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New School Senate Cuts Hillel Funding, First US Case

5/3/2026

29 2 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

The New School senate voted to strip funding from its Hillel chapter, the first such attempt in the United States.
The senate declared the chapter “not in good standing,” a decision the university administration says exceeds its authority.
Hillel International’s president called the vote a demonization, announced talks to restore services, and said the campus remains under a U.S. Department of Education investigation.

History

Historical Context

The 1964 Free Speech Movement at UC Berkeley, led by Mario Savio, forced the university to confront student-organization funding after his December 2 speech drew about 4,000 listeners and 800 arrests. Decades later, the New School’s senate voted to cut Hillel International’s funding, echoing the earlier campus battle over financial control and prompting civil-rights investigations.

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Story summary

The New School senate voted to strip funding from its Hillel chapter, the first such attempt in the United States.
The senate declared the chapter “not in good standing,” a decision the university administration says exceeds its authority.
Hillel International’s president called the vote a demonization, announced talks to restore services, and said the campus remains under a U.S. Department of Education investigation.

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