Northwestern rocked by hateful graffiti on Passover

Jewish students at Northwestern University were met with a disturbing scene as several campus buildings were defaced with red paint bearing hateful messages such as “death to Israel” and “intifada now.” The vandalism, which also included an inverted triangle (a symbol associated with Hamas and adopted by some pro-Palestinian protesters), has been widely condemned as an antisemitic act.

Michael Simon, executive director of Northwestern’s Hillel, expressed outrage in a message to the community, stating, “We are appalled by the vile and hateful graffiti and messages that appeared on University buildings and property. This is especially painful as it occurred during Passover, a time when we are celebrating the Festival of Freedom with family and friends.”

He emphasized that antisemitism and hate have no place at the university, located just north of Chicago.

The unregistered pro-Israel group Students Supporting Israel at Northwestern shared photos of the vandalism on Instagram, calling it “a direct threat to Jewish students’ safety and security at Northwestern.”

The incident occurred just hours after university president Michael Schill hosted his own Passover seder, adding a personal layer of distress to the event. In a statement, Schill, who is Jewish, announced that the university is fully investigating the vandalism. “Antisemitic acts cannot and will not be tolerated at Northwestern, nor will vandalism or other violations of our policies on displays, demonstrations, or conduct,” he wrote, adding that those responsible will face both university discipline and criminal charges.

The vandalism comes on the footsteps of heightened scrutiny of Northwestern’s handling of antisemitism on campus. Last month, the university released a progress report detailing efforts to combat antisemitism, including policy changes on demonstrations, such as requiring students to remove face masks when asked, and the introduction of mandatory antisemitism training in February 2025.

However, earlier this month, Northwestern became one of seven universities to face steep funding cuts from the Trump administration due to its response to campus antisemitism. As the first non-Ivy League school targeted, the university risks losing $790 million in federal funding.

Schill has faced criticism in the past, notably last year when he was among the first university presidents to negotiate a deal with pro-Palestinian protesters, a move that led some Jewish organizations to call for his resignation.

Sources: JTA, Instagram posts by Students Supporting Israel at Northwestern