Swastikas were drawn outside the Dartmouth College dormitory rooms of Jewish students twice in two weeks, according to Dartmouth President Sian Leah Beilock and Chabad at Dartmouth.
On September 16, a swastika was drawn on the floor outside the room of a Jewish student, in what Beilock described as an act of bigotry and targeted harassment.
A second swastika was drawn on a laminated sign outside a Jewish student’s room on Friday night, leading to increased Dartmouth Safety and Security patrols in residence halls. Beilock said that police were investigating the incident.
“This weekend – in the midst of the Jewish High Holidays and as we welcome families to our campus – should be a joyful occasion. Instead, we are again confronting hate in our community,” said Beilock.
“I am so proud to be part of this community, and it is the responsibility of all of us to stand up to bigotry – in every shape and form. These awful incidents will not define us.”
Jewish students are angry, not afraid
Chabad at Dartmouth said on Instagram on Sunday that Jewish students were not afraid by the second incident but angry that Jewish students had been made to feel unsafe on campus. The chapter also expressed that it was upset about a lack of solidarity from other campus groups.
“We truly hope that the person responsible for these antisemitic acts is brought to justice,” said the Chabad. “We will not cower, and we will not waver in our Jewish pride.”
The Anti-Defamation League’s New England branch thanked Beilock for her response to the initial incident, adding on X/Twitter that the organization had already seen “a concerning number of hate incidents occur on campuses in New England.”