U of Pittsburgh now says some Jewish students were interviewed for antisemitism report

The University of Pittsburgh now says its campus antisemitism working group did interview some Jewish students and community members before issuing its recommendations, after a JTA story noted the report lacked student voices. A spokesperson declined to provide details on methodology or how many were interviewed, citing confidentiality. An anonymous source disputed the claim.

The University of Pittsburgh now says its campus antisemitism working group did interview some Jewish students and community members before issuing its recommendations, a claim that emerged after a Jewish Telegraphic Agency story highlighted the apparent lack of student voices in the report. Spokesperson Jared Stonesifer told JTA that committee members intentionally spoke with members of the Pitt community who had experienced antisemitism, with one member focusing on people she had not previously met. However, the eight-page report itself does not cite any interviews with or surveys of Jewish students beyond its nine credited authors. Stonesifer declined to provide details on the number of students interviewed, the methodology, or how the interviews were incorporated, citing a confidentiality agreement. He noted the committee included two Jewish students, though one had graduated before the report's release and their name does not appear on it. An anonymous source familiar with the working group disputed the university's account, saying group members were never presented with evidence of such interviews before the recommendations were drafted. The report was immediately accepted by the university, which has navigated the aftermath of the 2018 Tree of Life synagogue attack and off-campus antisemitic attacks in 2024. Some right-wing Jewish figures have criticized the report for not defining antisemitism.