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[Editor's Letter

Priming Jewish Students

A

merican Jews owe it not only to Israel, but also to the
wellbeing of diaspora Jewry to empower, encourage
and support Jewish students on campuses of higher
education across this great land of ours. Rejecting this charge
would be foolhardy.
Enlisting outside forces whenever
anti-Israel canards bubble up on cam-
pus undermines student resolve. It
tells students they aren't capable of, or
just plain shouldn't, take ownership of
denouncing such hatred.
High school graduation season is
in full swing. And the JN Cap & Gown
Yearbook of 2010 high school gradu-
ates, included in this week's issue, is
Robert Sklar
bursting with the innocent faces of
Editor
incoming university freshmen. It's the
perfect time for parents, grandparents
and the larger Jewish community to make a commitment to
strengthening Jewish identity and Jewish pride among our stu-
dents on campus, whether in their first year or upperclassmen.
No, I'm not advocating blind allegiance to Israeli govern-
mental policy, which is open to scrutiny as all
democratic decisions are. Rather, I'm suggest-
ing we give our students not only the knowl-
edge to defend Israel's right to exist as the
Jewish state with secure and safe borders, but
also the confidence to correct lies and decep-
tion about Zionism.

Staying On Guard
Firestone contends that the only way to combat the divestment
brigades is to invigorate the tens of thousands of pro-Israel stu-
dents on campus who have participated in a Taglit-Birthright
Israel trip or another Zionist program.
At Berkeley and San Diego, he maintains, anti-divestment
forces swiftly mobilized with the aid of a Hillel Jewish Agency
for Israel fellow, the Jewish Community Relations Council
(JCRC), the Israeli Consulate and other pro-Israel member
groups of the Israel on Campus Coalition.
Indeed, this kind of mobilization against the delegitimiz-
ing of Israel is welcome. But it's not the only way to respond
informatively. Another way is through empowered Jewish
students working together in coordination with well-equipped
and respected organizations like the JCRC, the Zionist
Organization of America, the Anti-Defamation League, the
American Jewish Committee, the American Israel Public
Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and the Israeli Consulate.
Or seek out StandWithUs. The Los Angeles-based Israel
education and advocacy organization, which has an active
Michigan chapter, is ready to provide guidelines for engaging
and enlightening students (www.standwithuscampus.com ).

The Pull Of AIPAC
At AIPAC policy conferences, notes Firestone, it
is not unusual to see hundreds of non-Jewish
student government presidents who are publicly
associated with the pro-Israel movement — cer-
tainly, an energizing sight.
At AIPAC's 2010 Michigan Community Event
Staying On Guard
at Rock Financial Showplace in Novi last week, I
In this sobering light, I read a thoughtful
saw a cadre of Michigan's Jewish collegiate pro-
essay by Wayne Firestone, president and CEO
Israel advocates in the record crowd of 1,600
of the national Hillel network. He describes
people. Back on campus, I hope this young adult
recent failed attempts by anti-Israel student
corps hypes Israel's success as a high-tech, startup
senate activists to pass divestment resolu-
democracy; Firestone perceptively calls this
Hillel's Wayne Firestone
tions at the University of California, San
Israel's "brand:'
Diego and UC-Berkeley as "troubling devel-
He's right, of course.
opments
As he puts it: "We must continue to represent
Now that's an understatement.
the true Israel as a country that shares America's Western
Firestone has been a Hillel activist since his undergraduate
values and contributes to the world in a variety of fields, not
days at the University of Miami. He's spot on in his assessment
the least of which are industry, medicine and the arts."
that "these resolutions — thwarted by pro-Israel students on
There's danger in sitting on the sidelines as Israel-haters on
campus in both cases — hold little practical impact and likely
American campuses gain traction via intimidating or indoc-
would be overturned on technical grounds if they should ever
trinating impressionable Jewish students, many of whom one
win passage'
day will act on their beliefs about Israel. We can — and must
But, as he stresses, the pro-Israel community must closely
— influence those future actions if we care about bolstering
monitor attempts to coax university divestment from compa-
Israel's place among the pantheon of important nations.
nies doing business with Israel or that supply arms to the Israeli
The time to prep for the next school year's anti-Israel dem-
military for use in the West Bank. There's potential for these
onstrations is now Pro-Israel students must have the ability to
resolutions to incite demonizing of Israel and to spur wide-
recognize and react to warning signs. From that understand-
spread anti-Israel sentiment on campus.
ing will flow student empowerment, leadership training, coali-
The method of choice to stir vitriol against Israel: hijacking
tion building and, as Wayne Firestone says, being "prepared to
the student government on campuses. Divestment proponents,
fight next year's as opposed to last year's battle'
typically led by Muslim student groups, are deploying the tools
Dwelling on the past is a disaster in the making.
of democracy to lobby student government representatives to
not just sponsor, but also talk up what I dismiss as anti-Israel
0
Do Jewish students arriving on campus
propaganda.
know
what to watch out for?
N w
As Firestone says, "What may seem like a simple, pro-forma,
i-
Z z Can the Jewish community do more
sense-of-the-senate resolution to an unsuspecting college legis-
5 0
lator has profound symbolic significance for friends of Israel on
ct. 0 - to expose red flags on campus?
campus:'

.

❑

Ryan has been a part of JARC's

Club Scene for years, first as a

teen, and now with other young

adults. He particularly enjoys

going to movies with the Movie

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JARC's Club Scene "helps Ryan

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It's so nice to have him involved

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Ryan likes the independence, too.

"I like to go and be with friends."

JARC Clubs are fun sodal and
recreational opportunities out and about
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May 27, 2010
- 9 PM
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May 20 • 2010

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