The violence in Israel and Gaza

To: Wellesley College Students, Faculty, and Staff
From: President Paula A. Johnson
Re: The violence in Israel and Gaza
Date: October 11, 2023

This weekend Hamas launched deadly terrorist assaults on Israel and its citizens that are appalling in their magnitude and manner, including the brutal execution of innocent families and the taking of approximately 150 hostages. This attack has led Israel to declare war against Hamas. As president and a member of the Wellesley community, I condemn the taking of hostages and the indiscriminate murdering and terrorizing of civilians.

Our community mourns the tragic loss of life in this war, and our hearts break for the innocent Israelis, Palestinians, and other victims of violence. We are particularly concerned for those who have family, friends, and loved ones in the region, and we hope for their safety.

We remind all members of our community that the College has resources available to support you during this difficult time. We urge students to contact our dedicated staff at the Stone Center Counseling Service and in the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life. Our employee assistance program is available for our staff and faculty.

As the situation in the Middle East evolves, I know members of our community will view the events differently. Wellesley is a global community composed of people from a diversity of backgrounds and perspectives, and respect and tolerance for those holding beliefs and points of view that are different from our own are essential values of the College. We live and learn together, recognizing our common humanity, in the hopes that we can contribute to the making of a better world. Yesterday President Biden stated, “There is no place for hate in America, not against Jews, not against Muslims, not against anybody.” In that spirit, I urge everyone to extend to each other the support, understanding, and humanity we all desperately need in this moment.

To: Wellesley College Community
From: President Paula A. Johnson
Re: My reflections in this painful time
Date: October 20, 2023

This is an exceedingly challenging time on college campuses. The terrorist attacks by Hamas, the ensuing Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, and the tremendous loss of Israeli and Palestinian civilian lives have inflamed passions and sparked fierce debates around the world that go far beyond the politics and history of the region.

Last week, I issued a statement to the community in which I strongly condemned the terrorist attack by Hamas and the taking of hostages and indiscriminate murdering of civilians.

I write today to share how we are addressing these issues here at Wellesley and to reflect on the profound questions this crisis raises about how we fulfill our mission of providing a liberal education to our diverse community of students.

It recently came to my attention that a small number of student residence hall leaders from one dormitory sent a letter to their housemates in their capacity as resident assistants that expressed views on the Israel-Hamas conflict. Our Student Life team met with these students and talked about their role and responsibility to support all students. They have since sent an apology to all students in the residence hall. That these young leaders were able to learn from this episode gives me hope.

As president of Wellesley, I have often spoken about inclusive excellence and the importance of listening and learning across difference. Today, I feel even more strongly that this work is more necessary than ever and requires significant effort, focus, and courage.

Complex conflicts of this nature call us to rededicate ourselves to the purposes of a liberal education. Members of our faculty are using this moment to explain the complicated history and politics of this conflict to our students. Two professors who specialize in the history of the region and in global politics are partnering with the Albright Institute to lead a teaching session for the community next week.

Our stellar team in our Office of Religious and Spiritual Life continues to offer unwavering support to all our students.

The role of educators has rarely been more urgent, nor its core more clear: a commitment to teach students to learn across difference and listen to divergent perspectives while providing the ethical foundations and moral compass that allow them to recognize the basics of our common humanity. This is essential for Wellesley, for democracy, and for our world—and we are dedicated to this work.

To: Wellesley College Parents and Families
From: President Paula A. Johnson
Re: Focused on our students’ safety
Date: October 25, 2023

I know some parents are concerned about the well-being of their students because of recent posts online. As president of Wellesley, my highest priority is the safety of our students and of the entire College community. Please know that since the current crisis began, we have been working to address the needs of all our students, especially our Jewish and Muslim students.

Our Student Life and Office of Religious and Spiritual Life teams have been—and will continue to be—in close contact with students. Professional staff in our residence halls have made extensive outreach to students, and our class deans and experienced advisors in our Office of Intercultural Education are reaching out to them as well. I am working directly with others in College leadership to see to it that all our students feel safe, are connected to each other, and have access to support resources. The College is actively committed to making sure that everyone on our Residential Life team is able to fulfill their responsibility to support all our students. We do not and will not accept any exception to this.

While we embrace freedom of expression for everyone in our community, which is critical to a liberal arts education and to a democracy, I want to be clear: Wellesley College condemns antisemitism, Islamophobia, and any other form of hate. No one at Wellesley should feel unsafe, and we will not tolerate harassment, discrimination, or bias of any kind on our campus. We also condemn the public targeting of our students online, and we are doing whatever we can to protect them from such targeting. Staff have been providing guidance to students as needed.

Thank you for placing your trust in us. Please be assured that, through this challenging time, we are dedicated to making Wellesley College a place of learning and belonging for every student.