Catholic College Offers Expedited Transfers For Jewish Students Facing Antisemitism At Other Universities

Daily Caller ^ | 10/18/2023 | Frances Floresca

[SeekAndFind]

The president of a Catholic college in Ohio announced the creation of an “expedited transfer process” for Jewish students who are facing antisemitism at other universities, following the Hamas terrorist attack in Israel.

“With our fellow Christians around the world, we are praying for justice and peace,” Franciscan University of Steubenville President Fr. Dave Pivonka said in a press release Wednesday. “But with too many universities preaching tolerance but practicing prejudice, we feel compelled to do more.”

With the “very troubling spike in antisemitism and serious threats against Jewish students,” the university is offering those students “the chance to transfer immediately.”

Pivonka also urged other presidents from Catholic universities to join Franciscan in expediting its transfer process for Jewish students.

“It is a great source of distress and sadness that the recent Hamas terrorist attacks—in themselves unspeakable evils—have led to yet further increases in threats of violence against the Jewish people,” said Dr. Stephen Hildebrand, vice president for academic affairs at Franciscan University and conference organizer.

The press release also highlighted how the Catholic Church has condemned antisemitism throughout history while acknowledging “her own past failings in fraternal charity toward the Jewish people.”

“The Church, mindful of the patrimony she shares with the Jews and moved not by political reasons but by the Gospel’s spiritual love, decries hatred, persecutions, displays of anti-Semitism, directed against Jews at any time and by anyone,” according to the Vatican Council II document, Nostra Aetate.

[irishjuggler]

Among Catholic colleges, Franciscan U. has reputation as fairly conservative/orthodox. This would likely be a decent choice for politically conservative Jewish students who don’t have a problem with Christianity, pro-life values, etc. Left-wing Jewish students who are hostile to Christianity, pro-life, etc., would probably not be happy there. In other words, this transfer might work for a Ben Shapiro-type kid but not a Sarah Silverman-type kid.

[Freest Republican]

“When the nazis came to power, I looked to the universities that prided themselves upon their intellectual freedom, and they failed me. I looked to the German press, which prided itself on the freedom of the press, and it failed me. Until at last the churches stood alone, and that for which I once had little regard earned my respect.”

Albert Einstein

[Hieronymus]

This is brilliant. If it also seems the right thing to do.

It would be very educational for a Sarah Silverman type kid, and so long as that type remains under about 3% of the student body, would benefit everyone by teaching what true tolerance and diversity is, along with having to engage with wrong-headed arguments in a serious and productive manner. I doubt that this stripe, however, will reach 1%.

As, to paraphrase Nathan Bedford Forrest, Quantity has a Quality all its own, citadels of sanity have to figure out how to train people to dealing with insanity, even if the insanity is not dictating terms inside the gates.

Full disclosure-—I work at a similar institution, and have worked closely for FUS for several decades in establishing that institution. And two of my sisters and my estrange wife attended FUS.

[Wpin]

God bless this Catholic school, what a beautiful, Christian gesture. Hopefully more Catholic schools will follow suit.