With great success, Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman, President of Yeshiva University, reached out to university presidents across the United States to join in issuing a statement in support of Israel, the Palestinians who suffer under Hamas' cruel rule in Gaza, and all people of moral conscience. Text from an article on Cision PR Newswire regarding the initiative appears below.

BROAD COALITION OF COLLEGES, UNIVERSITIES AND HIGHER EDUCATION ASSOCIATIONS STAND WITH ISRAEL AGAINST THE TERRORISM OF HAMAS

Urges Others to Join the Growing Effort NEW YORK , Oct. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A broad coalition of institutions of higher education, including public and private colleges and universities, faith-based colleges and universities, and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU's) today issued a statement standing with Israel, the Palestinians who suffer under Hamas' cruel rule in Gaza and all people of moral conscience. Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman, President of Yeshiva University and convener of the coalition said that "Our statement is based on two unifying principles – Hamas is a terrorist organization and the Palestinian people are not represented by Hamas." The parties urge presidents and chancellors of all U.S. and global colleges and universities to join the effort – by sending an e-mail directly to StandWithIsraelAgainstHamas@yu.edu. We Stand Together with Israel Against Hamas We are horrified and sickened by the brutality and inhumanity of Hamas. Murdering innocent civilians including babies and children, raping women and taking the elderly as hostages are not the actions of political disagreement but the actions of hate and terrorism. The basis of all universities is a pursuit of truth, and it is times like these that require moral clarity. Like the fight against ISIS, the fight against Hamas is a fight against evil. We, the presidents and chancellors of universities, colleges and higher education associations across the United States of America and the world, stand with Israel, with the Palestinians who suffer under Hamas' cruel rule in Gaza and with all people of moral conscience. Coalition Founders (alphabetical order)

• Ari Berman, President, Yeshiva University
• Lola W. Brabham, President, Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities
• Terrence Cheng, Chancellor, Connecticut State Colleges and Universities
• Rochelle L. Ford, President, Dillard University
• E. Gordon Gee, President, West Virginia University
• Shirley Hoogstra, President, Council for Christian Colleges, and Universities
• John I. Jenkins, President, University of Notre Dame
• John B. King, Chancellor, The State University of New York (SUNY)
• Ronald D. Liebowitz, President, Brandeis University
• Linda Livingstone, President, Baylor University
• Michael L. Lomax, President, United Negro College Fund
• Félix V. Matos Rodríguez, Chancellor, The City University of New York
• Marty Meehan, President, University of Massachusetts