The New School administration has initiated an investigation into members of the University Student Senate following a May 1, 2026, vote to terminate funding and official ties with the university’s campus chapter of Hillel International. The conflict centers on a report produced by the Student Senate’s Registered Student Organization (RSO) Compliance Committee, which alleged that Hillel International provided material and logistical support to the Israeli military during the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
The controversy, which has drawn national attention and prompted condemnation from elected officials, highlights the growing tension on American college campuses regarding institutional neutrality and the divestment movement. While student leaders have maintained that their actions were based on an investigation into international law and organizational complicity, university leadership has characterized the vote as a discriminatory act targeting a student organization.
The university’s response, signed by President Joel Towers, Provost Richard Kessler, and Vice Provost Robert Mack, stated that the University Student Senate lacks the authority to determine the recognition or funding eligibility of RSOs. In an email to the university community, the administration affirmed that the Hillel chapter remains in good standing and eligible for funding, while condemning the Senate’s actions as a “misguided attempt to hold those students responsible for the acts of governments.”
The Senate Report and Allegations of Complicity
The Student Senate’s decision was predicated on a 38-page report compiled by the RSO Compliance Committee. The report alleged that Hillel at Baruch College—which serves as the umbrella organization for Hillel chapters at several New York City institutions, including The New School—facilitated student volunteer opportunities on Israeli military bases. According to the report, these activities included participation in the “Hillel on Base” program, which allegedly involved students performing tasks such as packaging rations for soldiers.
The report also referenced the “Onward Israel” program, suggesting it facilitates internship and volunteer opportunities within the Israeli military. It further claimed that registration for “Hillel on Base” automatically enrolls participants in the Volunteers for Israel (VFI) program, which the report identifies as being under the direction of the Israeli Logistics Corps. The committee argued that these programs establish a form of direct collaboration between the student organization and the Israeli military, which they contend is central to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Ryder Glickman, chair of The New School Student Senate, stated that the Senate was acting on evidence of “Hillel’s complicity in genocide.” Glickman expressed concern that the administration chose to investigate the student senators rather than address the substance of the report. “We were hoping that the university would act on the evidence provided by the Student Senate report about Hillel’s complicity in genocide,” Glickman said.
Institutional Response and Title VI Investigation
The administration’s intervention followed intense pressure from external groups and public figures. On May 3, 2026, Ilya Bratman, executive director of Hillel at Baruch College, addressed university leadership, describing the Student Senate’s vote as “a direct attack on Jewish students.” Bratman called for a meeting with university officials to discuss the Senate’s actions, which he characterized as “egregious and deeply troubling.”
The situation escalated on May 8, 2026, when Glickman received notification from The New School’s office of Student Equity, Accessibility & Title IX that he was under investigation. The notice indicated that the Senate’s decision to cut ties with Hillel was being reviewed for a “potential violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.” Title VI prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in programs or activities receiving federal financial assistance. The university later confirmed that the investigation extends to all student senators who participated in the vote.
The investigation has prompted criticism from student activists who argue that the university is coordinating with external organizations to suppress speech regarding international law. Glickman noted that the “open repression and universal condemnation of the report” demonstrates a coordinated effort to frame the student-led inquiry as antisemitic.
External Pressure and Public Criticism
The university’s decision to launch the investigation occurred against a backdrop of significant social media scrutiny and political pressure. Several elected officials publicly denounced the Senate’s vote. Rep. Dan Goldman and Rep. Ritchie Torres, both members of the U.S. Congress, criticized the move, with Torres labeling the vote “shameful” and “discrimination against Jewish individuals and institutions.”
The report also faced backlash from groups like Canary Mission, which targeted Glickman and other student leaders. Media coverage in several publications, including the New York Post and The Times of Israel, focused on the university’s rejection of the vote, though student supporters of the report have argued that these accounts omitted the specific evidence regarding Hillel’s alleged ties to military operations.
The debate at The New School is part of a broader national trend. Similar tensions have emerged at other institutions, including Middlebury College in Vermont, where the student leadership of the local Hillel chapter voted to change its name to the Jewish Association at Middlebury, signaling a move to disaffiliate from Hillel International.
Context of the Conflict
The allegations regarding student volunteers and the Israeli military involve units such as the Golani Brigade and the Kfir brigade. Reports from organizations such as Haaretz and the BBC have previously investigated the actions of these units in relation to Palestinian civilians and prisoners. The Student Senate report used these accounts to argue that Hillel’s programming provides material support to organizations involved in actions that have been widely condemned by international bodies.
The United Nations Human Rights Council, along with various international and Israeli human rights groups, have raised significant concerns regarding the conduct of the Israeli military in Gaza since October 7, 2023. According to data from international humanitarian sources, the death toll in Gaza has reached tens of thousands, with experts noting that the actual figures may be significantly higher.
As the investigation into The New School student senators continues, the campus remains divided. The university has not provided a timeline for the conclusion of the Title VI review, and the status of the Student Senate’s funding powers remains a subject of ongoing institutional debate. Students and faculty are awaiting further guidance from the office of Student Equity, Accessibility & Title IX regarding the next steps in the disciplinary process.
World Today Journal will continue to monitor this investigation as more information becomes available. We invite our readers to share their perspectives on the role of student government in geopolitical discourse in the comments section below.