Learn. Lead. Launch. A grassroots Israel activism guide for the next generation of leaders.

Transcription

1 Learn. Lead. Launch. A grassroots Israel activism guide for the next generation of leaders.

2 Learn About Israel Israel 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.

3 READ 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 STAY CURRENT 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 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

4 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. 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.

5 Lead by Example Leading 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! 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. 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. 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.

6 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!

7 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. Administration & Faculty Relationships: 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 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 , 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.

8 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. 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. 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.

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