When Hamas launched its horrific terrorist attack earlier this month, 38 of my students were in Israel on a pilgrimage. As president of Franciscan University of Steubenville, I was concerned about their safety. Thankfully, we evacuated them from the country without mishap. But what is happening in the Middle East remains a tragic reminder that evil is still at large in this world.

Even as our students returned to safety, Jewish people around the world are facing increasing antisemitic violence and threats. Some of the most shocking incidents are taking place on college campuses here in the United States. Radical student groups and even some professors have been targeting the Jewish community with verbal and physical intimidation.

In the Wall Street Journal last week, Yale student Sahar Tartak wrote a painful reflection about returning to her campus after celebrating the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah. “Will school leadership remain silent? Will Yale stand up for its students? If not, where will Jewish students go from here?” she asked.

Heartbreaking questions like that are exactly why Franciscan University of Steubenville has decided to offer a safe haven to Jewish students. They may transfer to our campus via an expedited process if they want to immediately leave schools where they face hostility. We call upon other faithful Catholic colleges to do the same — and call upon all colleges and universities to step up their efforts to condemn antisemitism.

Jewish students who would like to transfer to Franciscan University of Steubenville should contact our admissions department . Our community will welcome you with the generosity and respect you deserve. We do not share your Jewish faith, but we promise you an environment free of violence and coercion, based on our shared pursuit of truth.

Antisemitism should have no place in higher education. Our campuses should be places for learning and peace, not violence or discrimination. The acts of hatred we have seen by faculty and students in recent months are totally unacceptable. Those directly involved should be ashamed and repent of their actions, and administrations should move swiftly to protect Jewish people.

At Franciscan, we feel compelled to step up for Jewish students because of our fidelity to the Christian vision of the human person. We believe fully in the doctrine that all people are created in the image and likeness of God. Society should protect the inexhaustible dignity of every human being. The Gospel calls us to practice radical charity to our Jewish brothers and sisters and to all people.

In 1965, the Second Vatican Council issued a declaration, called Nostra Aetate , condemning antisemitism. “The Church reproves, as foreign to the mind of Christ,” the document proclaims, “any discrimination against men or harassment of them because of their race, color, condition of life, or religion.” In times of chaos and hate, the Catholic church needs to stand for justice and love.

Catholics and all people of goodwill need to take a firmer stand against hate. That’s why Franciscan has partnered with the Philos Project to host a conference rallying Catholics against antisemitism this week. We hope our diverse array of speakers can convince all Catholics of our duty to stand with our Jewish brothers and sisters to condemn violence and pursue peace together. This is a historic moment for Catholics to proclaim the truth of universal human dignity.

We also recognize that antisemitism did not start with Hamas’s recent attacks. Only five years ago, a gunman killed 11 Jewish people at a Pittsburgh synagogue about 40 miles away from Franciscan’s campus. It was one of the worst acts of antisemitic violence in American history. And, sadly, that attack was only a single instance in a rising tide of antisemitism across the United States.

More than ever, the Jewish people need allies. Franciscan seeks to rally more allies to come to their aid. Even as too many universities preach tolerance but practice prejudice, Franciscan University aims to be different. We hope our offer to give Jewish students the safe haven they deserve will inspire other universities across the country to heed the call, too. And in some small way, help to turn the tide of antisemitism toward true peace.

Father Dave Pivonka is the president of Franciscan University of Steubenville and a well-known Catholic speaker and author.