U.S. senators send letter to Lehigh urging for the protection of Jewish students

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to include comment from the university. 

U.S. Sens. Dave McCormick and John Fetterman sent a letter addressed to President Joseph Helble on Aug. 28 urging for the protection of Jewish students as antisemitic incidents on Pennsylvania college campuses rise.

The letters were sent to the five Pennsylvania universities with the largest Jewish student populations, including Pennsylvania State University, Temple University, the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Pennsylvania and Lehigh University, according to a Morning Call article.  

The letters cite Hillel International findings that the 2024-25 school year saw record-high antisemitic incidents, including assaults, vandalism, obstruction of shared campus spaces and illegal encampments. 

McCormick and Fetterman praised recent disciplinary steps by schools to enforce codes of conduct, but they wrote that Jewish students are hiding their Judaism. 

“No student should feel like they must risk their safety to exercise their First Amendment rights to peacefully assemble and freely practice their religion. No campus institution should have to curtail its services to cover security expenses,” according to the letter.

Lehigh entered an agreement with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights in January, pledging to comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color and national origin.

In March, Lehigh was one of 60 schools that received a letter from the Office for Civil Rights investigating the university’s compliance or lack thereof with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act to protect Jewish students on campus.

According to the senators’ letter, Lehigh is encouraged to work with Jewish institutions on campus to ensure all students, regardless of race, ethnicity or shared ancestry, are safe. 

In an email to The Brown and White, Amy White, the director of media relations, wrote Lehigh is proud to be a college of choice for the Jewish student community, and the administration appreciates the senators for highlighting the need to combat antisemitism. 

“As a member of the Hillel International Campus Climate Initiative since 2022, and a participant in the Brandeis University 2025 President’s Institute on Antisemitism, Lehigh remains active in our work to combat antisemitism as part of broader efforts to address hate and bias on college campuses, and to be a campus of welcome and belonging for all,” according to the email.

The Brown and White will update this story as the story develops. Check back for more updates.