Columbia University Hillel welcomes new president as anti-Zionist group derides ‘fascist admin’

Columbia University’s Hillel director welcomes the school’s newly-appointed president, while the university’s anti-Zionist activist coalition accuses her of fascism.

Yesterday, Columbia announced the appointment of Jennifer L. Mnookin, the chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, as the university’s next president.

Mnookin will replace interim president Claire Shipman on July 1. Mnookin will be the fourth university president since the October 2023 Hamas invasion of Israel threw the Ivy League university in New York into turmoil. The campus has been quiet recently.

“The last few years have been difficult for the Jewish and Israeli communities at Columbia. While challenges remain, there is a vibrant, joyful, proud Jewish community,” Brian Cohen, the head of Columbia’s branch of Hillel, says in a statement. “I am hopeful that President-elect Mnookin will bring the reputation, experience, and understanding that we need to build on the strong foundation. All of us at [Columbia Hillel] look forward to working with her.”

Columbia University Apartheid Divest, the coalition of activist groups that has led anti-Israel protests on the campus, says Mnookin “called riot police to beat up and arrest students for their Gaza Solidarity Encampment” at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

“She’ll fit in perfectly with the rest of the school’s fascist admin,” the group says on X.

The university does not recognize Columbia University Apartheid Divest as a student group.