In the wake of the pro-Hamas protests and threats against Jewish students at numerous universities across the nation, two Christian colleges issued an open letter to Jewish students, welcoming them and slamming the hate and violence directed at them.
The presidents of Indiana Wesleyan University, which has 14,000 students, and Colorado Christian University, which has 10,000 students, released the letter on Wednesday, the same day Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to address the United States Congress.
“To our Beloved Jewish Brothers and Sisters,” IWU president Jon S. Kulaga and CCU president Eric K. Hogue began. “We write to express our profound shock and indignation in response to the surge of hate and violence directed against Jewish and Israeli individuals on university campuses across the United States earlier this year.”
“We want to make it clear to our nation and the world that our Christian institutions will not tolerate this behavior,” they continued. “ We also want to express our profound concern that the terrible events we all witnessed at the end of the 2023-2024 academic year are already being forgotten. What we have all seen reveals a profound problem in the culture of many institutions, a problem which must be addressed.”
“For centuries, the academy has stood as a beacon of enlightenment, embodying the Judeo-Christian values of tolerance, freedom, and human dignity,” they noted. “Yet, in recent days, what we have seen is an insidious darkness encroaching upon the academy. It is a darkness emblematic of other terrible periods in history.”
“History warns us, now,” they declared.
Then they turned to the hatred that had been expressed toward Jews on other campuses, writing:
Revered institutions have professed a commitment to inclusion even as they welcomed clubs like Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), which spread antisemitism openly. These groups not only refused to condemn the horrendous atrocities of October 7, 2023, but they celebrated them as legitimate acts of resistance beginning on October 8th. Is it any wonder that eventually, the activities of SJP and organizations aligned with them ignited an inferno of violence and hate on countless campuses? No student club should be allowed to celebrate and justify such violence on any campus. They will not be allowed to do so on our campuses. We are profoundly grieved by the loss of civilian life in this war, as in all wars. Still, it is morally clear to us how this all began on October 7, 2023.
“All university administrators must take decisive action to root out the seeds of hatred on their campuses before roots of hate take hold in academic communities,” they urged. “We call upon all seminaries and universities to review their commitment to upholding Biblical principles of inclusivity and diversity. Institutions should recommit themselves to creating and sustaining an environment on their campuses conducive to learning, modeling these values to all higher education institutions.”
They concluded, “Finally, we want to extend a heartfelt invitation to Jewish and Israeli students to join us on our campuses. You will be welcomed, and you will be safe. We stand with you in solidarity and thank you for your community’s stewardship through many centuries of the values underpinning our institutions.”
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[[{“value”:”
In the wake of the pro-Hamas protests and threats against Jewish students at numerous universities across the nation, two Christian colleges issued an open letter to Jewish students, welcoming them and slamming the hate and violence directed at them.
The presidents of Indiana Wesleyan University, which has 14,000 students, and Colorado Christian University, which has 10,000 students, released the letter on Wednesday, the same day Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to address the United States Congress.
“To our Beloved Jewish Brothers and Sisters,” IWU president Jon S. Kulaga and CCU president Eric K. Hogue began. “We write to express our profound shock and indignation in response to the surge of hate and violence directed against Jewish and Israeli individuals on university campuses across the United States earlier this year.”
“We want to make it clear to our nation and the world that our Christian institutions will not tolerate this behavior,” they continued. “ We also want to express our profound concern that the terrible events we all witnessed at the end of the 2023-2024 academic year are already being forgotten. What we have all seen reveals a profound problem in the culture of many institutions, a problem which must be addressed.”
“For centuries, the academy has stood as a beacon of enlightenment, embodying the Judeo-Christian values of tolerance, freedom, and human dignity,” they noted. “Yet, in recent days, what we have seen is an insidious darkness encroaching upon the academy. It is a darkness emblematic of other terrible periods in history.”
“History warns us, now,” they declared.
Then they turned to the hatred that had been expressed toward Jews on other campuses, writing:
Revered institutions have professed a commitment to inclusion even as they welcomed clubs like Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), which spread antisemitism openly. These groups not only refused to condemn the horrendous atrocities of October 7, 2023, but they celebrated them as legitimate acts of resistance beginning on October 8th. Is it any wonder that eventually, the activities of SJP and organizations aligned with them ignited an inferno of violence and hate on countless campuses? No student club should be allowed to celebrate and justify such violence on any campus. They will not be allowed to do so on our campuses. We are profoundly grieved by the loss of civilian life in this war, as in all wars. Still, it is morally clear to us how this all began on October 7, 2023.
“All university administrators must take decisive action to root out the seeds of hatred on their campuses before roots of hate take hold in academic communities,” they urged. “We call upon all seminaries and universities to review their commitment to upholding Biblical principles of inclusivity and diversity. Institutions should recommit themselves to creating and sustaining an environment on their campuses conducive to learning, modeling these values to all higher education institutions.”
They concluded, “Finally, we want to extend a heartfelt invitation to Jewish and Israeli students to join us on our campuses. You will be welcomed, and you will be safe. We stand with you in solidarity and thank you for your community’s stewardship through many centuries of the values underpinning our institutions.”
“}]]
