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As president of Union Theological Seminary, a 187-year-old graduate school in New York City, I know that leading an institution of higher education in the United States today is not a job for the faint of heart. At Union, a seminary long known for our commitment to social justice, care, and peace, we embrace challenges as opportunities and seek to make clear, morally grounded decisions.
That is why, earlier this month, we became the first private institution in the country to divest from companies that are profiting from the war in Palestine. It is also why we hope other schools will join us.
The unfathomable loss of innocent civilian lives in Palestine, the destruction of humanitarian support systems, the displacement of millions, and the systematic denial of access to the water and food people need to live are impossible to ignore. So, too, is the horrific loss of life in Israel on October 7. It is, therefore, disappointing and alarming to see so many institutions paralyzed by so-called "divisive political issues." The ruthless, heartbreaking violation of human rights is not a political issue; it is a human rights crisis that demands action.
To be clear, we did not make a decision to divest "from Israel," nor, of course, a decision to divest from Palestine. We made a decision, grounded in strong moral values, to divest from any companies, global or domestic, that are profiting from the Israel-Palestine war.
Like so many schools nationwide, we grappled with the right course of action for our community. We did not necessarily intend to become a model. As a school of theology, our own religious and spiritual acknowledgment of humanity's flaws are a constant reminder of our own flaws. We are a human institution, after all. But our humility finds strong partners in our conscience and our courage.
Like other institutions, Union has long had Socially Responsible Investment screens that divest us from companies that actively profit from the production of human and planetary devastation and suffering. This commitment led us to divest, in 2014, from fossil fuels, for-profit prisons, gun manufacturers, and armaments. In some ways, this month's decision was simply to overlay our deeply held values onto the frightening reality in the Middle East, which should be a digestible notion for other institutions.
While we recognize that uplifting the power of prayer may be unique to a seminary like Union, it has taken on a powerful form on our campus in the wake of October 7. We have prayed fervently for the safe return of all hostages and for the end of the bloody, brutal carnage overseas. We were honored to host a Passover seder for Jewish students suspended from surrounding schools, just as we were deeply moved to host Friday prayers for the Muslim community. Additionally, we took Christian prayer to the encampment at Columbia University, where our students offered prayer and open-table communion to all. Witnessing the long lines of students waiting for communion tears rolling down their faces, is a powerful and permanent memory for me.
I share these stories to show that our decision to divest wasn't made in a vacuum. It is aligned with the very core of who we are as an institution.
I am deeply worried for our nation and for the future of education. Instead of leaning more deeply into the best of ourselves, we are becoming increasingly divided, violent, hateful, and punitive when faced with what we liberally call disagreements. The precipitous rise of antisemitism and Islamophobia are but two examples of this escalating harm.
As a scholar of theology and history, I know that following hatred's lead will ultimately destroy us. While seeking peace may seem the harder route, in the days ahead, it is the only path that has the power to save us from ourselves.
Peace must be what we teach; it must be how we come together as a community; and it must be how we manage endowments far more staggering than Union's. On this topic, our prayers for peace could not be stronger.
Rev. Dr. Serene Jones is president of Union Theological Seminary, a globally recognized seminary and graduate school of theology where faith, spirituality, and scholarship meet to reimagine the work of justice.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
