INITIAL ALERTEmail
Verified verbatimCornell University Statements archive — President Martha E. Pollack's October 29, 2023 community statement on antisemitic threats1837 chars
Earlier today, a series of horrendous, antisemitic messages threatening violence to the Jewish community and specifically naming 104 West — the home of the Center for Jewish Living — was posted on a website unaffiliated with Cornell. Law enforcement was immediately notified. At this time, Cornell Police (CUPD) are on the scene and investigating. Police will continue to remain on site to ensure students and community members are safe.
Cornell Police have also notified the FBI of a potential hate crime. Threats of violence are absolutely intolerable, and we will work to ensure that the person or people who posted them are punished to the full extent of the law. Our immediate focus is on keeping the community safe; we will continue to prioritize that.
We will not tolerate antisemitism at Cornell. 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. This incident highlights the need to combat the forces that are dividing us and driving us toward hate. This cannot be what defines us at Cornell.
All of our community deserves to feel safe at Cornell. If you become aware of any threats to your safety or to the safety of the community, please contact CUPD at 607-255-1111. We also encourage you to download the RAVE Guardian app, which will enable you to report any safety concerns to CUPD in real time. In the days ahead, we will work to reinforce a culture of trust, respect and safety at Cornell. Regardless of your beliefs, backgrounds or perspectives, I urge all of you to come together with the empathy and support for each other that we so greatly need in this difficult time.
Martha E. Pollack
President
This is a community-wide email/statement from President Pollack, not a CornellALERT SMS — Cornell distinguishes between mass-notification SMS alerts and presidential statements; the latter became the primary public communication for this incident
'104 West' is the campus shorthand for the Center for Jewish Living at 104 West Avenue and was named verbatim in the threats
Pollack's statement explicitly characterizes the threats as 'a potential hate crime' and references FBI involvement — establishing the federal framing within hours
The statement directs community members to RAVE Guardian rather than to a CornellALERT SMS update, signaling that this incident was investigated through statements rather than rolling SMS alerts