After Gaza protests, more colleges try out an old-fashioned ideal: Civility

It was an audacious proposal. In the fall of 2023, sophomore Alex Herz emailed the entire faculty of Stony Brook University. The New York campus was in turmoil. Pro-Palestinian protesters and Jewish students were having angry confrontations. Professors were also fighting among themselves. In response, Mr. Herz recommended instituting a forum for civil discourse.

“Some professors reached out to me on the side and said, ‘I like what you’re trying to do. Let’s talk,’” recalls Mr. Herz, who is Jewish.

The political science major subsequently launched a series of interactive workshops. He recalls the moment when a chaplain of the school’s Islamic Society stood up to denounce tribalism. She shared a parable about how anger distorts perspective. Paraphrasing her story, Mr. Herz says, “I was lost in the fog and I thought I saw a beast. As he got closer, I realized it was a man. And as he came even closer, I realized he was my brother.”