“How wonderful nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” When Anne Frank penned these words in her diary, she had not set out to change the world. Living in hiding with her family and under duress, she wrote them as a single reflection of hope in a crumbling world torn apart by hate.
Anne Frank’s words are particularly poignant at the University of South Carolina because we are the North American partner for the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam. The university cherishes this relationship, which comes with an incredible responsibility to help share Anne’s message on our campus and throughout the United States.
This week marks two years since the horrific Oct. 7 terrorist attacks in southern Israel. It is a time for reflection and remembrance, but unfortunately, there are ongoing attacks on members of the Jewish community in the United States and abroad.
At USC, we mourned the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks and focused on the needs of Jewish students. President Michael Amiridis and I quickly released statements condemning Hamas and expressing support for Jewish students who feared harassment or being ostracized. Campus-wide communication was sent offering resources to students, and we attended a campus vigil honoring victims and showing support to a grieving community.
Sadly, not all higher education leaders met the moment, and too many cowered before protesters who disrupted campus learning environments and, shockingly, were sometimes complicit in subjecting Jewish students to harassment and intimidation on their campuses.
In May 2024 I wrote: “All of our students, including Jewish students, have every right to live and learn at the University of South Carolina or any other institution of higher learning without harassment, threats or violence. All universities have an obligation, if not a solemn duty, to educate their students in a secure environment.” Last fall, our campus also hosted a higher education summit sponsored by Combatting Antisemitism Movement and attended by the consul general of Israel.
The need for universities and colleges to reinforce Anne Frank’s message is urgent. Two years after the attacks, incidents of antisemitism have risen 10 percent during the first eight months of 2025 over the same period in 2024, according to the Antisemitism Research Center. While the center reports show a significant downward trend in antisemitic incidents on college campuses since last year, there likely will be more incidents of antisemitism on campuses this year than in 2023. The Molotov cocktail attack in Colorado, the murder of two Israeli embassy employees in Washington and the Yom Kippur terrorist attack at a Manchester, England, synagogue last week underscore the violent consequences of unchecked antisemitism.
Institutions of higher learning cannot solve the problem alone, but we can accept the responsibility to “improve the world” by condemning antisemitism within our campus communities, providing opportunities for students to learn more about the stain of antisemitism and offering forums to engage in civil discourse about the Middle East conflicts.
Campuses must work to create environments where robust debate about the Middle East can occur without devolving into hatred and violence. Early last month, the Heterodox Academy and the McCausland College of Arts and Sciences at USC co-sponsored a discussion about the conflict in Gaza and the prospects for peace. USC’s Center for American Civic Leadership and Public Discourse will offer ongoing guidance and examples of how to engage in constructive debate and dialogue — about even the most painful topics. Colleges and universities need more of these conversations.
Anne Frank demonstrated that words have power, and campus leaders need not “wait a single moment” to cultivate campus climates that encourage and protect free speech but do so free from violence and intimidation for all students. The University of South Carolina has taken steps to answer that call, and we are hopeful that other institutions will do the same.
Thad H. Westbrook is chairman of the University of South Carolina Board of Trustees.
