Jewish community leaders in Savannah, Georgia, acted quickly on Friday after spotting a social media post featuring a party flyer with what appeared to be an antisemitic message, JTA reports.
The flyer, which was allegedly aimed at students from the Savannah College of Art and Design, contained a list of party instructions embedded in micrographic text that spelled out the words “No Jews.”
As the flyer began circulating, Jewish leaders affiliated with both SCAD and the broader Savannah community immediately condemned it and demanded a response.
“We are proud as the Jewish community of SCAD and will not feel safe if nothing is done,” said SCAD Hillel in an Instagram statement.
Chabad of Savannah, where many Jewish SCAD students are active, also voiced outrage in a social media post, saying, “We are deeply disturbed and saddened by the antisemitic incident that occurred at SCAD where a party invitation stated that no Jews were welcome. This type of hate has no place on campus in our community or anywhere in society.”
The Savannah Jewish Federation also reacted forcefully, announcing via Instagram that it was coordinating with school authorities and local law enforcement to address the situation.
“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.”
This controversy surfaced at a time when concern over antisemitism at American colleges is already running high. The Anti-Defamation League recorded record-breaking levels of antisemitic incidents last year, much of it connected to protests over Israel’s war in Gaza, and the Trump administration has been penalizing universities it believes have failed to safeguard Jewish students.
However, it was soon revealed that the person responsible for posting the image was not a student at SCAD, meaning there was no actual campus antisemitism incident 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.”
SCAD released a statement confirming that the person who circulated the flyer was not enrolled at the college, and that investigators found no evidence of an event or signage targeting Jewish students.
“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.”
Following these developments, the Savannah Jewish Federation issued a follow-up message, commending the college administration for their prompt action and acknowledging the involvement of national Jewish organizations.
“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.”
Since the individual who posted the offensive image had already withdrawn from SCAD back in the fall, Rabbi Refson noted that it is unclear if any consequences could be imposed.
“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.”
{Matzav.com}