On October 7, I was a visiting professor at Harvard Law School, teaching about the relations among religions communities – exploring intense controversies that often led to bloodshed. I study Jewish and Christian groups in the early Common Era. I was teaching this subject, while in Israel my family and friends were grappling with the greatest tragedy to befall the Jewish people since the Holocaust. This catastrophe stemmed from another bitter enmity, this time between Jews and Muslims in the Land of Israel. The dissonance between the horrors unfolding at home, with bodies lying in the streets, and the continuation of daily life in the United States was overwhelming. Adding to that was the immediate wave of criticism against Israel which quickly escalated into questioning Israel’s very right to exist.
Despite this, I felt that my classroom became a space of engagement and solidarity. Most of my students were not Jewish but were eager to listen. Catholic students prayed for Israel, and Jewish students found comfort in knowing they had someone listening. Returning to Israel in December to assume my new role as vice president for global engagement at Ben-Gurion University, I began to see the impact of the war on academic institutions’ ability to foster international partnerships during these turbulent times.
Everyone brings his own history, faith, and cultural perspective to these events. Recognizing and addressing these varied perspectives is crucial to fostering resilience, understanding, and collaboration across communities. I struggled with the delicate balance – acknowledging the need for accountability and ethical decision-making while rejecting narratives that deny Israel the right to exist or defend its people. I wrestled with recognizing the controversy surrounding the war’s targets, the casualties on both sides, the urgency of a ceasefire, and the struggle to secure the return of the hostages.
The role faith in God plays in the Middle East
As a scholar of religions, I see the role that faith in God plays in shaping the positions religious communities bring to conflicts in the Middle East. On both the Palestinian and the Israeli side, faith very similarly informs rhetoric, convictions, and actions. The theological underpinnings of these beliefs, while deeply meaningful, have at times had devastating consequences.
My conclusion is that we need to talk much more about God. We need to critically examine how the concept of God is constructed in different cultures and explore the ways in which religious leaders use sacred texts to shape ideologies and influence communities. Understanding what this does to a society striving to discern and live according to what it believes God wants from it impacts not just individuals of faith but also the very fabric of interreligious and intercultural interactions.
Without employing critical historical perspectives to explore the role of religion and the construction of God, we cannot hope to fully grasp the complex interfaith dynamics at play in the world today. These perspectives allow us to understand how belief systems shape identities, justify actions, and drive conflicts – or pave the way for reconciliation. This is vital for making sense of the processes that shape our interconnected world and for fostering deeper understanding and meaningful dialogue between diverse communities.
I encourage my students to critically examine these dynamics through a historical lens, offering them a perspective that illuminates the complexity and impact of these beliefs on contemporary conflicts. My students bring their own worlds into the discussion, enriching the learning process and fostering an exchange of ideas.
This approach extends beyond the classroom into my role at BGU. Whether teaching or building bridges between institutions, engaging critically with history and faith provides a vital framework for understanding current events, opening pathways for dialogue and cooperation in even the most challenging of circumstances.
I have been vocal in opposing academic boycotts against Israel, not as a means to silence criticism but because I deeply believe that Israeli academia represents the best of what free speech, critical thinking, and coexistence can achieve. Our classrooms, where Jewish and Arab students sit side by side, are a microcosm of the future we hope to build for Israel. They are spaces where critical thinking is encouraged, dialogue flourishes, challenging ideas are debated, and relationships are formed across divides, even in classes about God. Silencing these institutions through boycotts undermines the core values of academic freedom and eradicates one of the few arenas where genuine coexistence is being cultivated. It is in these shared spaces that the seeds of a more inclusive and resilient Israel are being sown, and this is precisely why these institutions must be protected and empowered.■
The writer is a professor of rabbinic Judaism, vice president for global engagement at Ben-Gurion University, and a senior fellow at the Jewish People Policy Institute. She was a visiting professor at Harvard and Yale.