"Unreformable" UPenn donor redirects millions to Israeli universities instead of alma mater.

A former University of Pennsylvania donor who stopped giving to his alma mater last year has now redirected $5 million to Israeli universities, stating that the Ivy League institution did not adequately address antisemitism on campus.

David Magerman, a venture capitalist and philanthropist, has redirected millions of donations to Israeli universities in response to the anti-Israel protests and antisemitism that have spread across U.S. college campuses since October 7, as he shared with Planet Chronicle Digital.

Five institutions of higher learning in Israel, including Tel Aviv University, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Bar-Ilan University, and Jerusalem College of Technology, will receive $1 million grants from Magerman.

He also disclosed that he plans to contribute to more Israeli charities in the near future. His contributions will aid initiatives that help students master academic Hebrew and pursue STEM degrees in Israel.

Magerman expressed hope that his contributions would provide Jewish-American students with more options for studying abroad in Israel, as they grow tired of campus life in the U.S.

"He informed Planet Chronicle Digital that he intends to primarily direct his charitable contributions in the future towards Israel. He believes that American universities do not generate much value and that liberal colleges in America are problematic institutions that are not adequately preparing students for the real world."

Magerman stated bluntly that it's unrealistic to believe that top U.S. universities can be changed. He advised other prominent Jewish donors to cease their contributions to Ivy League schools.

"The philanthropists are fulfilling their mission to indoctrinate their students to question the validity of Western civilization, the value of the Founding Fathers, and to criticize Western society. However, I believe that this is not what these philanthropists truly believe and they should not be donating money to support this ideology."

Jewish students who aspire to attend an Ivy League university or are currently enrolled should not let negative actions discourage them from achieving their goals.

They shouldn't let antisemites prevent them from attending Columbia, Penn, or Harvard, their best outcome, he said.

He added, "I believe they should reconsider whether that's the ideal location for them to learn... whether I would be better off attending an institution where the administration, faculty, and student body are more welcoming. Is that the kind of environment you want to learn subjects that you can acquire online or abroad or at various colleges across the U.S.?"

"What's the point of enduring this environment just to obtain that diploma?" he inquired.

Employers and company executives largely agree with the sentiment that they now place less of an emphasis on hiring Ivy League graduates than in the past, according to Magerman.

He stated that their eyes have been opened to the mindset of some graduates from these schools and what they've been learning.

A UPenn student said last December that his fraternity members feel uncomfortable wearing their kippahs outside their house due to fear of harassment. Another student stated that her friends have decided not to apply to UPenn over concerns of facing hostility over their Jewish identity.

Magerman wrote to UPenn that he was severing ties with his alma mater due to its inadequate response to the October 7 massacre. He had previously donated $10 million to the university but was now ashamed to be associated with it.

The letter, dated October 15, stated that my only remaining hope is that all self-respecting Jews and moral citizens of the world dissociate themselves from Penn.

Major universities across the country saw the emergence of anti-Israel protests and encampments, prompting other prominent donors to follow suit.

In 2018, Apollo CEO Marc Rowan, who donated $50 million to UPenn, urged other donors to send $1 checks in an attempt to force a change in leadership at the university. He also encouraged all Jewish donors to "close their checkbooks."

Ross Stevens, CEO of Stone Ridge Asset Management, withdrew his estimated $100 million donation to the school after learning about its "tolerance of hate speech and discrimination against Jewish students," according to Axios.

The controversy arose after the school hosted a Palestinian literary festival featuring speakers who had made antisemitic remarks, including calls for "death to Israel." Many donors became enraged when the university did not immediately condemn Hamas' attack and failed to take adequate action to safeguard Jewish students and prevent anti-Israel protests on campus, which some argue crossed the boundary between free speech and outright antisemitism.

The resignation of UPenn President Liz Magill was a result of the backlash and halt in donations due to her controversial testimony before the House Education and Workforce Committee. During her testimony, Magill faced criticism for her refusal to explicitly state that antisemitic chants and calls for the genocide of Jewish people violate the school's code of conduct.

Magerman hopes that redirecting donations to Israeli institutions will inspire others to follow suit.

The University of Pennsylvania did not respond to a request for comment.

Planet Chronicle' Chris Pandolfo and Adam Sabes contributed to this report.