The first semester of 2016-17 has been another phenomenal one for Jewish students across the country. While fear mongers have been scaring parents with exaggerated claims about how dangerous it is for Jewish students on campus, the truth is campuses across the country are beehives of pro-Israel activity that has gone unnoticed because it does not fit the narrative of Jews cowering in fear in their dorm rooms. In fact, more students are engaged in pro-Israel activity today than ever before.
While once a handful of pro-Israel groups such as Hillel, AIPAC and various uncoordinated Israel action committees operated on campus, today a multiplicity of organizations engage students from different perspectives. These organizations include (forgive me for any I’ve inadvertently left out): Hillel, AIPAC, AICE, StandWithUs, the David Project, AEPi, Hasbara Fellowships, ZOA, JNF, ADL, the Israel on Campus Coalition, Students Supporting Israel, Chabad, the Israeli American Council, The Maccabee Task Force, and Christians United for Israel.
Oh, the other side has Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and, on a handful of campuses, Jewish Voice for Peace (contrary to popular misconceptions the Muslim Students Association is rarely involved in anti-Israel activities anymore). The campaign to convince universities to divest from Israel, which never had any chance of success because administrators pay no attention to student government votes, has fizzled. This fall, only two schools voted on divestment resolutions — one passed at Portland State and the other was defeated at Michigan. The anti-Semitic BDS movement has failed so categorically in gaining campus support that it has increasingly focused on protesting pro-Israel events.
So what have you missed this semester? Here is a small sample of the activities of pro-Israel students:
While 300 Israel haters attending the SJP annual conference drew disproportionate attention, little publicity was given to the 3-day JewFest conference in New York organized by Chabad on Campus, which attracted more than 1,200 Jewish students from around the world.
Among its many activities, StandWithUs hosted its annual “Israel In Focus Conference” in Los Angeles. More than 175 pro-Israel student leaders and campus professionals came together to learn about Israel, network with each other, grow their skills, and develop their strategic thinking as activists. Speakers discussed how Israel represents rebirth, resilience, empowerment, and hope, inspiring participants to share that story with their peers.
Northeastern University, accused by some of being a bastion of anti-Semitism, is involved in an exciting new project organized in partnership with Boston’s Jewish Federation and the Israeli Consulate. “Destination Innovation” offers students the opportunity to visit innovative Israeli-owned companies in Greater Boston and learn about entrepreneurism. The first group of participants visited CyberArk, an information security company; Karyopharm Therapeutics, a pharmaceutical company focused on developing drugs for a variety of diseases related to cell proliferation; and the New England-Israel Business Council, which works to increase Economic Development in Israel and New England.
Other business-related programs are run by TAMID, which facilitates weekly meetings on 34 campuses where students learn about Israeli innovation, consult for Israeli startups, and analyze Israeli stocks. TAMID at Queens College, for example, ran a “Shark Tank” event, where 400 people packed an auditorium to see student entrepreneurs pitch to a panel of investors and hear Kevin Harrington from the hit ABC show speak about Israeli innovation.
Israel’s detractors have formed coalitions with some “progressive” student groups, but Jewish students have also formed coalitions on many campuses. For example, Texas Hillel hosted the annual Texans for Israel Student Leader Dinner (served by volunteers from AEPi), bringing together 100 Jewish and non-Jewish student leaders at the University of Texas, Austin. Participating organizations included the Black Student Alliance, Hindu Students Association, UT Student Government and College Republicans.
An even more unusual coalition was brought together by Students Supporting Israel at their “Indigenous People Unite” event at Columbia. The program focused on the often neglected fact that Jews are indigenous to the land of Israel. The theme was represented by a panel consisting of an Assyrian, Yazidi, Israeli, Native Canadian, and Tibetan.
Israeli hip hop artist Shaanan Streett, from the popular band Hadag Nahash, toured a number of campuses, including Penn State, Rutgers, the University of Washington, Western University, Hillel Toronto and Muhlenberg College. He spoke to students about the meaning of his music and his optimism about Israel’s future.
CAMERA sponsored tours for Jonathan Elkhoury, an openly gay, Christian Lebanese refugee, whose family was saved by Israel in 2000/2001, and Indian Professor Maina Singh. Prof. Singh was an AICE Visiting Israeli Professor at Georgetown and now lectures about the importance of film, art, music, and dance in helping the Israeli Indian community maintain ties to its culture.
The Jewish Agency for Israel has become increasingly active on campus, sending more than 60 fellows to Hillels on more than 100 campuses to interact with students, organize programs and educate the student body about Israel. The Agency also has created Project TEN, which offers students volunteer opportunities in Ghana, Ethiopia and Mexico, and the option to work in Israel for programs to empower Bedouin youth, new immigrants, at-risk teens, and individuals with special needs.
For many years, Israeli students eschewed campus politics. This has changed as more and more Israelis are standing up to Israel’s detractors on campus and working with their American peers to project a pro-Israel message on campus. The Israeli American Council has created the Mishelanu program to strengthen and maintain the Israelis’ identity through culture, language, heritage, and a strong connection to Israel. Today Mishelanu is offered on more than 90 campuses.
