More than 80 people from the Jewish and University of Minnesota communities – including school President Rebecca Cunningham and Provost Rachel Croson – attended the kickoff of the U’s participation in the Hillel International Campus Climate Initiative Monday morning at Minnesota Hillel.
Cunningham, who has been in this job since July 1, 2024, said that while it was great to be in the presence of a vibrant Jewish community, she has appreciated the conversations with many student and community leaders who have been meeting with her to help the U be more welcoming to Jewish students.
“I’m excited to come together here today to build on the momentum that has been here for decades in a Jewish community that is thriving, and to cultivate, most importantly, a safe and welcoming environment for all,” Cunningham said.
This current CCI cohort started with a kickoff event in Washington, D.C. this past February, which was attended by Minnesota Hillel Executive Director Emily Boskoff and four members of the U leadership team. This year is the sixth cohort that Hillel International has convened, and the purpose of the CCI is to help college and university presidents and campus administrators counter antisemitism and build a campus climate in which Jewish students feel comfortable expressing their identity.
“We are grateful to President Cunningham and her administration for their commitment to participate in the CCI,” Boskoff said. “This is an important step towards improving the climate on campus and we look forward to partnering with them in this work.”
The U is one of 18 colleges taking part in this year’s CCI cohort, along with fellow Big Ten schools the University of Michigan and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Cunningham said that none of the challenges that she faces as a university president are greater than making sure students in the University of Minnesota system feel safe.
“We have an inclusive community and we are proud of that community, and I am here to try to improve that and foster that welcoming community for all,” Cunningham said. “[The Jewish] community has specific challenges in this time that we are in. Antisemitism is real, antisemitism is spiky, and we have more than ever to do to educate peers in our community and your peers as students in what vibrant Jewish life looks like and how that plays out for you and your daily world. And why it’s important to you and how it is an important part of our community for people to be able to live that fully and openly and respectfully.”
Being part of the CCI cohort was one of the key requests made by Jewish student leaders of the previous president last spring during the pro-Palestinian encampment that took over Northrop Mall and pro-Hamas graffiti and flags were displayed on campus.
“A year ago, I couldn’t have imagined our feedback leading to this moment,” said Charlie Maloney, Minnesota Hillel’s student president. “As we recognize that there is still much work to be done, this meeting today and the start of this partnership builds a strong base for us to hold ourselves accountable and proves that we are ready to move forward and upward as a university and collection of devoted leaders.”
