Good evening, and thank you. I want to recognize Hillel International President Adam Lehman, Executive Director of Brown-RISD Hillel Rabbi Josh Bolton, and especially Jillian Lederman and all of the student organizers of this summit.

I was especially pleased to be invited to speak with you, because it gives me an opportunity to discuss what may be the single most difficult—and possibly the most widely misunderstood—issue facing universities, and university presidents, today.

Our challenge is to embrace and uphold two intertwined ideals that are fundamental to the mission of universities. One is to support freedom of expression and the open exchange of ideas on our campuses. The second is to support diverse and inclusive communities in which all of our members are valued for what they bring to their campuses, and are treated with dignity and respect.

Some believe that these two ideals—freedom of expression, on one hand, and diversity and inclusion, on the other—are at odds. One view is that diversity and inclusion efforts are antithetical to freedom of expression, because they create ideological echo chambers in which certain views about the world cannot be challenged.  Another view is that embracing freedom of expression is antithetical to diversity and inclusion, since giving everyone a platform to speak necessarily marginalizes some voices, and devalues some contributions.

These two views are very different. And, I reject both of them.

Instead, I believe that universities are at their very best when they welcome and support individuals from the wide possible range of backgrounds, experiences and viewpoints, who learn from and inform each other through the free exchange of ideas—recognizing that this can expose stark divides and produce heated disagreements, just as it can generate shared understandings and new insights into the most complex issues facing the world.

We must embrace the idea that university communities are, by their very natures, questioning, irreverent and, at times, quarrelsome. We must also demand that they are caring, inclusive, and respect the dignity of all people.

This evening, I will unpack how I approach these issues as a university president, and how they are related to concerns that may be top of mind for many of you—namely, how universities and student leaders can productively address different views about Israel and Palestine, and how they can combat antisemitism.

Let me share a bit about my own cultural and religious background. I do so because it frames my thinking about the issues I will discuss today.

I was raised as a Quaker. This religion is grounded in respect for the dignity of all human beings — because, Quakers believe, God lives in every human, and so we are all fundamentally equal. Quakerism also encourages people to take principled stands on matters of conscience, even if they run counter to the status quo. The Quakers I grew up with where characterized by a blend of humility and irreverence.

I converted to Judaism when I was in college, after I fell in love with the man who would become my husband. This didn’t require me to abandon the basic values I’d learned from Quakerism, but it added a rich layer of culture, tradition and religious practice.

My husband’s family viewed learning as central to Judaism. My father-in-law was a law professor. Dinners at their home were full of intense discussion and debate, often about current legal and ethical issues. My mother-in-law took great pleasure in arguing the other side on any topic. No issue was off the table. But at the end of the day, the questions always boiled down to “what’s fair,” “what’s right,” and “what will best advance humanity?”

Respecting human dignity. Taking principled stances. Constant learning. These are the core concepts that motivate how I try to live my life. And, they inform how I think through difficult issues in my role as a university president.

One of the reasons I love Brown is that respect for others, combined with a commitment to free inquiry and a willingness to act on principle, is part of Brown’s DNA. Brown has always been known for its open-minded acceptance of a wide range of views, understanding that these contribute to the intellectual life and mission of a college.

Brown’s Charter – written in 1764 – included the then-radical statement that students from all religions would be admitted to the new College. (Our governing body confirmed that “all religions” did, in fact, include Judaism.) This may have been the first time a college explicitly recognized the value of diversity and inclusion. This early commitment established a foundation that has guided Brown ever since.

It is with this foundation in mind that I address how universities must support both freedom of expression and inclusion. To be very clear, the points I will make today are identical to those I would make if I were speaking to any group of students—those who ardently support Israel, those who do not, and those who are concerned with quite different matters. Likewise, the principles I articulate are universal. They apply to conflict in any region of the world and to discrimination against any group.

As all of you know, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is long-standing and incredibly complex. I hope that all of you share my yearning for peace and prosperity for all who live in the region. But, there is little consensus about the best way forward, and this lack of consensus spills onto college campuses.

Universities—and their presidents—are often asked to take sides on issues related to Israel and Palestine. But I don’t do this, because it would undermine Brown’s primary mission of advancing knowledge and understanding. Rather than taking sides, the appropriate role of a university is to curate opportunities for students and scholars to study, discuss and debate the hardest of issues. It is through this process that knowledge and understanding are advanced.

Once a university adopts an official stance on what’s “right,” we shut down discussion and debate—which, in a university, is akin to shutting off the power in a factory. We should never explicitly or implicitly say to our students and faculty that there are questions they should not ask, and ideas they should not contest. 

It is exactly for this reason that, at Brown, we do not participate in academic boycotts against any country, and we reject calls to use our endowment as a tool for political advocacy. Doing this would be antithetical to freedom of expression and the advancement of knowledge.

