Jewish Journal Op-Ed:  Where Faith Meets Understanding, by Jim Gash (President & CEO, Pepperdine University):

Jewish students are feeling unwelcome and unsafe—for good reason—on many American college campuses. This is a great tragedy. It is a tragedy for the students, who should, without question or reservation, be able to expect their campuses to be places where they can study and live without threat of physical harm or intimidation. It is nothing short of a tragedy that the administrators at many universities betrayed their own values and alienated some of their best and brightest students from their communities. It is an even greater tragedy for American society, as we see antisemitism growing to an unimaginable level in this modern age.

Pepperdine is different. We are a place where antisemitism is given no quarter. We are a place that is honored by the presence of our Jewish students and faculty—where every year, we have a Sukkah constructed on campus so our observant students can have a place to eat and fellowship on Sukkot; where a Menorah is lit to celebrate the holiday of Hanukkah; and where Jewish students gather together over lunch to discuss the weekly Torah portion. We are a place where the Judeo-Christian values that form the bedrock of our free society are celebrated rather than denigrated. And we are a place of education, not a place of propaganda.

All universities educate from one perspective or another, whether they are honest about it or not. At Pepperdine, we are honest and unashamed of the fact that we are a Christian university—that is, we approach the work of education from a Christian perspective. We believe, as the Proverbs teach, that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” And it is actually because of our Christian perspective that we so greatly value the presence of our Jewish students on campus.

Some of the points of connection between our Christian perspective and that of our Jewish students are obvious—shared values, shared traditions, a shared understanding of human purpose and of the character of God. These are fundamental and invaluable. We also value the distinct beliefs, perspectives, traditions, and experiences our Jewish students contribute to the Pepperdine community.

Because we believe in education rather than indoctrination, we want all of our students to interact with people of different perspectives; this is an integral part of the educational process. We believe that truth has nothing to fear from investigation. We believe that it is possible to disagree, even on matters of great importance, and remain friends afterward. We believe that there is value in sitting across the table from people who are different—who think differently, who have different backgrounds and experiences.

Civil dialogue between people of different faiths and traditions is a fundamental part of American public life. At Pepperdine, it is also a fundamental part of university life. The presence, wisdom, and insight of our Jewish students are integral parts of the thriving intellectual and community life that takes place on Pepperdine’s campus. The incoming class of the Caruso School of Law, for example, is made up of nearly 20 percent Jewish students—and the class is the better for it. …

The struggle our country faces—for justice, for real education, for the preservation of the Judeo-Christian ethic, for the values our free society was built upon—has no more important battleground than the university campus. At Pepperdine, we could not be more grateful for the ongoing friendship and dedication of our Jewish brothers and sisters as we continue in that fight.

Malibu Times Op-Ed:  Personal Reflections, Reactions of a Horrific Day, by Michael Helfand (Brenden Mann Foundation Chair in Law and Religion, Pepperdine University Caruso School of Law):

This past year was … my 14th year as a professor at the Pepperdine University Caruso School of Law. With a yarmulke always on my head, I’m probably the most visible Jewish faculty member on campus. And as I reflect on this past year, I find myself — in addition to feeling anger and sadness at the devastation in the world — also feeling overwhelmed by a very different emotion: gratitude.

It’s a strange thing to feel and even stranger to say out loud. But since war erupted in Israel, Jews have increasingly felt abandoned on American campuses. This isn’t simply because of campus protests that have marginalized Jews; it is because so many Jews on campuses, whether faculty, staff, or students, carried with them unbearable hurt. And yet their colleagues all too often ignored that hurt, quietly withholding the kind of support one normally expects from a university community. Too frequently, the politics of campus life simply made it easier to ignore what was happening — and what Jews were feeling.

Given these prevailing realities, I have been asked countless times how I’m “holding up” on Pepperdine’s campus. And each time I explain that somehow I lucked into working on a campus that could not have been more supportive during these incredibly challenging months.

On Oct. 7, 2023, I was in Jerusalem with my family, celebrating Sukkot. Sirens, signaling rocket attacks, began early in the morning. We did not, when it began, understand the scope of the atrocities to the South — nor could we have comprehended the war on the horizon.

Yet in the midst of all the chaos and violence, I felt, immediately, the support of the Pepperdine community. My dean and dear friend Paul Caron began calling and texting. My students sent prayers and offers to help. One student offered to connect me with intelligence officers to assist us; another offered to pick us up from the airport. My colleagues sent me so many emails of support that I was almost unable to respond fast enough.

Pepperdine President Jim Gash texted and emailed to see if I was okay. Friends across the university expressed their support and their prayers — for me, for my family, and for all of Israel. I recently compiled all these communications. The document is 23 pages long. …

In word and in deed, the university has stood in solidarity with the Jewish members of its community. …For years, people have asked me what it’s like to be a visibly Jewish faculty member on a Christian university campus, often expecting that I feel some sort of dissonance. But I’ve long expressed that Pepperdine has felt like a home where I am valued not simply in spite of, but because of my religious commitments. And if this past year has taught me anything, it is that Pepperdine’s core religious mission allows it to shine in extraordinary ways precisely where other universities fail. It is a place where faith is a blueprint to raise up those who are most in need.

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