The Executive Board of the Western Jewish Studies Association is appalled and deeply saddened by the atrocities committed in Israel on Saturday, October 7, 2023, the last day of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. While we may hold various political views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, we are united in our view that the terrorist acts committed by Hamas were abhorrent crimes against human life that must be condemned, unequivocally, as such. The deliberate targeting of civilians is indefensible. We are also troubled by the loss of innocent lives in Gaza. As a diverse group of scholars, we seek to educate our students on the multiplicity of Jewish experiences across time and region and promote open intellectual exchange, debate, and disagreement. We reaffirm ourselves to this commitment and stand with Israelis and all people seeking peace in this region and beyond.

(Based on the Statement issued by the faculty of the Schusterman Center for Judaic and Israel Studies at the University of Oklahoma).  

President, WJSA

Lawrence Baron, Professor Emeritus,
Department of History, San Diego State University, California
lbaron@mail.sdsu.edu

Executive Board, WJSA

Victoria Aarons
Professor, Trinity University

Max Baumgarten
Asistant Professor, California State University, Los Angeles 

Jeffrey Demsky
Associate Professor, San Bernardino Valley College

Ellen Eisenberg 
Professor, Willamette University

Joel Gereboff 
Professor, Arizona State University

Marat Grinberg 
Associate Professor, Reed College

Ava Kahn
Visiting Scholar, California Studies Center, University of California, Berkeley

Victoria Khiterer 
Associate Professor, Millersville University

Holli Levitsky 
Professor, Loyola Marymount University

Jody Myers 
Professor, California State University, Northridge

Sharon Oster
Professor, University of Redlands

Timothy Pytell
Professor, California State University, San Bernardino

Megan Reynolds
Doctoral Student, University of Oregon
mreynol2@uoregon.edu

Stella Setka 
Assistant Professor, West Los Angeles College

Amy Shevitz
Lecturer, Loyola University, Chicago

Naomi Sokoloff
Professor, University of Washington

Seth Ward
Lecturer, Associate Lecturer, University of Wyoming 

Exec. Administrator

Bonnie M. Harris, Ph.D., Lecturer
Dept. of History
San Diego State University
Southwestern College, Chula Vista, CA
Grossmont College, El Cajon, CA
bonniesbiz@hotmail.com