UPDATE: The following article has been updated following a development in the original story published April 4.

SOUTH ORANGE, New Jersey (LifeSiteNews) — A Jewish student group at Seton Hall University has canceled a planned LGBTQ-themed “drag” event that was set to take place on Tuesday. 

The group, Seton Hall Hillel, released a statement on Monday, April 7, canceling its “Drag Bingo” event after it “became a target for hostility as our Hillel community received unacceptable, hateful messages in response.”

In their statement, Hillel also praised the administration of the Catholic university for their “support,” even though they promoted an event which directly contradicts Catholic moral theology.  

“We are grateful to Seton Hall administration for their continued support of our work in building Jewish spaces, and for standing with us during this difficult decision,” the statement said.

The “drag bingo” event drew backlash from Catholic students, who planned to hold a Rosary rally of reparation outside where the event was taking place.

One student told LifeSiteNews they still plan to have a rally, but in thanksgiving for the cancellation.

“The news of the cancellation of the drag bingo in conjunction with the celebratory rosary rally shows that those in favor the university’s Catholic mission will not let the ways of the world inebriate this campus,” the student said.

“Over the past couple days, it has become clear that there is both a cultural and spiritual war raging at this campus,” added the student. “The Catholic tradition is the bedrock that brings insurmountable value to this institution and that tradition will absolutely not be mocked.”

Below is LifeSiteNews’ initial April 4 article covering the event:

A Jewish student group, Seton Hall Hillel, is sponsoring a “Drag Bingo” event at the main campus of Seton Hall University, a diocesan Catholic institution, featuring a cross-dressing man called “Hanukkah Lewinski” and “encouraging” students to dress in drag. 

The Jewish organization has kept the event quiet across its social media, only advertising it on the university’s official website for student organization events.  

Although previously available to the public, the event page can currently only be viewed with university credentials. 

Hillel described the “drag bingo” as their “BIGGEST event of the year.” This comes less than a month after the same group hosted a similar event on March 12.  

The March event was also announced by Hillel of Greater MetroWest NJ. “Join us on Wed, March 12th at @setonhallhillel if you want to hang with Hanukah as well!” 

It remains unclear whether the university administration approved either of these events. 

Official university policy states that approval is required for reserving rooms and a vetting process is needed for inviting outside performers or speakers. 

“All student organization room reservation requests must be confirmed by University Schedulers before final approval from the Office of Student Engagement,” the policy said. “All performers or guest speakers are to be approved through the Office of the Dean of Students. Before confirming any guest for a campus event, please consult with and get an initial approval from the Office of Leadership Development.”  

The policy also cautions organizations to “be mindful of the University’s mission and values” when choosing speakers. 

LifeSiteNews reached out to administration officials at Seton Hall University, as well as Seton Hall Hillel, but has yet to receive a response. A separate request for comment from the Archdiocese of Newark, which oversees Seton Hall, was redirected back to the university’s communications office. 

Catholic students to pray Rosary in reparation 

Meanwhile, faithful Catholic students outraged by the event plan to host a Rosary rally of reparation on the same day outside the building where the “drag bingo” will be held. 

One student, who wishes to remain anonymous, spoke to LifeSiteNews about the ever-increasing influence of the LGBT agenda even into Catholic institutions. 

“The hosting of this drag bingo event exposes the unfortunate reality: that Seton Hall and many other Catholic universities around the country are caving to the DEI mob when in reality, they should be spearheading the attack against this destructive, degenerate culture through forming countless young people into holy and virtuous men and women,” he said. 

The student called on the university to return to its roots as one of America’s oldest Catholic colleges. 

“I came to Seton Hall anticipating to receive an education with a constant undertone of the timeless truths of our Catholic faith,” he said. “I urge those at Seton Hall to reclaim the university’s Catholic identity and crush the head of this serpent.” 

Seton Hall University, a private Catholic university under the Archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey, currently led by heterodox Cardinal Joseph Tobin, is one of the oldest diocesan universities in the United States. 

The school has come under scrutiny in the past for promoting homosexuality in its curriculum as far back as 2010.  

A report from 2018 exposed how Seton Hall University students had the option of enrolling in “The Politics of Marriage” course, focused primarily on “homosexual marriage” and which “requires careful attention as many important voices here (women and [so-called] queer individuals in particular) are historically marginalized.” 

The university administration, along with the archdiocese and Cardinal Tobin, have also been criticized for approving the university’s official radio station WSOU, which was exposed for playing satanic, anti-Christian, and blasphemous music. 

Hillel’s promotion of anti-Catholic values 

Seton Hall Hillel’s “Drag Bingo” is not the first pro-LGBT event at the Catholic campus. In 2022, they hosted a “dinner” with a “transgender” rabbi called “Abby Stein.” 

Hillel of Greater MetroWest NJ, a community representing several New Jersey universities including Seton Hall University, has also promoted LGBT events and “pride” month.

Seton Hall Hillel is a chapter of Hillel, an international university and college organization for Jewish students, with over 850 chapters worldwide.  

The student club’s goals are “to unify and build a strong foundational community for Jewish students on Seton Hall’s campus” and “to provide a positive atmosphere through educational, social, religious, cultural, and community programming so that Jewish students have the opportunity to build meaningful connections with one another and all members of the Seton Hall community.” 

Hillel promotes abortion, transgenderism, and LGBT “inclusion.”

In the backdrop of the Supreme Court’s 2022 overturn of Roe v. Wade, Hillel International released a statement claiming the decision “is at odds with Jewish law and practice, which prioritizes the life of the pregnant person.” 

The organization also partners with pro-abortion, feminist groups such as the National Council of Jewish Women to expand “upon existing resources to support abortion access and [so-called] reproductive freedom for staff and students.” 

Hillel is a member of “Thrive: The Jewish Coalition to Defend Trans and LGBQ+ Youth,” which normalizes homosexuality and transgenderism among children and youth across the United States. The group also advocates for so-called “queer Jews” on campuses, partnering with JQY, “a mental health organization that empowers Jewish [so-called] queer teens and young adults.”  

In 2017, more than 100 rabbis criticized Hillel for isolating “LGBTQ Jewish” students at Ohio State University because they sponsored a fundraiser with Jewish Voice for Peace, an anti-Zionist organization. Hillel responded by doubling down on their support of the LGBT agenda.  

“We are proud of our LGBTQ track record,” Hillel’s senior adviser for strategic communications Matthew Berger said. “We celebrate each student’s diverse identity and provide spaces for them to connect with their Judaism and their sexual and gender identity at the same time.”