Jewish leaders in Savannah, Georgia, snapped into action Friday after seeing a social media post with a flyer for a party that included an apparently antisemitic message.
The flyer purported to invite students at the Savannah College of Art and Design to a party that included a list of instructions for the affair written in micrographic form — within letters spelling out the phrase “No Jews.”
When it first began circulating, Jewish leaders on campus and in the local community quickly decried it and called for action.
“We are proud as the Jewish community of SCAD and will not feel safe if nothing is done,” said SCAD Hillel in an Instagram post.
“We are deeply disturbed and saddened by the antisemitic incident that occurred at SCAD where a party invitation stated that no Jews were welcome,” said Chabad of Savannah, where many Jewish SCAD students affiliate, in a post on Instagram. “This type of hate has no place on campus in our community or anywhere in society.”
Antisemitism on campus at a record high
And the Savannah Jewish Federation condemned the incident, writing in a post on Instagram that it was working with school officials and police on a response.
“At this juncture, our priorities are the welfare of the Jewish community,” the federation’s post read. “Appropriate disciplinary measures, and education to ensure Jewish students understand the nature and history of antiSemitism and why such an invitation is beyond the pale.”
The incident landed amid high alert about antisemitism on college campuses. The Anti-Defamation League tallying an unprecedented number of incidents it deemed antisemitic last year, largely related to protest against Israel’s war in Gaza, and the Trump administration is levying steep penalties on schools it says did not adequately protect Jewish students.
But soon, it became clear that the person who posted the original image was not a SCAD student, meaning that there was no new instance of campus antisemitism in this case.
“There was no party,” said Rabbi Zalman Refson, co-director of Chabad of Savannah. “It was clearly just, obviously, just to either show his disdain for the Jewish community, or he’s going through a mental episode, and we’re not quite sure just yet.”
The person behind the post was not enrolled at SCAD, and the school found no evidence of the party or signage discriminating against Jewish students, SCAD said in an emailed statement.
“The investigation is ongoing to confirm that no current member of the SCAD community was involved in the creation of the social media post or related activities,” the statement said. “SCAD leadership is reaching out to students, faculty, and staff who have been affected by the social media post to offer support and resources.”
And the federation issued an updated statement, thanking SCAD’s administration for its “swift action” and noting that national Jewish groups had also stepped in.
“The Savannah Jewish Federation appreciates the swift action of SCAD administration and their commitment to the continued safety and security of all students,” the post read. “We also want to express our deep appreciation for the many National Jewish organizations and elected officials who have offered their support during this process.”
Because the student had withdrawn in the fall, it is unclear what action, if any, can be taken against them for the offensive post, Refson said.
“There’s a lot of outside parties, like a lot of outside aggravators, who are stirring up a lot of the hate, which seems to be the case in other schools as well,” he said. “We hope that he comes to his senses in some way, and nothing illegal was done. So it’s hard to penalize, but we do know that if he was at SCAD, he would have been expelled instantly.”