Northwestern Students Blocked from Courses Amid Antisemitism Training Module Dispute

Northwestern University | Source: Evanston Now

Antisemitism History

Antisemitism refers to prejudice or hostility toward Jewish people based on their religion or identity. It has appeared throughout history in forms such as persecution, stereotypes, and conspiracy theories, most notably during the Holocaust. Today, universities across the U.S. have implemented educational programs to combat antisemitism as incidents rise nationwide. However, debates have emerged over whether these programs also silence criticism of Israel, especially amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

Palestine Protests and Campus Tensions

Northwestern students protesting Israeli government | Source: Jewish Federation of Western Connecticut

Since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October of 2023, protests in support of Palestine have erupted across U.S. campuses, including Northwestern University. Many students have called attention to civilian deaths in Gaza and demanded that educational institutions cut ties with Israeli organizations. These protests have also created tensions over what constitutes antisemitism versus political criticism of Israel. The debate intensified at Northwestern when the university introduced a new mandatory antisemitism module for students.

Northwestern’s Mandatory Module

Earlier this year, Northwestern introduced a new antisemitism education module as part of its required bias training program. The module includes a 17-minute video titled “Antisemitism Here/Now,” produced by the Jewish United Fund, which defines anti-Zionism as a form of antisemitism and uses maps labeling the West Bank as “Judea and Samaria.” As The Daily Northwestern reports, “near the end of the module, the training compares statements from anti-Israel activists to quotes from David Duke, the former grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, stating that all the quotes were antisemitic” (The Daily Northwestern, March 10 2025). The university says the module promotes respect and safety for Jewish students, but critics argue it presents a one-sided narrative that equates criticism of Israel with hate speech.

Student organizations such as Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) criticized the training on Instagram. They objected to its conflation of political criticism of Israel with antisemitism, and to its use of maps that omitted Palestine entirely. The Chicago branch of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) called the training “state-sponsored thought enforcement,” saying it forced students to adopt a political stance under threat of academic penalty.

In the fall semester of 2025, Northwestern required all students to complete the “Antisemitism Here/Now” training video to register for classes. However, more than 200 students refused to take it, arguing it was politically biased and erased Palestinian perspectives. According to Fox 32 Chicago and The Daily Northwestern, those who did not complete the module were blocked from enrolling in fall quarter courses (Fox 32 Chicago, The Daily Northwestern). University administrators, however, defended their decision, stating the module is meant to promote respect and inclusion within the community. The controversy, however, is a broader challenge universities across the country are trying to address: how to combat hate without restricting free expression. As the conflict in Gaza continues and campus activism grows, schools like Northwestern continue to search for a median between education, ideology, and student rights.