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y ields new understanding.

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August 31 • 2017

Jewish Advocacy

Jessica Davidov } jewish@edu writer

5th
in nation for boosting

74

for college students by college students

jn

uring my last three years
of college, I have spent
most of my free time
focusing on advocacy, specifically
on matters relating to Israel. When
I learned the American Jewish
Committee (AJC) was looking for
fellows for their regional offices, I
applied immediately.
My fellowship in the AJC
Chicago office began this sum-
mer at the AJC’s Global Forum
in Washington, D.C. From my
first session, I realized how dif-
ferent AJC is from the other
groups I had experienced. AJC
invests many of its resources
into its younger members. As
an AJC Goldman Fellow, I met
such speakers as Knesset
member Tzipi Livni, Israeli
Ambassador Ron Dermer and
author Bernard Henry Levy.
On the final day of the Global
Forum, I was invited to lobby
senators on a matter I found
important. Being an Israel activist
on Wayne State University’s cam-
pus, I found it fitting to speak on
combating BDS.
At the beginning of this summer,
I participated in a trip to Israel
with Hasbarah fellowships, where
I had the opportunity to visit
factories in the West Bank and
also meet with Palestinians who
explained how the BDS move-
ment harms them and defers
peace. I shared these conversa-
tions during the Global Forum
senate meeting and was told at
the end that my on-the-ground
experience really influenced their
view and that they would be sup-
porting a bipartisan anti-BDS bill.
During my time in the AJC
Chicago office, I had many
incredible experiences, including
briefings on current geopolitical
issues, lunch with religious leaders
and meetings with ambassadors
and diplomats. I also participated
in helping to develop a program
for the next generation about the
importance of advocacy.
Before my summer as a
Goldman AJC Fellow, my under-
standing was that Jewish advo-
cacy was equivalent to Israel

Jessica Davidov

advocacy. Although Israel was a
primary topic of discussion, there
was an even greater focus on
helping global Jewry. An example
was my being included in a con-
versation with the French Consul
General where we discussed the
current rise of anti-Semitism in
France. While the conversation
touched on Israel, its focus was
global Jewish advocacy.
Although I am very opinionated
and have a deep love for Israel,
AJC taught me the importance
of being an advocate for not only
Israel but also for making sure the
voices of Jews are heard globally.
As I start a new chapter in my
journey of advocacy, I want to
thank the AJC Chicago staff for
the opportunities I was invited to
be part of as well as their guid-
ance and kindness. Most of all, I
want to thank my mentor for her
constant support and encourage-
ment during my time at AJC. I
hope to inspire others to become
global advocates as she has
inspired me. @

Jessica Davidov of West Bloomfield is a senior
at Wayne State University. She is president of
the WSU Students for Israel organization and
a Goldman Fellow with the American Jewish
Committee.

