Columbia University

Father of former Israeli hostage joins Columbia as a Jewish history professor

Jonathan Dekel-Chen’s son Sagui spent 498 days in captivity in Gaza after he was taken by Hamas from Nir Oz, a kibbutz in southern Israel, on October 7, 2023.

 JONATHAN DEKEL-CHEN, the father of Sagui Dekel-Chen, speaks to reporters after he and other family members of American hostages being held by Hamas, participated in a meeting with US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on July 25, 2024.
 Jennifer Mnookin attends UCLA Black Law: 50th Anniversary Solidarity Gala at The Beverly Hills Hotel on April 04, 2019 in Beverly Hills, California.

Columbia appoints new President, Jewish legal scholar Jennifer Mnookin, after two years of unrest

 Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil stands next to U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), a day after he was released from immigration custody, at Newark airport in Newark, New Jersey, U.S., June 21, 2025.

US to deport pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil to Algeria, Homeland Security official claims

People attend an anti-Israeli protest after Friday prayers in Tehran, Iran, June 20, 2025

Drunk on Jew-hatred, Iran’s horrors go unmentioned - opinion


Columbia adopts IHRA definition of antisemitism, ADL programming amid battle with Trump admin.

Columbia's Interim President Claire Shipman stressed that there was "no place for intimidation, hateful language, or targeting of Jews or Israelis at Columbia."

 Protesters supporting Mahmoud Khalil march in Manhattan the day after a US immigration judge ruled that Columbia student Khalil, who led pro Palestine student protests on campus last spring, can be deported, in New York City, New York, US, April 12, 2025.

US Republicans grill university leaders in latest House antisemitism hearing

Many of the reps. echoed President Donald Trump's recent attacks on universities, and questioned whether the presidents were doing enough to protect Jewish students.

 Demonstrators in support of Gaza raise red hands behind Rabbi Mark Goldfeder, CEO of National Jewish Advocacy Center, a witness at the House Judiciary Subcommittee hearing on "Antisemitism on College Campuses", on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., May 15, 2024.

Zohran Mamdani’s father calls suicide bombers ‘soldiers,’ intifada ‘meaningful’

Mahmood Mamdani, the Herbert Lehman Professor of Government at Columbia University, is one of The Gaza Tribunal’s 29-member advisory policy council.

 Zohran Mamdani reacts next to his parents Mahmood Mamdani and Mira Nair and wife Rama Duwaji during a watch party for his primary election, which includes his bid to become the Democratic candidate for New York City mayor in the upcoming November 2025 election, in New York City, US, June 25, 2025.

'They want to make an example out of me': Mahmoud Khalil sues Trump admin. over arrest - CNN

“From the moment that I was detained, I knew that I would eventually prevail,” he said. “What I simply did is protesting a genocide.”

 Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil gestures next to his wife Dr. Noor Abdalla and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) at Newark airport, a day after he was released from immigration custody, in Newark, New Jersey, U.S., June 21, 2025.

Mahmoud Khalil seeks $20 million from Trump administration over immigration arrest

A DHS spokesperson called Khalil's claim "absurd" and said the Trump administration acted well within its legal authority to detain Khalil.

Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil gestures as he is released from immigration custody in Jena, Louisiana, U.S. June 20, 2025.

Israeli prof. Shai Davidai quits Columbia, as university drops harassment investigation

A letter Davdai posted shows that Columbia closed the inquest on July 8, "without any findings or conclusions of wrongdoing and without imposing discipline or penalty."

Israeli professor Shai Davidai outside of Columbia University, April 22, 2024.

Columbia University’s computer systems shut down by ‘hacktivist’ with political agenda

The outages, which started on June 24, caused a smiling image of US President Donald Trump to appear across monitors on campus. 

 A timed exposure shot of Columbia University's main academic library (and the largest building on campus), Butler Library, at dusk.

Acting Columbia president Claire Shipman apologizes for texts suggesting removal of Jewish trustee

Columbia faced intense pressure from the federal government to address allegations of discrimination by some Jewish and Israeli students.

Claire Shipman testifies before the House Committee on Education & the Workforce at Rayburn House Office Building on April 17, 2024 in Washington, DC.

Acting Columbia president suggested ousting Jewish trustee in favor of Arab one, House c'mttee says

Acting president of Columbia University suggested ousting of Jewish trustee while advocating for the appointment of “Arab on our board."

 Columbia University Acting President Claire Shipman speaks during the Commencement Ceremony at Columbia University in New York on May 21, 2025

Mahmoud Khalil says detainment ‘felt like kidnapping’ in first interview since release

Khalil, a 30-year-old Columbia University graduate and permanent US resident, was the first student pro-Palestinian protest leader to be detained by the Trump administration.

 Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil stands next to U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), a day after he was released from immigration custody, at Newark airport in Newark, New Jersey, U.S., June 21, 2025.