They will be present when Columbia's President, Minouche Shafik, is questioned about her efforts to address the issue, according to information obtained by The Post.
These students will also have a personal meeting with Representative Elise Stefanik, a member of the House of Representatives who will be among those questioning the Ivy League leader. Stefanik's incisive questioning in previous hearings has resulted in the removal of the presidents of Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania, who provided unsatisfactory responses regarding their handling of antisemitism.
Stefanik, the chairwoman of the House Republican Conference, told The Post, “The unchecked antisemitism at Columbia is not exclusive to their campus but is part of a widespread systemic moral rot rampant through our higher education system.” She continued, “From openly calling for the genocide of Jews to swastikas scattered across campus property, antisemitism has become commonplace at Columbia, making its Jewish students feel unsafe.”
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The House Committee on Education & The Workforce will host a hearing titled, “Columbia in Crisis: Columbia University’s Response to Antisemitism.” However, a spokesperson for Columbia University stated that the administration is actively combating antisemitism and is open to discussing their efforts. “Columbia is committed to combating antisemitism and we welcome the opportunity to discuss our work to protect and support Jewish students and keep our community safe,” the spokesperson told The Post.
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This hearing comes in the wake of a series of incidents on US campuses following the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks against Israel. Several academic leaders have faced criticism for their anti-Israel commentary following the attacks.
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Marc Nock, a public health graduate student, claimed that Professor Abdul Kayum Ahmed suggested that Columbia’s School of Public Health and its building in Washington Heights should not be named after Jews Joseph Mailman and Armand Hammer. “He said, `What have they done except give the school `blood money?’ That’s an antisemitic trope,” Nock told The Post.
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Nock hopes that the hearing will result in Columbia taking steps to ensure that it does not hire professors who are bigoted and spread hate and propaganda. “I hope Columbia returns to being a safe place for all students — including Jewish students,” he said.
Yola Ashkenazie, a 21-year-old student at the Columbia-affiliated Barnard College, described the Morningside campus as a divisive place that is hostile to Jews, particularly those who support Israel. She recounted incidents of two Israeli students being spat on for speaking Hebrew on the steps of the school library, and herself being targeted on social media for being pro-Israel.
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Ashkenazie, who previously served as president of the Jewish students’ group Chabad, expressed her relief that the Columbia administration will be held accountable at the upcoming hearing. “The hearing will force the administration to come up with a tangible, actionable plan to address the fear students have right now. We want to hear what actions president Shanif will take to make students like me feel safe on campus,” she said.
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Yaffa Mashkabov, a 41-year-old graduate student at the School of Social Work, recalled a fellow student justifying Hamas' rape and kidnapping of Israelis in class. “I just said, `Wow’. I was stunned. I couldn’t believe she said it out loud,” she said.
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Mashkabov, an observant Jew who wears a headscarf, referred to a recent lawsuit filed against the Columbia School of Social Work’s dialectical behavioral therapy program for its treatment of an orthodox Jewish student. She also mentioned an antisemitic flyer depicting a skunk in the white-and-blue of the Israeli flag and a Star of David that surfaced on Columbia’s Morningside campus.
“Antisemitism isn’t just something we’re feeling. It’s happening. We finally have the attention of Congress. ..Maybe something good will come of it,” she said.
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