A Jewish doctoral student at Cornell University says the school ignored repeated antisemitic behavior by its graduate student union, Cornell Graduate Student Union (CGSU‑UE), even after students raised serious complaints. The student alleges the administration declined to act — refusing to offer meaningful protections, and instead making Jewish Ph.D. candidates fund the union’s activism against their beliefs.
A graduate student, David Rubinstein, described how CGSU‑UE issued a statement accusing Jews of “weaponizing antisemitism” and endorsed resistance against Israel “by any means necessary.” He wrote that, as a Jewish student with family in Israel, he now finds himself forced to support — through mandatory dues — activists who explicitly target Jewish people unless the union grants an exemption.
Rubinstein said that when students reported feeling threatened, the university deferred their complaints. Instead of intervening, Cornell officials reportedly told Jewish students to submit grievances to a federal agency in Buffalo — more than 150 miles from campus.
When CGSU‑UE secured union status with just 58% of graduate student votes, Cornell leadership offered reassurances. The university’s president at the time, Michael Kotlikoff, argued that mandatory union fees for Ph.D. students would conflict with the school’s values and academic‑freedom commitments. But when the union threatened to strike, Cornell reversed course and required doctoral students to pay dues, giving only a narrow exemption for “religious or ethical” objectors — an exemption on paper only.
Rubinstein said the promised “easy checkbox” opt‑out never materialized. Instead of a simple form, Jewish students now must petition the union and effectively justify their personal beliefs to obtain relief from mandatory dues.
This situation is not isolated. In recent months CGSU‑UE passed a resolution endorsing pro‑Palestinian activism and backing “resistance by any means necessary,” prompting further concern from Jewish students and campus‑safety advocates.
Jewish students argue this is more than political disagreement — it amounts to institutional neglect of antisemitism. They assert that the university has a duty to protect all students’ civil‑rights and religious freedoms, not force them to support activities they find hateful.
