New School Student Senate Vote to Defund Hillel Meets Administrative Rejection

On May 1 2026 the University Student Senate (USS) at The New School voted to label the campus Hillel chapter “not in good standing,” suspending its funding. The RSO Compliance Committee cited “extensive ties” to alleged international-law violations, referencing Hillel trips that place volunteers on IDF bases, Birthright Israel tours, and the Onward Israel program. The 35-page report demanded Hillel renounce its affiliation with Hillel International and end participation in the contested programs to regain funding, following campus protests after the October 7 2023 Hamas attack and a broader divestment push.

Times of IsraelThe Media LineJewish student organization Hillel’s funding suspended after USS committee finds ties to international law violationsTimes of IsraelNew School Students Vote To Defund Hillel, School Says Move Has No AuthorityThe Jerusalem Post

The university spokesperson said only the administration, not the USS, can decide a student organization’s recognition, funding eligibility, or status, and affirmed Hillel remains “in good standing.” Merrie Snead said the administration is taking “immediate steps to address the USS’s action.” Hillel International said it is in “active conversations” with the university to preserve Jewish student services, while CEO Adam Lehman called the vote “false charges rooted in age-old antisemitic tropes.”

Jewish student organization Hillel’s funding suspended after USS committee finds ties to international law violations

Jewish leaders denounced the measure as a direct attack on Jewish life; Mark Treyger called it “disgraceful and dangerous,” and Eric Dinowitz called it a “direct attack on Jewish life on campus.” Representative Ritchie Torres warned that “discrimination against Jewish individuals and institutions is becoming increasingly normalized.” Afaf Nasher, executive director of CAIR-NY, praised the suspension as “a step toward accountability and adherence to international human-rights principles.”

The Jerusalem Post

Sources disagree on the USS’s authority: the Senate claims jurisdiction, while university officials say they control recognition. Allegations of IDF support rely on program descriptions; no war-crime convictions have been recorded. Enrollment figures for the Hillel chapter are reported only by the university (?700 students).

The Media Line

• “The New School famously sheltered Jewish intellectuals fleeing Nazi persecution — and yet its student senate voted to deprive Hillel of funding unless it severs ties with Hillel International, the world’s largest and most inclusive Jewish student organization,” — Adam Lehman, CEO, Hillel International

Times of Israel

• “Our Hillel chapter remains, as it always has been, in good standing, eligible for funding, and supporting Jewish life at The New School.” — Merrie Snead, Associate Director of University Communications

Times of Israel

• “This is a preposterous attempt to erase Jewish Life on campus and a blatant attempt to exclude and intimidate the Jewish community at New School!” — Ilya Bratman, Executive Director, Hillel at Baruch College

The Jerusalem Post

• “discrimination against Jewish individuals and institutions is becoming increasingly normalized.” — Ritchie Torres, U.S. Representative

The Media Line

The administration pledged to review the USS decision and maintain Hillel’s funding pending clarification of authority. Hillel International continues negotiations with school officials, while student activists plan further resolutions on Israel-related programming. The outcome will shape campus policy on student-group funding and the broader Israel-Palestine debate.

Times of Israel