Jewish social media monitor offering "intelligence support" to college campus Hillels
Whether they're working with the ADL and Hillel to collect names of antisemites, or advising the DHS Secretary, Secure Community Network's power reaches far and wide.
Hillel-associated students and staff may be receiving “intelligence support” from the Secure Community Network (or SCN).
SCN is an organization directly connected to the FBI, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS Sec.), the National Security Agency (NSA), the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), and multiple major corporations.
SCN consults with other Jewish organizations and their members on how to prevent or react to threats in order “to ensure the safety, security, and resiliency of the Jewish community in North America.”
SCN maintains a Jewish Security Operations Command Center (or JSOCC) that tracks instances of antisemitism and analyzes “vast amounts of internet traffic, including social media sites and the dark web, to identify potential threats and trends that could impact Jewish life.”
Hillel.org - “For over 100 years, the Hillel movement has been uniquely focused on serving all kinds of Jewish students, no matter who they are or how they express their Judaism. Today, Hillel is the largest Jewish campus organization in the world…”
Why it matters: Both SCN and Hillel appear to gather the names of alleged antisemites, especially on campuses.
With Jewish participation in American Hillels likely around 75%, a large portion of Jewish students may, on occasion, be acting as intelligence assets for these organizations.
Jewish organizations, 40 countries and over 30 state governments have adopted the IHRA working definition of antisemitism.
The IHRA defines antisemitism as rhetorical and physical acts targeting Jews, Jewish communities, or Jewish institutions, often framed by so-called stereotypes or conspiracy theories about Jewish power.
According to the controversial IHRA definition, common left-wing critiques of Israel seen on campuses are allegedly a form of antisemitism. This includes:
The insinuation that Israel engages in ‘Nazi-like’ behavior.
Any accusations of Jews having dual or questionable loyalty to their host countries. This accusation is often leveled towards university staff or leadership that oppose BDS (Boycott, Divest and Sanction [the State of Israel]).
Applying an unquantifiable double standard to Israeli behavior and
Questioning Israeli self-determination, regardless of Israel’s constantly shifting borders.
How “Jewish students and their allies” send names of antisemites to Hillel, SCN and the ADL
ReportCampusHate.org - As early as October 2021, many Jewish students on American campuses have been directed to report instances of perceived antisemitism to ReportCampusHate.org, including names of alleged antisemites. The platform then forwards the information to its three founding partners: Hillel International, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), and the Secure Community Network (SCN).
Hillel - “All incidents reported through ReportCampusHate.org will be reviewed by a trained professional, who will support students in the incident response process and connect them with the campus Hillel to address the issue with university administrators and law enforcement, as appropriate.”
Intelligence Gathering Connections
Secure Community Network has partnerships with several organizations both in and out of the government solely for the purpose of gathering, disseminating and sharing intelligence on perceived threats.
These partners themselves have access to vast amounts of consumer data or in the case of the FBI and NSA, vast amounts of private data.
The FBI
SCN spokesperson Ezra Weinberger: “…SCN provides…intelligence monitoring through our state-of-the-art JSOCC, which maintains a direct line to the FBI’s NTOC (National Threat Operations Center).”
Deputy FBI Director Paul Abbate: “We work with [SCN] day in and day out, really 24/7. They give us a different flow of information that we might not otherwise have.”
Former DHS Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas (Jewish) - “When I have an issue...I go straight to [SCN]. SCN has established this position because of its professionalism, credibility, and capability. This is not one-way: we are not only providing them information, they are providing us with information.”
SCN’s National Director and CEO, Michael Masters is part of two councils that provide “independent, strategic, timely, specific, and actionable advice,” to the DHS Sec:
“The Homeland Security Advisory Council (HSAC) leverages the experience, expertise, and national and global connections of the HSAC membership to provide the Secretary real-time, real-world and independent advice to support…the spectrum of homeland security operations.”
“The Faith-Based Security Advisory Council (FBSAC) provides…advice to the Secretary through the Assistant Secretary for Partnership and Engagement…”
The NSA, The ODNI, the FBI (once more), Meta, Amazon, Disney, Citibank and other Fortune 500 companies (Jewish News Syndicate)
Public-Private Analytic Exchange Program (PPAEP or AEP) - “…provides government and private sector analysts with a better understanding of select national and homeland security issues.”
Part of larger strategic mission by DHS “to make sure that private sector critical infrastructure owners and operators and private sector decision-makers are prepared with the intelligence and information necessary to fulfill their mission requirements.”
SCN spokesperson Ezra Weinberger - “This direct access to intelligence and best practices is crucial given the sharp rise in threats.”
Two area schools that have been in the recent spotlight for ‘antisemitic’ pro-Palestine encampments are located in Upstate NY: Cornell University and the University of Rochester.
By chance, these schools have also been on Hillel’s list of most Jewish private universities in America for several years, making them likely environments for intelligence gathering.
By the numbers
According to Hillel, one out of five of Cornell University’s 12,000 undergraduate students are Jewish. If the Hillel participation rate is to be trusted, Hillel likely has the ear of over 1,900 Jewish students. Furthermore, 950 of those students could be considered extremely dedicated members who attend 6 or more events per year.
The University of Rochester at last count was 7% Jewish with 500 Jews attending classes as undergraduates. While not as extreme as Cornell, pro-Palestine supporters should still expect to draw the attention of at least a few hundred Hillel students, if not more.