for college students by college students Jan. 26. 2017/ 28 Tevet 5777 VOLUME 8, NO. 1 Meet Michigan SWU Fellows T Israel Advocacy StandWithUs training helps bring Israel in focus for Jewish, non-Jewish students. Allison Egrin and Sebastian Parra, StandWithUs Central Region campus coordinator, at Handprints4Peace at Grand Valley State University Allison Egrin } jewish@edu writer I became a StandWithUs Emerson Fellow because I wanted to educate my fellow students about what it means to support Israel and to tell its story like no one had related it to them before. I wanted to show that we are more than the horrible images of war portrayed in the media. StandWithUs (SWU) is an international Israel education nonprofit based in Los Angeles that supports people around the world who want to educate their campuses and communities about Israel. Seeing students engaged and interested motivates me to continue advocating. I feel rewarded when I see non-Jewish students learning about Israel and developing an interest and affinity toward my ancient homeland. I would not know how to accomplish this strategically and effectively without the train- ing I received at the StandWithUs Emerson conference in August. They taught us, includ- ing the three other Michigan fellows, skills to outreach, educate and engage students regarding the country I love. Founded in 2007, the Fellowship selects and trains 75 student leaders from 75 North American universities to educate about Israel on their campuses and to confront anti-Israel rhetoric. I believe our work on campus would be futile if we didn’t reach out to the non- Jewish community, which is why for my first event, Handprints4Peace, I reached out to any student who passed by to show their support for coexistence and peace in the Middle East. We created a white canvas where students could create a mural with their handprints. 40 January 26 • 2017 jn he state’s four StandWithUs Emerson Fellows are led by Andrew Moss, Midwest campus liaison, and Sebastian Parra, new Central Region campus coordina- tor, who is Christian. Elana Werblin/Michigan State University: “My campus is fairly apathetic. The students are unsure how to defend Israel. I became a StandWithUs Emerson Andrew Moss Fellow to learn better ways of advocating for Israel and also how to impart that to the students. “One big project for me is ‘Israel Take 5, Get Wise.’ MSU’s Israel fellow, Rotem Raiter, and I will be at different coffee shops and ice cream places on and off campus each week and talk about Israel to people as they grab a free coffee or ice cream. Each week will be a different subject — Israeli sports, culture or politics. “I’m also planning a Middle Eastern food event with the Arab Student Association and another where people can make schnitzel and falafel at Hillel. The biggest event is the Israel Fest in November.” Mariel Setton/University of Michigan, Ann Arbor: “This is a big campus with a lot of different opinions about Israel and the Middle East. Many students are uneducated about Israel; and the anti-Israel groups, including Students for Justice in Palestine, are very active. I became a StandWithUs Emerson Fellow to learn how to confront anti-Israel actions and how to motivate students to join me. “I have reached out to non-Jews on campus to educate them about Israel. I ran a Shabbat dinner with the Christian Business Initiative and Students as Living Testimonies, and I am working with pro-Israel Christian students to create a Christians United for Israel group on campus.” Shira Starr/Eastern Michigan University: “I will be running a few fun Israel informa- tional sessions including a Jeopardy game and an Israel 101 session. Also, together with Hillel and the David Project, I will bring sever- al strong Israeli woman to speak about diver- sity within Israel’s society. “I will also show Jerusalem University’s Shira Starr movie Beneath The Helmet, which is about life as an Israeli soldier. I am very excited for this year’s programs and to be promoting Israel across campus!” @ It was a huge success and an incredible moment for me, as I was inspired to see my peers engage with Israel in a positive outlet. I had low expectations and some hesitancy about student reactions going into it, but a ton of students were excited to dip their hands in some paint for peace. We saw students of all backgrounds showing their appreciation for what we were doing, and we were even able to strike some meaning- ful conversations about peace, Israel and the conflict. The event was co-sponsored by Hillel Campus Alliance of Michigan. This year, I started a new club at my univer- sity called Peace by Piece (Palestinian-Israeli Effective Change through Education). A close friend, Victor, is a Palestinian-American. Together we strive to educate students on both the Palestinian and Israeli narrative to show that education is the path for peace. Bias, hatred and silence from either side is an obstacle towards peace. We plan on hosting events, bringing in speakers, arranging fundraisers and encour- aging dialogue while finding common ground. The first event that we are presenting in February is StandWithUs’ Israeli Soldiers Tour, where two reserve duty Israeli soldiers share their personal experiences in the IDF, discuss their backgrounds, life in Israel and answer questions. They put a "human face" on the IDF uniform. For more about Peace by Piece, visit https://www.facebook.com/ PeaceByPieceGVSU/?fref=ts. @ Allison Egrin is the StandWithUs Emerson Fellow 2016-17 and Hillel Vice President at Grand Valley State University. Mariel Setton, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; Sebastian Parra, StandWithUs Central Region campus coordinator; Allison Egrin, Grand Valley State University; and Elana Werblin, Michigan State University