Chico State President Steve Perez sent an email to the campus community on Friday condemning recent acts of hate-based, antisemitic vandalism on campus.

In the email, Perez wrote that he was “angry and deeply upset” upon receiving multiple reports of graffiti and vandalism. 

“Reports included antisemitic messages in a bathroom, on light posts, and in stairwells on campus,” Perez said in the email. “Let me state unequivocally—this cowardly and vile hatred has absolutely no place at Chico State.”

The email stated the graffiti was quickly removed and surveillance is being reviewed to apprehend those responsible. 

At 10 a.m Kristy Collins, the executive director of Chico Hillel, attended a meeting with campus administrators when she heard that an anti-zionist sticker was found on a light post. She later received Perez’s email, along with the rest of the campus community.

“The tone of language that President Perez used in the email is something we’ve been waiting for since October 7th, condoning hate incidents,” Collins said. 

On Oct. 7, 2023, Israel was attacked by Hamas leading to the death of over 1,000 Israelis, the majority of them civilians.

“To have that hate in our face, I think that’s why this email resonates with what we’ve been asking,” Collins said. “This is the first time the campus has addressed it in a way that makes us feel safe.”

Collins said Jewish students who wear Star of David symbols or necklaces have had other students say “free Palestine” to them as they walk across campus.

She also said similar statements have been received outside the Hillel office.

“I think that it’s important for people to practice their right of free speech, and I think there is a line with that though, and that line is antisemitism,” said Seth Trachtman, president of Alpha Epsilon Pi, the Jewish fraternity.

He believes people on all sides should be peaceful, and that anti-zionist beliefs turn antisemitic when people express hatred towards Israel as a nation.

“As a Jew, you know, with Israel being my ancestral homeland, it sucks to see that level of hatred towards that country,” Trachtman said.

After Associated Students called for a ceasefire in Gaza in February, Trachtman said that he was concerned because he did not believe the statement mentioned Hamas enough.

“It’s terrible, the war that’s going on. And people need to remember that it’s not Israel versus Palestine, it’s Israel versus Hamas. And Hamas is not the topic of conversation when it should be,” Trachtman said.

Though Chico Hillel is active on social media, Collins and the rest of the Jewish community have been communicating internally to avoid “aggressive responses” during the beginning of Shevat.

Following the vandalism and Perez’s email, SJP posted on Instagram that they will be holding a “joint Shabbat Salat event” at 7:30 p.m., Friday, on Kendall Hall’s lawn.

“Calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and justice for Palestinians is not incompatible with peace and fellowship with those from the Jewish faith,” the Instagram post said.

Another student and member of Chico Hillel, Ruth Amar, was not aware of the SJP event but said that she will likely attend.

“It sounds like a good idea to have this community get-together kind of thing,” Amar said.

Amar is a freshman at Chico State and lives on campus. She was present during the banner demonstration earlier this week.

“It’s upsetting to see this issue dividing the campus and making people feel unsafe,” Amar said. “Nobody should feel like, scared to be on campus on any side”

As a very openly Jewish student, Amar thinks of the Chico State community as a “mixing pot” of different cultures and doesn’t want to see that change.

Amar also recognizes the activism on other campuses, and said she feels grateful that Chico State is not that extreme.

“Personally, I’ve never been faced with face-to-face hatred, and no one has ever expressed any sort of violence directly towards me, but it feels like on campus it’s becoming more and more of a thing where I might feel targeted or I might feel unsafe,” Amar said.

Chico Hillel shares their appreciation for Perez who checked in on Jewish students at a previous meeting and extended kindness and support to them, Collins said.

Grace Stark can be reached at [email protected].