learn. lead. launch. - juf · exodus, leon uris advocacy: the case for israel, alan dershowitz the...
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Learn.Lead.Launch.A grassroots Israel activism guidefor the next generation of leaders.
Learn About IsraelIsrael’s story is intricate, complex and deserves an in-depth
understanding in order to communicate it accurately to friends,
classmates and the campus community. When the opposition
aggressively attempts to invent their own version of the facts,
it is critical that we educate ourselves and inform our campuses.
Israeli News Sources:The Jerusalem Post
Haaretz
Ynet News
U.S. News Sources:The New York Times
The Wall Street Journal
The Washington Post
Beyond the Conflict:Israel 21c
Israel on Campus
Israel Campus Beat
STAY CURRENT Israeli Culture/Life in Israel:
The Israelis: Ordinary People in an Extraordinary Land, Donna Rosenthal
Start Up Nation, Dan Senor and Saul Singer
Here and Now: History, Nationalism, and Realism in Modern Hebrew, Todd Hasak-Lowy
Written by Israeli Authors: Poems of Jerusalem, Yehuda Amichai
A Woman in Jerusalem, A.B. Yehoshua
The Last Jew, Yoram Kaniuk
At the Entrance to the Garden of Eden, Yossi Klein Halevi
The Conflict:Myths and Facts: A Guide to the
Arab-Israeli Conflict, Mitchell G. Bard
From Beirut to Jerusalem, Thomas Friedman
In the Land of Israel, Amos Oz
Exodus, Leon Uris
Advocacy: The Case for Israel, Alan Dershowitz
The Israel Test, George Gilder
101 Ways to Help Israel: A Guide to Doing Small Things that Can Make Big Differences, Haskell Nussbaum
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Young Judea
YJ Impact emphasizes personal engagement with the real
Israel through multi-faceted programs and opportunities.
YJ Impact embodies the pluralistic, non-partisan approach
of Young Judaea and its sponsor, Hadassah.
The Milstein Foundation Campus Allies Mission to Israel
(Open to non-Jewish Students)
The Milstein Foundation Campus Allies Mission,
which is open only to those who have not been to Israel
and are not eligible for Birthright Israel, is designed
for pro-Israel political activists and student leaders
from Historically Black Colleges and Universities,
Christian campuses and primarily Hispanic-serving
institutions. Participants experience the land of the Bible,
gain a deeper understanding of the strategic and social
issues facing Israel today, and examine the challenges
and opportunities associated with the U.S.-Israel alliance.
GO
Birthright
Taglit-Birthright Israel offers the gift of a free, 10-day
educational trip to Israel for Jewish adults aged 18 to 26.
The trip aims to strengthen participants’ Jewish identity;
to build understanding, friendship and a lasting bond
with the land and people of Israel; and to reinforce
the solidarity of the Jewish people worldwide.
Masa Israel Journey
Masa Israel Journey connects Jewish young adults (ages
18-30) to gap-year, study abroad, post-college and volunteer
programs. No other organization makes it easier for young
adults to have exciting, life-changing experiences in Israel.
Hasbara Fellowships
Intensive Israel activism education is the core strategy
of Hasbara Fellowships and remains exclusively our niche.
Hasbara Fellowships brings hundreds of students to Israel
every summer and winter; over 1,800 students from more
than 250 campuses have benefited from the information,
tools and confidence provided by the program. Hasbara
Fellows return to their campuses as strategic thinkers,
organizational leaders and innovative advocates,
dedicated to the positive portrayal of Israel on campus.
Set a good example.Be a positive force in class and excel in your studies. Speak up and interact positively with your classmates. If and when Israel comes up in conversation, make your voice heard and establish
yourself as a trusted and open-minded resource.
Listen.Grass roots activism is not about shouting the loudest. It requires the ability to listen and adapt to the needs
of your fellow classmates and campus community.
Engage your peers on campus.Befriend students outside your regular circle.
Get to know who they are and what they care about.
Run for student government.Or ask to sit in on open meetings. Know the key decision-makers.
Make your voice heard on issues concerning Israel.
Serve on boards and councils.Some may include a mix of students, faculty
and administrators with whom you can connect.