The pressure to choose sides is very real. At times, I receive complaints when a student group or academic department hosts a talk with a speaker who supports Zionism, or sponsors scholarly activities with an Israeli institution. At other times, I hear objections when a Brown community member expresses support for the Boycott, Divest, and Sanctions movement, or an academic center hosts a Palestinian speaker.

My response to these concerns never varies: These activities can and should take place at Brown. Demonstrations against them can also take place, provided that they don’t infringe on the academic freedom of others – by preventing a speaker from speaking, obstructing participants, or engaging in hateful or harassing behaviors. The responsibility of the University’s leadership is not to take sides, but to fiercely protect freedom of expression for everyone.

At the same time, we must be inclusive. We must demand that members of our community treat each other with dignity and respect. Everyone should come to the town square of the University as equals. To preserve that equality, we stand in firm opposition to all bias and discrimination.

In the history of humans, antisemitism stands as one of the most longstanding and pernicious forms of discrimination.  Sadly, antisemitic incidents are at an all-time high. The Anti-Defamation League, recorded 2,717 antisemitic incidents across the U.S. in 2021. That’s a 34% increase from the year prior and the highest number on record since the ADL began tracking antisemitic incidents in 1979. An ADL survey in 2022 found that over three-quarters of Americans believe at least one anti-Jewish trope.

At colleges and universities across the country, we hear Jewish students share that they have been subject to antisemitism. These incidents can be glaringly egregious, such as a swastika scrawled on a campus wall. They can also be subtle. Perhaps a casual remark from a classmate that Jews are part of the “wealthy elite,” or that Jewish students who criticize Israel’s policies are “the good Jews.” Unfortunately, I am sure that many of you can provide other examples.

There are similar reports from students who feel marginalized for other reasons—such as their beliefs as Christians or Muslims, their gender identity or sexual orientation, or their race, nationality or status as veterans.

Any and all of this is completely unacceptable. All forms of discrimination are equally abhorrent. They are corrosive not only to individuals who are discriminated against, but to the community as a whole. If we deny full humanity and respect to any single person, we reject a basic principle of human equality, which is a core university value and a central component of building strong communities.

Ensuring students are valued and included means providing avenues for correcting exclusionary behavior. All universities have, or should have, well-developed pathways for students, faculty, and staff to report discriminatory incidents, whether they have to do with religion, race, gender identity, nationality, or other aspects of a person’s identity.

If you or other Jewish students are unclear about how to raise concerns about antisemitism on your campus, I encourage you to reach out to your Hillel leadership, and to relevant administrators and deans. Talk to the professionals at your diversity, equity, and inclusion office. Talk to your university president!

You have a right to be supported. And you have a right to insist that university policies that protect students against bias, discrimination, and harassment apply equally to Jewish students as they do to members of other groups. Use your voices as student leaders to ensure that the concerns of Jewish students are heard.

As important as it is to address instances of antisemitism when they occur, it is equally, if not more, important to prevent antisemitism from happening in the first place. I believe that many forms of antisemitism stem from ignorance.

We need to talk about antisemitism in and out of classrooms. We need to host lectures and seminars and write Op-Eds. We need to involve all members of our community—beyond Jewish students, faculty and staff—to work together to ensure that antisemitic behavior does not occur on our campuses. We have to openly confront the third rail, which is defining the gray zone between criticisms of Israeli policies that are not antisemitic, and anti-Israel expressions that reflect and normalize anti-Jewish behavior.

Jewish students can and should play leadership roles in addressing all forms of discrimination and harassment. Build common cause with fellow students from other backgrounds. Remember that, in this country, antisemitism and racism have common roots. Both must be weeded out.

Creating and sustaining an inclusive community requires vigilance. At Brown, we do this in many ways. For example, we’re having conversations with Jewish student leaders, staff and faculty about what we can do to better support Jewish students and educate our communities about antisemitism – and how we can build a more inclusive community for all Brown students.

I want to leave you with one example of something that I hope will make a difference. This stems from my observation that food matters—a lot—to students! In fact, religious and health-related concerns are the major reason why students opt out of Brown’s meal plan, depriving them of critical social experiences. So, this summer we’re opening a full kosher kitchen, an expanded halal station, and an allergen-free kitchen in our main dining hall. Students who have different dietary practices will be able to eat side-by-side.

This might seem like a small thing. But, perhaps breaking bread together will help people see each other as full human beings, and lead to greater mutual understanding. If so, then this small change will be well worthwhile.

One thing I know is that our best ideas come from our students. And so, I will leave you with a challenge: What else can we do to advance freedom of expression and ensure our campuses are places where differing experiences and views are not simply tolerated, but celebrated? How can we foster communities that embraces productive discussions on some of the thorniest issues of our time? And, how can we eradicate antisemitism and other forms of discrimination on our campuses?

These are not just questions for college campuses. They are questions for the world. But college campuses may be the best possible laboratories for building strong and cohesive communities. If we can’t get it right here, we can’t get it right anywhere.

So, let’s start with where we are, right now—with all of you—and grow from there.

It has been a privilege to speak to all of you today. Thank you for your dedication, passion, and commitment.