Who Teaches Judaism in America? The First National Audit of Jewish Studies and Israel Studies Faculty
2,499 faculty records audited. 1,298 documented anti-Israel signals. 313 institutions. The broadest audit of Jewish Studies and Israel Studies faculty ever conducted.
A study by olam.business and the Ronn Torossian Foundation | August 2026
This study audited 2,499 faculty and institutional records across Jewish Studies, Israel Studies, Hebrew language, and Holocaust and Genocide Studies programs at American universities. Each record was cross-referenced against nine publicly documented petition campaigns, organizational membership records, and documented public statements spanning from May 2021 through Spring 2026.
To our knowledge, this is the broadest publicly documented audit of this subject ever conducted.
📥 Download the full 2,499-record database (Excel) — names, titles, institutions, and the specific documents each faculty member signed.
Read the full study: methodology, institutional analysis, and complete findings →
Key Findings
1,298 records — 51.9 percent of the total audited — carry documented anti-Israel public signals. Among 1,014 faculty specifically identified as teaching in Jewish Studies, Israel Studies, Hebrew, or Holocaust Studies, 401 — or 39.5 percent — have documented signals.
At Ivy League universities, the rate is significantly higher: 240 of 332 records — 72.3 percent — carry documented signals. Every Ivy League university has multiple faculty members meeting the study criteria.
Fourteen holders of endowed chairs — positions funded by donors who intended to strengthen Jewish scholarship — appear among the signatories.
The petition activity is accelerating. The March 2025 "Not in Our Name" letter has gathered 3,400+ signatures, making it the largest single petition in the documented record. Each successive campaign has been larger than the last.
Top 12 Institutions by Documented Signals
| Rank | Institution | Signals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Columbia University | 41 |
| 2 | Princeton University | 35 |
| 3 | Penn State University | 32 |
| 4 | New York University | 31 |
| 5 | Yale University | 30 |
| 6 | University of Chicago | 28 |
| 7 | Brown University | 27 |
| 8 | University of Michigan | 26 |
| 9 | UC Berkeley | 25 |
| 10 | UCLA | 24 |
| 10 | Stanford University | 24 |
| 10 | University of Washington | 24 |
What Counts as a Documented Signal
A faculty member is classified as having a documented anti-Israel public signal if they have endorsed the academic boycott of Israeli institutions, described Zionism as settler colonialism in a signed petition, signed petitions characterizing Israel's military conduct as genocide, called for the end of all US military aid to Israel, or hold leadership or membership in FSJP or JVP.
Supporting a two-state solution, criticizing specific Israeli government policies, opposing settlement expansion, or calling for accountability regarding civilian casualties are explicitly excluded from this study's classification.
The Petition Ecosystem: 2021–2026
| Campaign | Date | Signatories |
|---|---|---|
| May 2021 JS/IS Declaration | May 2021 | ~100 JS/IS faculty |
| Palestine and Praxis | May 2021 | 7,500+ academics |
| AcademicsForPeace (4 petitions) | Aug 2023–Mar 2024 | 700–1,300+ each |
| JS Ceasefire Letter | Oct 2023 | 100+ |
| 1,200 Jewish Professors vs IHRA | May 2024 | 1,200+ |
| "Not in Our Name" | March 2025 | 3,400+ |
| U Michigan Jewish Faculty Letter | March 2025 | 297 |
| U Michigan Commencement | Spring 2026 | 1,488 |
The Endowed Chairs
Fourteen holders of endowed chairs — positions funded by donors who intended to strengthen Jewish education — appear among the signatories:
| Chair | Holder | Institution |
|---|---|---|
| Yerushalmi Chair of Israel & Jewish Studies | Yinon Cohen | Columbia |
| Rubin Presidential Chair of Jewish History | Barry Trachtenberg | Wake Forest |
| Meyerhoff Professor Emeritus of Jewish History | David Ruderman | Penn |
| Gilbert Foundation Chair of Israel Studies | Dov Waxman | UCLA |
| PenTishkach Chair of Holocaust Studies | Alon Confino | UMass Amherst |
| Apter Chair of Holocaust Studies | Nitzan Lebovic | Lehigh |
| Ticktin Professor of Israel Studies | Arie Dubnov | GW |
| Kraft-Hiatt Professor Emerita | Bernadette Brooten | Brandeis |
| Rose Professor of Holocaust Studies | Frances Tanzer | Clark |
| Endowed Chair of Jewish Studies | Ranen Omer-Sherman | U Louisville |
| Benaroya Chair of Israel Studies (stripped) | Liora Halperin | U Washington |
| Swig Professor of Jewish Studies | Aaron Hahn Tapper | U San Francisco |
| Endowed Prof of Holocaust/Genocide Studies | Raz Segal | Stockton |
| Mitrani Family Professor | Benjamin Schreier | Penn State |
Data Summary
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Total records audited | 2,499 |
| Records with documented signals | 1,298 (51.9%) |
| Jewish Studies-related faculty with signals | 401 of 1,014 (39.5%) |
| Ivy League records with signals | 240 of 332 (72.3%) |
| Institutions with at least one signal | 313 |
| Endowed chair holders with signals | 14 |
| FSJP chapters documented | 130+ |
| Largest petition ("Not in Our Name") | 3,400+ signatories |
Methodology
Faculty rosters were compiled from publicly available university websites during July and August 2026, covering every institutional member of the Association for Jewish Studies (70+), every US center listed by the Association for Israel Studies (~30), and additional degree-granting programs. Each faculty member was cross-referenced against nine documented petition campaigns using university affiliation, department, academic title, and full name.
The study explicitly excludes support for a two-state solution, criticism of specific Israeli government policies, opposing settlement expansion, and calls for accountability regarding civilian casualties.
Read the full methodology, institutional analysis, and complete findings →
Download the Database
📥 Download the full 2,499-record database
The database includes every audited faculty member's name, title, institution, field, and the specific petitions or statements they signed. It is sortable by institution, by signal type, and by petition. The database will be updated annually.
Corrections, additions, and verification requests: contact olam.business.
This study was conducted by olam.business and the Ronn Torossian Foundation.
Ronn Torossian is an Israeli-American entrepreneur, author, and philanthropist. He is the author of two best-selling editions of For Immediate Release.
