Dean of Christian mega university visits Israel to push back against boycott efforts

A dean of one of the world’s largest Christian universities visits Israel at the head of a delegation of US students to signal their opposition to boycotts of the Jewish State.

“I felt it was important to come to Israel, especially at this time, when it is under threat from enemies that surround it, and from those who call for boycotts from afar, like at American universities,” says Tim Griffin, dean of students at the Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona.

The visit led by Griffin is the first student delegation since October 7 by Passages, a US-based Christian nonprofit that has an annual budget of about $15 million and has brought thousands of students to Israel on study and activism trips.

Griffin, whose university has some 100,000 students in nine colleges, says he hopes his 10-day visit serves “as an example for other Christian educational institutions […] to visit, engage and partner with the Israeli people.” Unlike at some US universities, he adds, “Grand Canyon University students overwhelmingly support Israel.”

The trip includes meeting with officials and visits to some of the scenes of the October 7 onslaught as well as places where victims receive help and emotional support. It’s about “doing and listening, acts of kindness and solidarity,” and understanding Israel’s current complexities, says Rivka Kidron, cofounder of Passages and a former advisor to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.