Dear members of the Temple community, 

This afternoon, a group of Temple University students were joined by non-Temple individuals as part of a demonstration on campus to protest the situation in Gaza.  

As we have previously shared, Temple is committed to honoring the First Amendment and fostering an environment open to a diversity of thought, opinion and peaceful expression. To that end, we affirm the right of our community members to engage in peaceful and orderly demonstrations, as we saw at the start of today’s demonstration. 

While the protest began at the Charles Library, some of the demonstrators migrated to The Rosen Center, the home of the Temple chapter of Hillel, an international organization that supports Jewish life on college campuses. While there, the demonstrators used megaphones to chant directly at the occupants within the building.  

We are deeply saddened and concerned by these events. Targeting a group of individuals because of their Jewish identity is not acceptable and intimidation and harassment tactics like those seen today will not be tolerated. 

Temple’s Division of Student Affairs is now actively investigating the incident. If students or student organizations are found to be involved, they will be subject to disciplinary action under the Student Conduct Code.  

We know that the recent global events are concerning for many members of our community. We have many resources available to support students, faculty and staff, and we encourage you to take advantage of them. 

Moving forward, the university will continue to emphasize the values our community holds dear, including respect for all people. As an institution of higher learning, Temple remains dedicated to promoting peace, justice and understanding.   

Sincerely, 

Richard M. Englert 
President