Rye Brook Student Named to American Jewish Committee Campus Global Board
Ben Messafi, a University of Pennsylvania student from Rye Brook, has been named to the American Jewish Committee’s (AJC) Campus Global Board, which is dedicated to training and empowering Jewish student leaders as they confront increased antisemitic and anti-Zionist activity at their colleges and universities.
Messafi, a sophomore studying finance and international relations at Penn’s Wharton School of Business, is also active in the university’s Hillel chapter, where he serves as president of the Penn-Israel Public Affairs Committee. He is also co-founder of PA Leads the Fight, a coalition of Pennsylvania Jewish students fighting campus antisemitism.
The board’s advocacy has taken on added resonance amid a surge in anti-Israel protests following the October 7 Hamas massacre of 1,200 Israelis, with widespread demonstrations on college campuses last spring – including, many plagued by outright antisemitism. Some Jewish students said they were harassed and intimidated to the point where some were afraid to attend classes and faulted the response, or lack of one, by their schools’ administrators.
“Jewish students – like all students – deserve to feel safe and protected,” said Moshe Lencer, AJC Director of Campus Affairs. “Members of our Campus Global Board like Ben are strong advocates dedicated to creating and preserving campuses where Jewish communities can grow and thrive. Through their advocacy, they ensure Jewish students feel seen and heard.”
The Board’s work will also be informed by AJC’s State of Antisemitism in America 2023 Report, which found that 20% of current or recent Jewish college students, as reported by current or recent college students or parents of this group, felt or were excluded from an event because they were Jewish, 24% said they felt uncomfortable at an event because they were Jewish, and 26% avoided expressing their views about Israel on campus out of fear about antisemitism.