BUZZ
Another major donor to the University of Pennsylvania yanked his support from the Ivy League institution over antisemitism concerns.
Donor Stephen Levin is no longer making donations toward his $15 million pledge for naming rights to the Neural and Behavioral Sciences Building, the Daily Pennsylvanian reported. Although he yanked his support in November 2023, it is coming to light this week with the student newspaper article.
“Penn has quietly removed the name of 1967 College graduate Stephen Levin from the behavioral sciences building he previously endowed after the longtime University donor halted his contributions over the administration’s handling of antisemitism on campus,” the newspaper reported Wednesday.
According to a letter obtained by the Daily Pennsylvanian, Levin had told former President Liz Magill: “Today Penn is far from the University I attended, along with my father and two of my sons.”
“Furthermore, I want my name removed from the building and no longer want to be associated with Penn. Penn is an embarrassment not only to the Jewish community but also has lost its luster as a superb Ivy league school.”
Levin told the student newspaper he never received a response from Magill.
“I do not support DEI, and I believe the faculty is far left and that there’s not a diversity of opinion on the campus,” he told the DP. “I’ve given many millions, I would have completed my pledge, but after what I saw happen after the October 7 massacre and how the University did not respond in any way favorable to Jewish people or Israel … I recognized that I have to put my charitable dollars where I believe they will promote equality and fairness to all people.”
Levin is not alone. The DP reported that “dozens” of donors yanked their support around the same time as Levin.
As The College Fix previously reported at the time, many affluent donors were dissatisfied with not only the university’s tepid response to the Hamas invasion of Israel, but also the Palestine Writes Literary Festival held shortly before the attack, widely criticized for hosting rabidly antisemitic speakers.
“It took less than two weeks to go from the Palestine Writes Literary Festival on Penn’s campus to the barbaric slaughter and kidnapping of Israelis,” billionaire donor Marc Rowan said in a letter detailing his reasons for pulling his support.
Clifford Asness, Penn’s billionaire alumnus and longtime donor, had called the festival an “antisemitic Burning Man festival” and withdrew funding from the university. Major University of Pennsylvania donor David Magerman also stopped supporting his alma mater.
In December 2023, Penn alumni Ross Stevens, founder and CEO of Stone Ridge Asset Management, withdrew a gift from UPenn worth approximately $100 million meant to establish a center for innovation in finance.
Stevens made the decision following then-President Magill’s denial before Congress that demands for Jewish genocide are always harassment.
MORE: Penn loses $100M donation following president’s remarks in congressional hearing on antisemitism
