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World
Campus Cloud
Hillel students and professionals gear up to face anti-Israel activism.
Sue Fishkoff
November for 150 students.
J Street U, a self-described
pro-Israel advocacy organiza-
St. Louis
tion with a network of sup-
porters on about 40 campuses,
manda Boris is nervous
sponsored its first student lead-
about what she'll face
ership conference in late May
when classes resume at the
outside Baltimore, where work
University of Wisconsin later this
to counter the anti-Israel sanc-
month.
tions campaign was addressed
"There's an uncomfortable amount
along with other concerns.
of anti-Semitism on my campus:' said
AIPAC, the American Israel
the incoming senior.
Public Affairs Committee, offers
Last year, her campus newspaper
such sessions throughout the
ran an ad from a notorious Holocaust
year.
denier for several weeks, despite pro-
"We want to enable students
tests from the Jewish community.
to open up these difficult con-
More troubling, she said, were the
versations on campus:' said
anonymous posts that appeared under
Daniel May, J Street U's national
the ad, stating that the Jews "deserved
director.
it" and they "better watch themselves?'
"Everyone's concerned, and
And a professor who teaches an intro-
that's good:' said Rothstein of
ductory course on the Middle East
StandWithUs. "Once the year
makes "openly false statements about
begins, everyone's work on
Israel," she charged.
this will merge and hopefully
Boris told her story to a group of
strengthen the students?'
Students learned about Israel advocacy at the Hillel Institute at Washington University in St.
Jewish students who joined 300 of
Israel advocacy is a nuanced
Louis last month.
their peers Aug. 11-15 at Washington
issue, say Jewish campus profes-
University in St. Louis at the Hillel
sionals, and that can be divisive.
Institute, a summer training session
involved handfuls of anti-Israel students
stood with her in opposing the bill.
"For the average student,
designed to help them prepare for Jewish passing out photocopied flyers, last year
As a professional charged with help-
Israel is a problem — and they don't
engagement work on campus.
saw a high-tech traveling exhibit about
ing students develop all aspects of their
want more problems:' said Michael
A big part of that work is learning
Israel's separation barrier, complete with Jewish identities, Copans said she found
Faber, longtime Hillel executive director
how to respond effectively to anti-Israel
an embedded plasma TV showing anti-
the physical divide painful.
at Ithaca College in Ithaca, N.Y. "It makes
activities.
Israeli images.
that leg of their Jewish identity wobbly"
"Divestment bills come and go, but
Such activity has been on the rise on
And as part of the Boycott, Divestment these are Jewish students:' she said. "I
Students with varying religious and
North American campuses for several
and Sanctions campaign, efforts to bring want them to have positive Jewish expe-
political views are being asked to stand
years, but pro-Israel activists say last
resolutions calling for divestment from
riences, and that's not what they get by
together for Israel's right to exist as a
year was different: The new campaigns
Jewish and democratic state, and that
companies doing business with Israel
being glared at across the room."
are better organized, more prevalent and were noted at more than half a dozen
can bring thein into conflict with other
Asking students to act as Israel advo-
more vitriolic.
campuses — a new tactic in the anti-
cates along with all the other things they friends and other causes, activists say.
This summer, a number of national
do at college isn't easy, activists say.
"College is emblematic of what's hap-
Israel movement that targets student
pening in the general society — Israel
Jewish organizations, including Hillel,
governments.
"Our students are coming to school
held training sessions to help their
Only one of those proposed resolu-
to learn, and now they're expected to
both unites and divides the Jewish
people. That's what we're wrestling
students and staff prepare for what is
tions passed, in a non-binding student
defend;' said Roz Rothstein, co-founder
expected to be an even more targeted
and CEO of StandWithUs, a Los Angeles- with:' said Rabbi Adam Naftalin-
body vote at Evergreen State College in
Kelman, Hillel's executive director at the
anti-Israel campaign this coming year.
Olympia, Wash. But every time such a
based international organization that
"In the Jewish community there's a
bill is put forward, Hillel activists say,
describes itself as working to ensure that University of California, Berkeley, which
lot of fear and anxiety, and that lands
also faced a protracted struggle over a
the charged atmosphere it creates leaves
Israel's side of the story is being told on
divestment bill last spring.
on our campuses, on our students:' said
lasting wounds.
campuses and in other public spheres.
"For me, pro-Israel is someone who
national Hillel President Wayne Firestone
When the student government at the
"Israel is the target, but Jewish stu-
wants to develop a deep, meaningful,
at the gathering's plenary session.
University of California, San Diego voted dents who stand up for Israel also
mature, loving relationship with Israel.
"We have seen things on campus, last
on a divestment bill in April, Hillel cam-
become the target."
How this is manifested may be different
semester in particular, that are really
pus director Keri Copans noted some
In mid-August, StandWithUs flew 40
for different people?"
ugly," he told the crowd. "We can imagine Jewish students standing on the other
of its campus leaders to Oxnard, Calif.,
what we'll face when we return this fall."
side of the room with the pro-divestment for a training session, and the orga-
Whereas past years might have
crowd, even as most Jewish students
nization will host another session in
Campus Cloud on page 44
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
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September 2 • 2010