Far left: Sitting asround the table are Wayne
State University students Brent Parkin,
Southfield; Miriam Gormezano, junior from
West Bloomfield; Alex Van Ness, junior from
Royal Oak; Shira Drissman, graduate student
from Farmington Hills; and Robert Tachna,
graduate student from Birmingham.

Left: Michigan State University students Laurie
Rz in, seniorfrom New jersey; Sherie Rappoport,
junior from West Bloomfield; Shira Weinstein, Hillel
program director; Bradley Friedman, seniorftom
West Bloomfield Jeff Lazor, Hillel program associate;
and Mitchell Wagner, sophomore from Oak Park.

leave the debate for another day.

EMU: Damage Control

The spillover from the October anti-Israel "divestment
conference" at U-M hit Eastern Michigan University
hard when Israeli anti-Zionist activist Ilan Pappe of
Haifa University was invited to speak as a guest of the
university. Pappe used his forum to brand Israel as a
terrorist, racist, colonialist nation and urged boycotts,
the ending of American aid, international censure and
divestment.
"Someone really did not do their homework," EMU
political science professor Jeffrey Bernstein said of
Pappe's visit. "He was sold to the university communi-
ty as. a 'peace-activist' who had been invited to the
state by the University of Michigan."
In truth, U-M did not support Pappe or the divest-
ment conference where he spoke. Pappe is a fringe fig-
ure, denounced by his fellow historians and twice
failed to gain political office as a candidate of the
Israeli Communist Party.
Bernstein was clear that no one challenges Pappe's
right to speak on campus, but "Jewish faculty and stu- -
dents are unhappy that it was the U inviting him and
giving him the recognition," which included a recep-
tion in his honor. Students were given extra credit to
attend.
"Many administrators were in attendance, and many
walked out believing Pappe was what he was billed —
a Jewish, Israeli voice for peace," Bernstein noted.
He is among a number of faculty who have been
debating Pappe's message in the pages of the campus
paper, The Echo.
But EMU freshman Jamie Jones of Cincinnati
experienced a more direct impact of the talk the next
day. Leaving her residence hall dining area, Jones said
she was surrounded by a group of students she had
never met, but who recognized her from the event.
Incited by Pappe's words, they began to verbally attack
her. A few days later, she was the victim of prank
phone callers wanting to "smear a nice Jewish pizza"
on her door.
"It was quite a shock to me," Jones said. "I'd never
experienced anything like that before. For a while, I
was completely terrified. I still don't walk by myself at
night. But I'm not going to let these people make me
hide forever. I'm going to speak out for w} 1: I believe
in. I don't want it to happen to another r .son."
Jones credits her rebound to support F , )m the cam-
pus Hillel, Bernstein and the univers' . *Hillel has

been unbelievable; they are like my family. I am four
"Sometimes I feel real, real discouraged," said
hours away from my home. Without them, I wouldn't Miriam Gormezano, the Grinspoon Israel advocacy
have been able to stand up for myself."
intern at Hillel. "I think we can come through this,
She hopes to visit Israel next summer as part of
but I feel the world is falling apart and history is
Birthright Israel.
repeating itself. We need to be active. Our voice is
"I don't think Jewish students are under siege or iso-
needed.
lated" because of the Middle East situation, said Aaron
After many attempts to get opposing voices in the
Kaufman, EMU Hillel director. Though deeply con-
South EncI a new column written by Farmington Hills
cerned about Pappe's visit and its aftermath, he thinks
graduate student Shira Drissman gets ink regularly.
there was not malicious intent to the university's spon-
"She writes real interesting and with a sense of
sorship of his visit.
humor," said Oak park senior liana Weisberg. "In
"We are looking for proactive ways to educate the
every one of her articles, she documents her facts with
campus community and the Jewish students, and to
sources. It's nice to see a positive pro-Israel view-
promote tolerance on campus," Kaufman said.
point."
"This is a pretty sleepy campus. It's not very
The Wayne State-based Hillel has organ-
political."
ized a number of educational and planning
But while Jewish students are Hillel's
sessions for students and, though the
main constituency, he emphasizes the
turnout has been modest, the efforts have
importance of the campus for the entire
borne fruit.
state.
According to Miriam Starkman, direc-
"EMU trains more teachers than any
tor of Hillel of Metro Detroit, "the stu-
school in the nation, the majority of whom
dents have finalized a plan to bring some
take jobs in Michigan and northern Ohio,"
name- speakers to campus and to be more
Kaufman said. "What they learn here
pro-actively pro-Israel."
will show up in your kid's classroom.
Additionally, she said, students
Cindy Hughey, MSU
attend anti-Israel forums to defend
Hillel director
Israel and push for condemnations of
WMU: Totally Apolitical
terror. -
At Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Israel
And they are being noticed. So much so that the
just isn't on the agenda.
campus group pushing for divestment from Israel
"There is very little political activity on campus,
wrote in a recent e-mail: "It looks like the Zionists are
period," says Gillian Thommes, WMU Hillel director.
getting their stuff together and gearing up for grass-
"There is no anti-Israel activity. and the Jewish stu-
roots activism on college campuses. Appropriate strate-
dents don't really have any interest" in advocacy,
gies need to be discussed."
though they have organized an Israel table for an
A recent Hillel-sponsored planning session featured
upcoming International Night on campus. But, at this Michael Eglash, a former student activist from
point, without external pressure, internal education is
Milwaukee who moved to Israel in 1993 and, together
the focus, Thommes said.
with a partner, provides training and resources
through vvww.upstartactivist.com
Eglash applauds the work the students at Wayne are
WSU: Mobilizing Students
doing, and the support they are getting from the local
No one would call Wayne State University "sleepy"
community
when it comes to activism. This urban, primarily corn-
"The community needs to focus on those students
muter campus of 30,000 students has long been wide-
who are the leaders, and make sure they have the
awake when it comes to politics. And, like most politi- tools, techniques and information to make a differ-
cal campuses, those politics have not favored Israel.
ence. Activity needs to be well thought-out and sus-
A major issue at WSU has been the constant anti-
tained," Eglash said.
Israel drumbeat in the campus paper, the South Efrid
"Working with campuses around the country, I've
For the second year, the column of a paid staff writer
seen a level of commitment, resilience, activity and
has regularly focused on berating and condemning
love of Israel that I haven't seen in 10 years," he
Israel and Zionism.
added. "It is rejuvenating."

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J24

12/6
2002

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