For many college chaplains and religious leaders caring for students outraged and shocked by the Israel-Hamas war, the needs are urgent and days are tense.The bloodshed has A turbulent campus In the United States, this sometimes triggers rallies and competing demands from rivals.
Kaiser Aslam, a Muslim chaplain at the Center for Islamic Life at Rutgers University, has been helping students grapple with complex questions and anxieties—from why suffering occurs to whether publicly supporting Palestinians or criticizing Israel jeopardizes the future career opportunities or other impacts. Some, he said, were grieving family members who lost their lives in the disaster. Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip.
Meanwhile, Rabbi Esther Reed of Rutgers Hillel recalled a student who burst into tears after learning that her friend had been killed in Israel. Attack on October 7 The recent fighting was triggered by the actions of Hamas militants. She said another student asked police if they could escort her from get out of class to her dormitory because she was afraid of walking alone.
“Muslim students were walking around in fear, just like Jewish students were walking around in fear,” Reed said.
In this tense and polarized atmosphere, chaplains and campus ministries are navigating the tension, comforting and coaching students who are angered by new violence, old grievances, and new narratives about the war and Israel more broadly, Pain, confusion, or fear. Palestinian conflict.
They have been helping organize vigils, leading prayers, providing community, listening and delivering messages of hope.
But it won’t be easy.
Some say this is a particularly complex and testing time because of the scope of the lives lost, the depth of the pain, the intensity of passions and the fierce debates on some campuses – including over their own universities’ positions.
At Northwestern University, Tahra Ahmed, associate pastor and director of interfaith communications, helped organize a “Prayer for Palestine” event in which she and some students recited verses from the Muslim holy book, the Quran.
“This is an opportunity for students … where they can breathe together and listen to very calming recitations,” Muslim Ahmed said. “The Quran or our scriptures strongly call for the defense of justice.”
Some students are trying to figure out what needs to be done now, she said.
“We may not have all the answers, but we are there … allowing our students to process the grief they feel but also think about what that means,” she said. “While our role is very much one of pastoral care and existential ministry, they want us to also be more ethically aware, because spirituality cannot be devoid of social justice.”
On campus, some students are demanding clear and strong condemnation of this behavior. Hamas militants attackstormed into nearby Israeli towns from the blockaded Gaza corridor, Killing and kidnapping civilians and soldiers.Others seek recognition of Palestinian suffering and condemn the killing of Palestinian civilians in Israel air raid razed buildings and homes in Gaza, forcing many people to Evacuate.
Many have faced criticism when universities have issued statements about the war, including for not condemning Hamas attacks with force or speed enough, or for not condemning the deaths of civilians in Gaza.
Chaplains said some students felt alienated, marginalized, hurt or intimidated by the comments and stances of some administrators, faculty or other students.Students of many stripes are increasingly concerned about hate and fear Anti-Muslim and anti-Semitism Being sarcastic or aggressive.
Rabbi Daniel Levine of Hillel in Orange County, California, considers the work he has done since the Hamas attacks and subsequent war to be his most important work to date.
“There are students who are most in need of pastoral care and help processing their identities and understanding geopolitics,” he said. The psychological toll this takes on students, he said, is because many are still figuring out “who they are and who they are.” How connected is it to Judaism, and what role does Israel play in all this”.
He has been telling UC Irvine students that he can be part of the conversation.
“If they need to cry, I’m there for them,” he said. “If they want to discuss the context of the Israeli-Palestinian geopolitical conflict, which is obviously a very complex and intense conversation, I will do that here.”
He said more students than usual attended the Shabbat dinner, but some were concerned about their safety at the event. Levine and his wife hosted local Jewish alumni and graduate students to provide a space for community and grieving.
“There are not enough hours in the day to provide all students with the support they need,” he said. “I wish I could clone myself.”
He also keeps bringing hope.
“We will come out the other side,” he said. “Don’t give up on your education. Don’t give up on being a Jew. Don’t give up on your humanity.”
Back at Rutgers, Aslam said the school’s student body, which includes large Muslim and Jewish communities as well as international students, is divided as it is on some other campuses.
He said those who say “let’s take a more balanced approach and acknowledge each other’s pain” feel like they are in the minority.
He has been working with students with diverse needs.
“There are students who are very involved… I hope they take care of themselves,” he said. To those feeling fearful or unsure, he offered “comfort that your voice does matter, that there are ways to get involved, and that you can draw some strength from your faith.”
He said that while the war made some people question the meaning of prayer, it prompted many others to practice their religion more than ever before, organizing vigils and prayers.
“Faith allows us to express our humanity with greater beauty and eloquence,” he said. “In those moments, using theology to really comfort them becomes a really important role.”
Rutgers Hillel held a listening session in which counseling professionals discussed coping strategies with Jewish students and caring for their mental health during times of stress, Rabbi Reed said.
“Our students have family in Israel and friends in Israel,” she said. “These are people we know; it’s not abstract.”
Hillel staff have also been tested.
“It’s exhausting,” Reed said. “We have our own worries and fears and families and maybe losses, so on top of our own worries there’s the burden of caring for students.”
While it was business as usual for many students, she said, tensions simmered among students affected by the war, mostly along political lines, adding, “There are Jewish students who support the Palestinian cause; ;Some students support the Palestinian cause; ” Some Muslims are concerned about the loss of Jewish life. “
Reed said faith leaders from different religions at Rutgers discussed whether it would be fruitful to bring people with different viewpoints together for processing sessions.
Opinions vary.
Aslam said he and others believe the dialogue can and should happen at such a sensitive time. “We don’t need to just protect our students,” he said. “I hope our students will grow to understand that others are feeling pain, anger and insecurity.”
Reed said she was “always open to bringing people together to talk, but right now it feels raw.” If Israel executes ground Operation Gaza—— Israel said on Saturday it was expanding – With the death toll rising further on both sides, she said, “it’s going to be hard for people to hear each other’s stories in the midst of this.”
___
AP religion coverage receives support through the AP cooperate In partnership with The Conversation US and funded by Lilly Endowment Inc. The Associated Press is solely responsible for this content.
Svlook
