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'Good at Respecting Other People's Beliefs': Muhlenberg College Receives 'A' Grade in Addressing Antisemitism

Muhlenberg College is used to giving out the grades. But this week the school made the grade.

Watchdog group StopAntisemitism released its annual report, grading 25 different colleges across the country on efforts to address campus antisemitism. The report gives Muhlenberg an A.

Students tell 69 News the school deserves it, noticing classmates at the school remain civil, amid rising antisemitism in the U.S. and abroad, sparked by the Israel-Hamas war. 

"I think the people that feel very passionately about it are really good at respecting other people's beliefs," Ellie Dean, a sophomore at Muhlenberg, said.

"We are committed to keeping all of our students not just our Jewish students feeling safe and comfortable, and welcome on our campus," Associate Professor Jessica Cooperman said.

Cooperman serves as Department Chair of Religion Studies and Director of the school's Jewish Studies Program.

"We value free speech and a diversity of opinions," she said. "But we really want to try to stress that, you know, we can have a diversity of opinions and still engage in civil conversation."

It comes at a time when state legislators are working to tackle violence against Jews on the education level as well.

Antisemitism has been on the rise since the Israel-Hamas war. Just last week, here in the commonwealth, the University of Pennsylvania's president resigned amid controversial comments about hate against Jews on campus.

House Republicans on Monday met to discuss a legislative package to combat antisemitism in the classrooms.

"My legislation will ensure that families have access to the information being used to educate our students on the Holocaust during a time where misinformation surrounding this issue is running rampant," Pa Rep. Kristin Marcell, (R) District 178, said.

State House Republicans are planning on introducing three bills within the legislative package. No date is set for voting on them, but the lawmakers say they expect it to be a broad bipartisan push.