus antisemitism, a process that was previously concentrated within the Department of Education.
The investigations, announced this week, stem from reports of antisemitic incidents at the graduation ceremonies of the medical programs in question. According to an HHS statement, the department aims to determine whether the schools “acted with deliberate indifference regarding events that may have impacted Jewish students’ rights to access educational opportunities and benefits.”
Federal officials have signaled that research funding at these institutions—totaling hundreds of millions of dollars—could be at risk if the schools fail to comply. The department’s press release noted that the ceremonies allegedly featured “offensive symbols and messaging,” including expressions of support for terrorist organizations.
The expansion of Title VI enforcement comes amid reports that President Donald Trump, who has been vocal about cracking down on antisemitism on campuses, is considering dismantling the Department of Education. His administration also launched five new Title VI investigations this week through the education department, while the Justice Department is reportedly collaborating with both agencies as part of a broader federal task force addressing campus antisemitism.
At least one of the HHS investigations appears to have been influenced by a study published in an Israeli medical journal by two American Jewish doctors, Steven Roth and Hedy S. Wald. The study examined recent medical school commencements, including Harvard’s, and identified clothing and behaviors it classified as antisemitic. Roth and Wald found that 2.5% of the studied graduating cohort wore “symbols representing antisemitic themes,” while 1.7% displayed protest signs or engaged in verbal demonstrations.
The study categorized the wearing of a keffiyeh as “antisemitic regalia.” Other examples flagged as antisemitic in the study included signs reading “Stop Bombing Hospitals,” “Honor Our Oath — Free Palestine,” and “Harvard Med Funds Genocide.”
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Thank u YWN for mentioning our article (Roth and Wald). It can be viewed freely along with links to the medical school’s publicly available videos here: https://www.rmmj.org.il/issues/65/1948/manuscript. I think it is important for your readers to clear up some errors, omissions, and out of context quotes from our article. Regrettfully, YWM chose to copy the information from a highly inaccurate article from JTA on line. First, the behavior of these medical students, while disgusting and unacceptably antisemitic as well as failing to meet the standards for professionalism of days later to be residents, is only the tip of the iceberg. We reported on the high exposure to antisemitism of US med students and docs in previous papers. https://www.amjmed.com/article/S0002-9343(24)00401-7/fulltext; https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39661322/; https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39616591/. Second, the reader of our article on commencements will notice that keffiyehs were not even the worst of the antisemitic articles of clothing the students wore. There are pictures therein of 3-part stoles of a keffiyeh, Palestinian flag, empty map of Israel or Dome of the Rock with the words “Palestine” or “Jerusalem is Ours” written in Arabic. Third, there were outrageous disruptive speeches accusing Israel of genocide. All of these meet the definition of antisemitism of the IHRA and there really is no controversy here about that. Regarding the percentages you report, they are taken out of context. Those are % of the 3000 total students in the graduating classes of the 25 schools. You know what % of antisemitism is acceptable? ZERO. In short, it is time that a stop be put to this unacceptable antisemitism that brings us back to the 1940s and 50s when Jews could not get into medical school or residency positions just because they were Jews. The Trump administration will G-d willing take the proper actions.
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It’s nice to finally have peace and quiet from all the stupid libs on this forum finally seeing that trump is actually the greatest president in history especially for Jews
In under two weeks he’s done more for the Jews than any president has ever done in their entire term
From a certain, theoretical, ethical perspective, the suppression of freedom of speech is bad. However what is there to say when the people whose speech is being suppressed advocate rape and mass murder, and target their genocidal plan on you.
So while we might be concerned about the overall impact of Trump’s administration suppressing anti-Jewish advocates of “genociding” us, we have to be grateful that he replaced Biden/Harris who refused to condemn those that would kill us, and made certain they have a honored place, with partial control, in the Democratic Party.