Get involved.Become active in different student organizations
or volunteer for service projects. Reach out to your classmates and peers on campus. Look into collaborating with multiple
student groups on Israel-focused programs.
Consider pro-Israel leadership positions.Develop leadership skills through various pro-Israel
leadership positions or internships on campus with Hillel, your local Jewish Federation or other pro-Israel organizations.
Lead by ExampleLeading by example speaks volumes to your friends, classmates
and the campus community-sometimes even beyond what you
can say about Israel. Let your actions serve as the precedent.
Look for leadership, service and other opportunities that will
connect your passions and Israel.Invest in yourself and others!
Launch a Grassroots Movement
You need to build a team to launch a successful movement on campus
for Israel. Reach out to others and rally them around your cause.
Reach people where they are by showing them how Israel relates
to their everyday lives. Recruit old friends, make new friends,
approach faculty and let them all play an active role
in launching a vision that becomes a movement!
• Faculty have a vested interest in their students. Let them know about your involvement in Israel advocacy.
• Engage with your professors and get to know them. Ask to meet for coffee and tell them about your involvement with Israel advocacy and Israel’s relevance to your campus.
• Tenured professors may feel more comfortable working with you than those without tenure. Try to check out their views before meeting with them. Check the internet and look up their course syllabus and recommended resources so you know who you are speaking with.
• Ask faculty whether their departments would co-sponsor programming with you.
• Make relationships with department chairs. Send them an email explaining who you are and the work that you do.
• Bring in an Israeli academic and ask faculty to host them in their classroom (i.e. a recognized expert on the Middle East in an International Relations class).
• Be professionally persistent. If they do not respond to an email, follow up with a phone call.
• Give them all the info they might need (speaker’s bio, topics, availability, costs, etc.).
• Grow your faculty network. By building these relationships you will be able to provide your campus greater access to Israel education and also have a backup if anti-Israel activity flares up on your campus.
Administration & Faculty Relationships:
Get involved.Connect with Hillel and ask about Israel-focused activities
you can join or lead. If options are limited, consider
creating a group of like-minded pro-Israel students
willing to implement a strategic campaign on campus..
Recruit your team.Volunteers are the key to success. An inspiring message, clear
plan of action and strong leadership will motivate your team.
Develop strong relationships with non-Jews.Build relationships with non-Jewish administration,
faculty, student government association, campus news,
religious leaders and student club leaders. Reaching out
beyond the Jewish community is key.
Expand your vision.Include a diversity of affinity groups, specific and various
academic areas, and consider which shared values resonate
with each group, department and individual.
Learn more about your campus.Understand your campus culture, faculty and students’
interests, and choose topics that introduce Israel in a
non-threatening and ultimately educational manner.
Not Jewish?Consider reaching out to other students and create a
pro-Israel group or initiative on campus. Contact Hillel,
make them aware of your plans and let them know
you’re interested in possible joint projects.
Other Ideas:
• Don’t limit yourself to certain groups. Jewish Studies and Middle Eastern departments are a good start but won’t reach a diversity of people.
• Bring speakers on campus that appeal to different departments and approach them to co-sponsor.
• Be it political science, journalism, medicine, nursing, military science, art, music, women’s studies, religion, etc., Israel is a leader in the field and offers experts in each who will speak on campus.
SGA, Student Clubs, Students in Your Classrooms:
• Run for student government or ask to sit in on open meetings. Know who the key decision-makers are. Make sure your voice is heard on issues concerning Israel.
• Try to serve on boards and councils in order to be on the pulse of what’s happening on campus. Some may include a mix of students, faculty and administrators.
• Ask other student groups to meet with you and your Hillel/pro-Israel group over coffee. Find common interests and goals. Explain why you support Israel, but also be interested in their goals and collaborate. Ask to co-sponsor programming together; this is a great way to get involved and build support.
• Reach out to your classmates and peers on campus. Speak to them about Israel and why it’s important to you on a personal level. The more students can make a personal connection with Israel and understand it through your perspective, the easier it will be for them to feel comfortable talking about it.
• Approach the college chaplain and leaders of other religious groups to meet, talk and look into the possibility of interfaith programming with a focus on Israel.
www.facebook.com/IsraelEducationCenter