On Jan. 19, Angelica Berrie sent an email to Nemat Shafik, the president of Columbia University.
Ms. Berrie reported that the Russell Berrie Foundation, named for her late husband, had scheduled three grant payments to Columbia.
But after months of campus protests around the Israel-Hamas war, Ms. Berrie also delivered a warning.
As the foundation prepared to transfer almost $613,000, Ms. Berrie told Dr. Shafik that future giving would partly hinge on “evidence that you and leaders across the university are taking appropriate steps to create a tolerant and secure environment for Jewish members of the Columbia community.”Months passed, and the foundation, which has donated about $86 million to Columbia over the years, did not like what it saw.
Frustrated and flummoxed by the sustained tumult at Columbia, the foundation suspended its giving to the university late last month.
Persons:
Angelica Berrie, Nemat Shafik, Berrie, Shafik
Organizations:
Columbia University, Ms, Russell Berrie Foundation, Columbia
Locations:
Israel, Columbia