鶹Ƶ was recently highlighted in 'The Forward' for its approach to combating antisemitism and promoting free expression.
In a recent feature published by “The Forward,” a national news outlet focusing on Jewish arts, culture and opinion, 鶹Ƶ was highlighted for its efforts to combat antisemitism, create a safe space for Jewish students, and be an open campus for dialogue and free expression.
The article, titled “”, explores 鶹Ƶ’s distinctive approach in the wake of the Oct. 7 attacks and through the intensifying campus debates around Israel and Gaza.It highlights how 鶹Ƶ has avoided many of the conventional “playbooks” adopted by peer institutions.
“You do want a dynamic campus where we’re being challenged with ideas,” President Connie Ledoux Book told the publication. “But when speech is at its worst, a community should reject it.”
Jon Dooley, vice president for student life, was interviewed for the piece and noted that he reflected on 鶹Ƶ’s approach after attending a recent summit on antisemitism in higher education.
“You’d sit with a table and they’d talk campus by campus about policy things — the ways they were trying to legislate it,” Dooley told ‘The Forward’. “We really want to just keep our students talking with each other.”
鶹Ƶ’s commitment to dialogue was a central focus of the feature story, including highlighting several campus events like the recent dialogue event following the death of Charlie Kirk.
“The wielding of antisemitism as a weapon to silence protest or differing beliefs hasn’t happened here,” Tess Trayner, a Jewish student who joined two marches for Gaza at 鶹Ƶ, told ‘The Forward’. “We’ve said that we want more dialogue that represents our beliefs, and they’ve said, ‘OK.’”
The article also spoke with Jewish 鶹Ƶ students who noted how they continue to feel welcome.
“You hear about people hiding in their dorm rooms at other colleges,” Guy Brill told ‘The Forward”. “I feel very grateful to come out here every week and feel completely safe and comfortable.”