Buckeye Reporter

Senator Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) has addressed a letter to the presidents of Ohio’s fourteen public universities, urging them to take action against what he describes as a significant increase in antisemitic violence on college campuses. In his letter, Moreno expressed concern for the safety and religious freedom of Jewish students at these institutions.

“Jewish Americans are under attack in this country. Americans have witnessed the manifestation of rampant antisemitism on college campuses all over the country. Horrifyingly, hate crimes and domestic terrorism have plagued the Jewish community. Recently, in this country, Jewish Americans have been murdered in cold blood and burned alive. These attacks are reminiscent of 1939. It is 2025—the violence against Jews must stop,” wrote Moreno. “As the senior United States Senator for the state of Ohio, I want to make sure that university leaders are doing all they can to ensure students are free not only to learn on college campuses but also to feel safe while doing so, regardless of their religion.”

The senator highlighted data showing that 2024 saw the highest number of antisemitic incidents in nearly five decades. According to Moreno’s letter, there was a five percent rise in such incidents during 2024 alone, adding to a reported 344 percent increase over five years and an 893 percent increase over ten years.

Moreno referenced recent federal actions aimed at addressing antisemitism nationwide. He noted that President Trump issued Executive Order 14188 and an accompanying Fact Sheet in January 2025 to implement additional measures against anti-Semitism. Following these directives, the Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Education initiated investigations into five universities where widespread antisemitic harassment had been reported and sent letters to another fifty-five universities under investigation for similar complaints. The Department of Justice also formed a multi-agency Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism, which plans campus visits at ten universities with reported incidents since October 2023.

In his correspondence with university leaders—including Walter “Ted” Carter Jr., president of The Ohio State University—Moreno suggested that institutions consider adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism as a means to clarify what constitutes such acts and help create safer environments for Jewish students.