Sens. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.) and John Fetterman (D-Pa.) sent a letter last week addressed to Penn President Larry Jameson outlining concerns about Jewish student safety and student life on campus.
The Aug. 28 letter, which was also sent to four other higher education institutions in Pennsylvania, highlighted previous examples of antisemitism on Pennsylvania college campuses since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel. McCormick and Fetterman urged universities to take steps to protect Jewish students on campus and outlined mechanisms the University could adopt.
“We write to urge you, as a leader of a Pennsylvania university with a large Jewish student population, to commit to ensuring Jewish institutions on your campus are equipped to protect the students they serve,” read the Aug. 28 letter.
A Penn spokesperson had not responded to a request for comment by time of publication. McCormick’s and Fetterman’s offices did not respond to requests for comment.
The message stated that “many Jewish institutions have been forced to cover the costs of additional security” and urged Jameson to commit to allocating additional resources to Jewish institutions if necessary.
Both Pennsylvania senators express their concern for Jewish students, including specifically in regard to their First Amendment rights.
“It is incumbent on all of us – especially our nation’s universities – to ensure vibrant Jewish life is not compromised or driven into the shadows,” the letter read. “No student should feel like they must risk their safety to exercise their First Amendment rights to peacefully assemble and freely practice their religion.”
The letter also commended certain actions taken by the universities such as “enforc[ing] codes of conduct, disband[ing] illegal encampments, and suspend[ing] student groups that have repeatedly targeted and harassed Jewish students.”
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In spring 2024, a 16-day Gaza Solidarity Encampment took place on College Green. Officers from the Penn Police Department — assisted by the Philadelphia Police Department — dismantled the encampment and arrested 33 people, including nine Penn students, on May 10, 2024.
The University also revoked Penn Students Against the Occupation of Palestine’s status as a registered student group on April 19.
Both McCormick and Fetterman have previously introduced bipartisan legislation aimed at combatting antisemitism. Fetterman has previously spoken out about antisemitism at the University, calling former Penn President Liz Magill’s congressional testimony on the the topic “a significant fail.”
In December 2024, the University opened the Office of Religious and Ethnic Interests in response to the recommendations outlined by the University Task Force on Antisemitism, the Action Plan to Combat Antisemitism, and the Presidential Commission on Countering Hate and Building Community.
