By Abram Shanedling

Students at the three main Philadelphia area schools have been quite active this semester with pro-Israel awareness campaigns. Last week I had the chance to visit and see first hand what they’re up to.

At Temple University, the Temple Students for Israel (TSI) and other Hillel student leaders organized a fundraiser last week for Save a Child’s Heart. The tabling campaign, organized by Hasbara Fellow Becky Arden, took place at the campus Student Center and invited passing students to purchase Valentine’s Day, where all proceeds would go to the Israeli humanitarian organization.

Last week I had the pleasure of giving an advocacy training session for members of TSI as well as recent Birthright Alumni. Special thanks to Hasbara Fellows Becky Arden and Eric Belkoff for helping organize and to Hillel staff Phil Nordlinger and Caitlin Shmidheiser for organizing!

Meanwhile big news is breaking only 10-minutes away at Drexel University, where Hasbara Fellows Shoshana Weiss and Hannah Alexander just launched the new Dragons for Israel pro-Israel awareness group.

Capitalizing on a campus that prides itself on its business program, DFI is already gearing up for its big kickoff event, a talk with Wall Street Journalist Bret Stephens in early March that will partner with the Drexel International Business Association.

In addition, Weiss and Alexander are also considering hosting a screening of Iranium along with incorporating Israel Peace Week into a planned week of Israel awareness in April.

I also stopped by a few blocks away at the University of Pennsylvania to touch base with Hasbara Fellows Lisa Felber and Rebecca Borison, also hard at work this semester on great Israel programming. Read here for more info on that.

For a Quick Taste of the Midwest…

At the University of Illinois, Hasbara Fellows Julie Levitt, Daniel Wicentowski and Zachary Rosenfeldt of Israel Illini just wrapped up a fantastic program on social justice in Israel with Ethiopian Israeli Zion Uness.

According to Levitt, the event drew over 55 people. “Students seemed really interested in his connection to Ethiopia and Israel,” she said. “It was really good for showing the diversity within Israel.”

With that done, Israel Illini is working hard on an upcoming visit by Sgt. Benjamin Anthony of Our Soldiers Speak for February 23^rd. Levitt said she and the rest of Israel Illini aren’t limiting their PR efforts just to campus for the event, but also to the entire Champaign-Urbana community.