Clark University first in new partnership confronting antisemitism

WORCESTER, Mass. — Clark University became the first college to join a Project Shema and Ruderman Family Foundation program aimed at fighting antisemitism, planning to train future psychologists to improve treatment for patients experiencing antisemitism.

The project fills a need: Antisemitic incidents skyrocketed after the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks in Israel. While the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) most recent Audit of Antisemitic Incidents found that there were fewer incidents in 2025 than in 2024, 2025 was more violent. Further, the number of incidents was still far above pre-Oct. 7 levels. A 2025 report released by ADL and the Academic Engagement Network found an “alarming” level of antisemitism within the American Psychological Association, the professional organization representing psychologists.

“I am grateful for Clark’s advancement of this initiative, especially considering the unacceptable situation students and faculty have faced on campuses over the past three years,” Steven Schimmel, executive director of the Jewish Federation of Central Massachusetts, said.

“This year, we really wanted to focus on Jewish identity and on antisemitism,” Amy Heberle, associate professor who serves as associate director of clinical training for the university’s clinical psychology doctoral program, said in a telephone interview. “We know that antisemitism is a big issue in the world, in the U.S., on college campuses.”

“Both Jewish identity as a topic and antisemitism as a system of discrimination are really under-addressed in a lot of the literature and in trainings focused on diversity and cultural competence,” Heberle added. “We really wanted to address that gap in our program through this speaker series.”

Heberle explained that each year Clark’s doctoral program in clinical psychology featured a speaker on a topic of importance to clinicians and invited students to engage with it. This year, that topic is a deep dive into antisemitism and Jewish peoplehood.

The training will consist of two two-hour sessions with a facilitator from Project Shema, which works with institutions to help them deal with antisemitism.

“The first session is going to focus on building some understanding of Jewish identity and of antisemitism broadly, trying to raise awareness of internalized biases that might be present in the room that folks are not aware of,” Heberle said. The second session will focus on rhetoric around the Israel-Palestinian conflict and the ways that it can impact people’s mental health.

The Ruderman Family Foundation and Project Shema joined forces to bring mental health and antisemitism expertise together to support Jewish students and campus communities. While Clark is the first, the aim is to bring the program to 25 colleges and universities nationwide.

Heberle said that the Ruderman program was good timing. Independently, the university’s psychology department decided to make antisemitism a focus of its clinical training. The connection with Project Shema came from another faculty member, who was familiar with the organization through their K-12 work.

“When we connected with them, it was just clear that this programming that they’ve developed through their collaboration with Ruderman was ideal, really, for what we were looking for this semester for our own students,” Heberle said.

Schimmel, of the JFCM, pointed to a 2024 controversy that drew national attention and allegations of antisemitism at the university. The conflict centered on the Israel-Gaza war and resulted in Mary Jane Rein, who helped found the Strassler Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies at the university, leaving Clark for the Catholic Assumption University’s Center for Civic Friendship.

“I see this as acknowledgment by the university that they are listening to those who have raised concerns about antisemitism and I am pleased that they are working to fix it,” Schimmel said. “Contrition is lacking around higher education, and Clark deserves to be praised for taking this bold and important step — let’s hope others will follow.”

Students at Clark seem to agree. At a Sept. 24 Hillel gathering, attendees said they were happy with the atmosphere on campus.

Naomi, president of the campus Hillel, told JRI, “Clark is one of the ideal places to be right now as a young Jewish student.”

DANIEL MARGOLIS is the editor of Jewish Rhode Island.