Faculty also were involved in scholarly presentations about Israel. For example, the University of Arizona held its second annual Modern Israel Conference, “Balancing Unity & Diversity: Israel’s Changing Society & Politics.” The conference featured some of the top scholars in the field of Israel Studies and a keynote address by Anita Shapira, professor emeritus at Tel Aviv University, on the topic, “Israel 2016: Vision and Reality.”
I’ve often written about the need to focus more attention on preparing high school students for becoming pro-Israel activists in college. StandWithUs, The David Project, The Israeli American Council and AIPAC are among the groups that have taken up the challenge. For example, 440 high school students from more than 200 public and private academic institutions across the country attended AIPAC’s advocacy summit in Washington, DC. While in the nation’s capital, students received intensive training in pro-Israel political advocacy and participated in 48 congressional appointments focusing on the value of the U.S.-Israel alliance.
A small number of campuses (less than 3%) do have serious problems with anti-Israel and anti-Semitic students and faculty. Paradoxically, many of these same campuses have very strong pro-Israel organizations. Sadly, some groups hype every negative incident on campus, no matter how trivial, to create a misleading image of Jewish students in peril. The truth is that pro-Israel activity across the country is robust, growing and dwarfs the misdeeds of their antagonists. 0
Young Jews are committed to Israel. If more publicity was given to these students, the community would be reassured that it is safe to be Jewish and pro-Israel on campus. Despite the challenges presented by Israel’s enemies, college provides many opportunities for Jews to enhance their Jewish identity and strengthen their connection to Israel. The students standing up for Israel deserve more credit, attention and financial support.
Dr. Mitchell Bard is the author/editor of 24 books including The Arab Lobby, Death to the Infidels: Radical Islam’s War Against the Jews and the novel After Anatevka: Tevye in Palestine.
I have been writing for years about the problem of massive increases in anti semitism during and as a result of the leftist muslim alliance which now controls the dem party. the first problem is all the jews who contribute to these Jewish orgs and universities who facilitate this anti semitic abuse under the guise of free speech, anti zionism and anti Israelism. The first finger to be pointed is at Jews. Jstreet, ADL,etc taking funding from spurious sources and abandoning Jewish children on campus while pursuiing phantom fake news islamaphobes…just a bunch of crooks pretending to be Jews. I dont know how anyone can vote for or remain a member of the dem party with the amount of anti semitism inside it. There has been no more massive increase in anti semitism before this last 8 years, it is not a coincidence and it is directly related to an alliance of leftists, muslim and black orgs. plus various other special minority interest groups whom have been wooed into the dem party umbrella.. what unites them all is anti semitism.
what is clear to me is that Jewish orgs took up the platform dictated by their funders and participated in a smear and libel campaign against Trump which only served the most vehemently anti semitic forces in the USA today… leftists, muslim and blacks orgs. These Jews supported and facilitated the most existentially threatening forces against Jews on the earth today… muslims and leftists…. nazis and neo nazis remain as they were… and nowhere near a threat as leftists and muslims.
I dont understand the parents and synaguogues of all these Jewish children who have been under this abuse… they appear to be in a coma and their dem representatives do nothing. Jews continue to contribute and fund like lemmings
I received two emails.
I replied
This article refutes Bard and his assertions:
Denying Campus Antisemitism Puts Jewish Students at Risk
By Tammi Rossman-Benjamin on December 21, 2016
http://www.stopthejewhatredoncampus.org/news/denying-campus-antisemitism-puts-jewish-students-risk
However the BIG problem remains the “Teacher Union” and its members: they are deeply antisemitic! They have been brainwashing generations of students toward the left and against Israel.
I’m glad to hear all the examples of pro-Israel advocacy going on but I think the author is in denial. He dismisses many categories of anti-semitic act as mere hooliganism or legitimate criticism. Emphasizes the comparatively small number of colleges with these incidents while ignoring the fact that they are the colleges with the largest Jewish populations, many of them prestigious like Columbia and Vassar. And when he says many Jewish students are unconcerned, he is probably counting the many Jews who do not advertise their ethnicity and for whom Jewish solidarity is not a major concern. Though let me tell you, before Bernie Sanders became the Poster boy for Black Lives Matter, I encountered routine harassment and periodic random violence as a Jewish-looking man from total strangers, all Blacks, Latinos, Muslims and snide remarks from their white leftist groupies going back to the 80’s. The Jewish Caucus of The New York City Council didn’t agree with this author. From back in March:
http://www.jta.org/2016/03/02/news-opinion/united-states/nyc-council-members-drafting-bill-to-fight-campus-anti-semitism.
And he exempts Muslim student Associations from anti-semitic activity. Not so.
“…numerous Muslim Students Associations—many with ties to the Muslim Brotherhood—have actively promoted BDS in North America, South Africa, and Europe…”
http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/viewSubCategory.asp?id=250
I agree with Horowitz. I look forward to the bill that was just tabled requiring the Dept. of Education to investigate and prosecute anti-semitism on campuses as a violation of the Civil Rights Act being shortly re-introduced under a President who will actually sign such legislation.
But Horowitz was also very insightful when he said that Republicans dominate the majority of state governments. All it takes is a phone call from the chair of the State Budget appropriations Committee to the President of the University saying what he wants, for example, Professors who shoot their mouths off about politics in the classroom should be fired. They have their fingers on a budgetary air hose on which the President’s survival depends. But Republicans have been reluctant to fight. Brilliant.