Despite the recent surge in antisemitism on U.S. campuses, including an incident at the University of Pennsylvania, this mission is centered around solidarity with Israeli academics rather than a direct response to these issues.
Despite the recent surge in antisemitism on U.S. campuses, including an incident at the University of Pennsylvania, this mission is centered around solidarity with Israeli academics rather than a direct response to these issues.
On Jan. 1, a group of approximately 30 professors from the University of Pennsylvania embarked on a significant journey to Israel, marking the first high-level faculty solidarity mission from Ivy League universities since the tragic events of Oct. 7, 2023. The mission was organized to support their Israeli colleagues and students, who have been grappling with the aftermath of the traumatic incident.
The group, comprising esteemed academics, was welcomed by President Isaac Herzog at his residence on Jan. 2, 2024 signaling the start of their mission. This visit is not only a gesture of solidarity but also a reflection of the global academic community’s interconnectedness. As Edmund J. and Louise W. Kahn Term Professor of Psychology Michael Kahana, one of the mission’s organizers, stated, academic communities are “small, tight-knit families” that extend worldwide.
Kahana said, “Academic communities are incredibly small, tight-knit families that span the globe.
“When the horrific trauma of Oct. 7 struck the Israeli academic community, people awaited words of comfort from their close colleagues and friends, but for many, those words did not come.”
Kahana, alongside co-organizer Peter Decherney, emphasized the transcendent nature of academic knowledge communities, which often rise above wars and political conflicts.
He said, “Academic knowledge communities transcend wars and political conflict. We wanted to do what we do often: engage with our colleagues and learn from each other’s experiences.”
Shared experiences
Their initiative aims to engage with their peers and learn from shared experiences, underlining the mission’s focus on academic and cultural exchange rather than political discourse.
The itinerary for the group is comprehensive, including meetings with President Herzog and other senior dignitaries, visits to Israeli universities and hospitals, and trips to critical sites such as Sderot and the Nova music festival location near Gaza. These visits are intended to provide the professors with first-hand insights into the challenges faced by the Israeli academic community and society at large.
Despite the recent surge in antisemitism on U.S. campuses, including an incident at the University of Pennsylvania, this mission is centered around solidarity with Israeli academics rather than a direct response to these issues. The resignation of UPenn’s president last month, following a controversial congressional hearing, underscores the complexity of the situation. However, this mission represents a focused effort to support colleagues in Israel, independent of the university’s official stance.
During a dinner reception at Jerusalem’s King David Hotel, Kahana shared his views on the situation, expressing concern over the silence of the majority in the face of hate speech.
“By canceling our plans for New Year’s and jumping on an airplane to bear witness to the enduring trauma, we sought to bear comfort to our brothers and sisters in Israel and to more fully absorb the depth of this trauma,” he said.
Deeper understanding
The mission, according to Kahana, is an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges in Israel and to provide comfort to those affected by the Oct. 7 events.
Kahana stated that US campus antisemitism is a significant concern for many. In his department, he clarified that he has never personally encountered antisemitism. However, he found the hate speech on campus to be utterly shocking. He expressed concern about the reluctance of the silent majority to condemn such speech when they hear it.
He added, “What has been most striking to me up to this point is the enthusiasm with which our mission has been embraced by government and academic leaders in Israel, including President Herzog.”
Resilience, innovation
The professors’ visit to Israel is also an occasion to witness the country’s resilience and innovation, especially in academic circles. UPenn’s recently announced Action Plan to Combat Antisemitism, focusing on safety, engagement, and education, reflects a broader commitment to addressing such issues back on campus.
Law School Professor Claire Finkelstein highlighted the importance of understanding Israel’s situation through direct interactions with various stakeholders, including government officials and trauma experts.
“Many of us felt it was critical to understand Israel’s situation first-hand, by speaking in person to government officials, legal advisers, hostage family members, trauma experts, and our Israeli and Arab counterparts in the academic community, as well as by visiting the sites of the worst atrocities,” said Finkelstein.
Lou Soslowsky, a professor of orthopedic surgery and bioengineering, emphasized building stronger partnerships with Israeli colleagues during this critical period.
The mission is also a platform for bearing witness to the atrocities of Oct. 7, as noted by Ed George, professor emeritus of statistics. The significance of this mission extends beyond academic circles, impacting sectors like tourism, as described by Yair Jablinowitz of Israel Destination. He spoke of the challenges faced by the tourism industry since Oct. 7 and the subsequent influx of solidarity missions to Israel.
Jablinowitz recalled that on the morning of the attack that he was already in his unit. He also stated that it was Shabbat and [the Jewish holiday of] Simchat Torah, and was thinking of all these groups they had to cancel.
They did cancel 20 groups and Jabinowitz expressed disappointment because they all thought it would have been a great year for tourism. However, a few weeks later, he and his team received messages from different communities saying that they just couldn’t “stay on the sidelines.”
“We want to come to Israel,” Jablinowitz recalled them saying.
