A Jewish student organization at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, warned its members to “avoid” the kosher dining hall after threats were made.
The Cornell Hillel posted a photo to its Instagram account informing students that the group was “aware” that a threatening statement had been made toward the “university’s kosher and multicultural dining hall,” as well as toward Jewish students, faculty, and staff.
“Cornell Hillel is aware of a threatening statement that was made toward the building at 104West, which houses the university’s kosher and multicultural dining hall,” the group wrote.
“The Cornell University administration has been made aware of this concerning language,” the group continued. “The Cornell Police Department is monitoring the situation and is on site at 104West to provide additional security as a precaution.”
Students and staff were warned by Cornell Hillel to “avoid the building out of an abundance of caution.”
In response to the threatening message, Cornell University President Martha E. Pollack issued a statement on Sunday noting that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had been informed about a “potential hate crime.”
“We will not tolerate antisemitism at Cornell,” Pollack added. “During my time as president, I have repeatedly denounced bigotry and hatred, both on and off our campus. The virulence and destructiveness of antisemitism is real and deeply impacting our Jewish students, faculty and staff, as well as the entire Cornell community.”
The threat made toward Jewish students and faculty at the university comes after tensions have increased as Israel declared war on Hamas, a Palestinian terrorist organization, in the aftermath of a surprise attack on Oct. 7. That attack led to more than 1,400 people dead, including 32 Americans.
Student organizations from universities such as Harvard University, George Washington University, and the University of California, Berkeley, have issued statements casting blame on Israel for the violence and expressing support for Hamas.
“This incident highlights the need to combat the forces that are dividing us and driving us toward hate,” Pollack added in her statement. “This cannot be what defines us at Cornell.”
The threat comes days after anti-Israel graffiti was spotted on sidewalks on campus with words such as, “Israel is Facist,” “Zionism=Racism,” and “F**k Israel,” according to the Cornell Review.
