for college students by college students
“I love being
Jewish,” says
Kalamazoo College
Israel
Advocate
junior Emily Levy.
“If you have a strong
foundation of Jewish identity,
you can keep it alive anywhere.”
StandWithUs Fellow at
GVSU shares her new
knowledge about Israel
with those on campus.
Emily has had no problem
keeping it alive at K, where she
has a major in sociology and
anthropology, a minor in music,
and a concentration in Jewish
studies .
The College’s Jewish Studies
program lets her pick from 14
classes in Jewish religion ,
history and culture , and
to study Hebrew for her
language requirement.
Zoe Kaufman } jewish@edu writer
eing an Israel advocate on any col-
lege campus is a challenging, yet
very rewarding job. Whether that
campus is extremely anti-Israel or apathetic,
each case faces its battles.
In my case, I face the challenge of start-
ing from square one at Grand Valley State
University, a generally apathetic campus
regarding Mideast controversies. The majority
of my fellow students are not informed on the
topic of Israel and my job as a StandWithUs
Emerson Fellow is to educate my peers about
Israel and advocate for the state on my cam-
pus.
This one-year fellowship program recruits,
trains, educates and inspires pro-Israel college
students to become campus leaders who uti-
lize their skills and energy to drive and inspire
their peers to run effective pro-Israel events
and bring Israel’s message to their campus.
The Fellowship has allowed me to become
educated through training sessions and
conferences focused on topics ranging from
boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS)
to coalition building on campus. I recently
attended the StandWithUs InFocus confer-
ence, an intensive weekend of speakers,
educators and workshops, with my fellow col-
leagues from across the country. It was noth-
ing short of outstanding. I even was able to
relate my public relations background to some
of the workshops, such as the Psychology of
Advocating session.
I listened to inspiring speakers who told
their moving stories about how they came
to StandWithUs. Kay Wilson, a survivor of a
horrendous terrorist attack, shared her experi-
ence and how she turned it into a positive
one by becoming an advocate for Israel and
B
K’s active Jewish
Student Organization
keeps her busy. Plus,
she’s active in the vibrant
off-campus Jewish
community where she
teaches in a Sunday school
and Hebrew school.
Emily enjoys all the
Jewish and non-Jewish
friends she’s made at K and
appreciates the non-Jewish
students who participate in
classes and cultural events that
enable them learn more about
Judaism.
“I love being a K
student,” Emily says.
More
in Four.
More in a Lifetime.
StandWithUs Emerson Fellow
Zoe Kaufman teaches an Israel
101 course at GVSU.
the diversity there. Also, I had the privilege to
listen to the stories of Hussein Aboubakr and
Abe Haak, young men who grew up listening
to continuous anti-Semitic remarks and anti-
Israel sentiments yet left their communities to
discover more about the Jewish people and
Israel. The InFocus conference left me with the
tools to educate even my apathetic campus.
When I talk to my friends and peers about
Israel, the conversation usually starts with
someone asking what my internship is and
what I do. I reply, “I educate my peers about
Israel!” The response: “Wow, that’s so inter-
esting. I know nothing about Israel, tell me
more!” That’s when I tell them to come to my
event to learn.
Twenty-one students attended my first ses-
sion at GVSU titled “Israel 101.“ Attendees
remained engaged throughout the session,
learning the basics about the State of Israel in
a simple and succinct way.
With the support of the Hillel Campus
Alliance of Michigan (HCAM) Israel Fellow
Ziv Zelinger, I am able to brainstorm creative
Israel programming while reaching out to my
peers on campus and relaying the importance
of Israel. This great task could not be done
without the continuous support of the Jewish
community, HCAM, my friends and family, and
StandWithUs.@
Zoe Kaufman of Northbrook, Ill., is sophomore
at Grand Valley State University. She is the 2015-
2016 StandWithUs Emerson Fellow at GVSU.
continued from page 40
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kzoo.edu/Admission
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42 February 18 • 2016
additional pallets, almost 6,000 bottles, to
both YMCAs in Flint and to Our Lady of
Guadalupe Catholic Church, which provides
assistance to those unable to receive benefits
from the government.
It was great that we were able to raise as
much as we did and even better to go to Flint
and see the difference we were making first-
hand, but we still feel we can do more.
Our group plans to continue fundraising
through corporate sponsorships.
The fraternity looks forward to building
relationships based on philanthropy and com-
munity service, outside of KKG and MSU Hillel,
who we are already involved with.
The young men of SAM feel that we offer a
unique opportunity to new members who will
have an equal opportunity to mold the broth-
erhood they are joining. We are interested in
attracting any and all young men attending
MSU who are passionate, respectful and hon-
est individuals interested in finding personal
growth and growth for the organization. @
Jacob Gordon of West Bloomfield is a junior
at Michigan State University in East Lansing.
To learn more about SAM at MSU or to donate
to its Flint fundraiser, contact Gordon at Jacob.
brant.gordon@gmail.com or Hunter Strager at
Hstrager@hotmail.com.