By: Ilana Levinson

SAFI celebrated Israel and built lasting coalitions with a variety of student groups for a whole month this semester!  Hasbara Fellow and SAFI Board member, Ilana Levinson shares her experiences.

By: Galia Nurko

Last night, Ohio State's College Republicans kicked off their "Conservative Week" with a critical and informative event called "Stand with Israel Day," which over thirty students attended!!!

By: Debra Rubin
NJJN Bureau Chief/Middlesex

U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ Dist. 6) made a strong case for United States-Israel ties at a student leadership dinner organized by Rutgers Hillel.

By Galia Nurko

Carnegie Mellon, Ohio State, Ohio University, and University of Cincinnati teach us that there is no right way to celebrate Yom Haazmaut,the important thing is to go out there and show your community that you care about the State of Israel!

Hasbara's own Hashem Hamdy profiles Hasbara Fellow and Canadian student leader Zane Colt in this Hasbara's Campus Pulse.

By: Talia Salzman

As we near the end of the semester and all the Hillel students are studying for exams, Hasbara fellows Sarah Silvers Cawker, Matt Goldberg, Steven Zbarsky along with other Hillel students at the University of Victoria have been fundraising, teaching cooking classes, making PB&J sandwiches for the homeless, and coming up with creative and fun ways to make money for Save A Child’s Heart and promote Israel!

Israel Festival revamped for its 5th year at the University of California Irvine!

By: Elana Friedman

Hasbara Fellow, Elana Friedman, was among the organizers of American University's Israeli Greentech Conference this semester.

Israel was recently ranked as the second most innovative country in the world for cleantech (behind Denmark), by the Cleantech Global Innovation Index 2012 [1].  Though such an accolade is not the focus of Middle East Politics students, this is only one of Israel's many great attributes, which can peak interest for otherwise uninvolved students who wish to gain a broader understanding of Israel.

By Sandra Cohen

With Yom Haatzmaut at the end of the month, Northern California schools are planning for special events.

By: Jesse Shore

Late last month, in colaboration with Israel Peace Week, students at the University of Virginia hosted a 5K run to raise money for Save A Child's Heart.

While most schools have successfully completed their Israel Peace Weeks, there’s one school that’s just getting started: Northeastern. The Huskies for Israel group at Northeastern has taken on the task of expanding Israel Peace Week into a jam-packed Israel Peace Month.

By: Daniel Cohen

Hasbara Fellows Caroline Mendelsohn and Tracy Frydberg have taken Texans for Israel by the horns – literally. Through a combination of hard work, active programming, and relentless outreach, they have helped turn Texans for Israel into a multi-faceted student organization capable of playing many roles at once.

By: Hashem Hamdy

Hasbara's own Hashem Hamdy brings us up to speed about some great initiatives of pro-Israel students in Montreal.

When you think of Montreal's Concordia University and Israel, memories of violence and anger from the 2002 Netanyahu protest riot come to mind.

Update by: Rebecca Sterling

You've heard about the Florida Loves Israel conference but now you can check out their new website by clicking HERE! On the site, you can learn about the conference through photos and videos and you can find links to the national and student organizations which contributed. There is even a section for campuses to apply to host the conference in 2013. We are happy to support FLI and can't wait for the next one!

By: Ilana Zelener

UCSD students defeated an anti-Israel divestment bill this month for the third year in a row.  But this time, the students truly set a very important precedent on campus.  In years past, the bill was simply "tabled." This year it was voted down by the student senate.

By: Alexandra Cohen

The air in Washington, DC was filled with Pro-Israel vibes this month as 13,000+ activists flocked to the annual AIPAC Policy Conference.  At the same time, as part of the international, 75 campus (and growing!) Israel Peace Week initiative, activists on three campuses in the area also took the necessary action to show their peers that Israel Wants Peace.  With pre-Peace Week training, creative outreach, and coalition building in mind, Hasbara Fellows at George Washington University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Maryland – College Park crafted unique programs to unite a variety of clubs in their school communities.

By: Eitan Gilboord

Toronto claims one of the largest Jewish populations in Canada and a very strong united community of pro-Israel support. However, over the past few weeks I have seen this great city turn upside down and inside out, in what has surely been one of the wildest sequences of events amongst the pro-Israel community. The following is an assortment of the highlights and occurrences of Israel Peace Week (IPW) and Israel Apartheid Week (IAW) in Toronto during the month of March 2012.

By: Jesse Shore

Great Danes for Israel, with a board consistsing of no more than ten students, made a large impact for Israel in a university of over 12,000 students.

By: Avi Fuld

Unless you have been living under a rock for the past week, you have most likely seen the Kony 2012 video pop up on your news feed approximately one hundred times over. The thirty-minute clip, produced by the Invisible Children organization, exposes the Ugandan warlord, Joseph Kony for his crimes against thousands of African women and children.

This weekend, various on-campus organizations will be sponsoring a “One-State Conference,” which calls for the creation of a single state for both Israelis and Palestinians. Although the conference touts this proposal as a viable resolution to the ongoing conflict, we are gravely concerned that a one-state “solution” would both mean the end of Israel as a sovereign Jewish state and create the circumstances for a human rights catastrophe.  Despite claims to the contrary, the creation of a binational state would be both radical and antithetical to genuine peace.

By: Danielle Reich

When most students think of Purim, they think of listening to the reading of the megillah, lots of hamantaschen, and most of all, ensuring that by the end of the holiday they cannot distinguish the names of Haman and Mordechai (by any means necessary…).  Yet at Columbia University, Hasbara Fellow Eric Schorr decided to make Purim even more meaningful.

By Rebecca Sterling

Since the start of 2012, Florida has demonstrated the tremendous support it has for Israel. Such support is crucial, especially in light of increased rocket attacks being launched from Gaza.This support is most clearly demonstrated by the students of Florida's universities, who have taken the initiative to organize and host events such as "Florida Loves Israel" (FLI) and Israel Peace Week"(IPW).

By Sandra Cohen

Last week, Hasbara Fellowships was able to send 18 student delegates from California schools to AIPAC’s Policy Conference in Washington, D.C.  The delegation was part of the Milstein Scholars program, through the Adam & Gila Milstein Family Foundation.  The foundation sponsored over 100 students to attend the conference.

By: Daniel Cohen

It’s been an eventful past couple weeks in the Midwest when it comes to Israel advocacy.  From Bibi Netanyahu’s shout-out to pro-Israel students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison at AIPAC Policy Conference in Washington, D.C. to the Noyes Chemistry lab at Champaign, IL, to the quad at the University of Austin-Texas, there’s been no shortage of Peace Week-related events to choose from.  Let’s get right to it:

By: Galia Nurko

Israel Peace Week brought to Ohio and Pittsburgh campuses!

By: Raffi Mark

On select college campuses across North America there is an annual week devoted to spreading hatred toward the Jewish state. It goes by the name “Israel Apartheid Week,” but a more accurate title would be “Hate Week.” This year student leaders and the staff of the newly established Rutgers Hillel Center for Israel Engagement, Tzvi Raviv and Lihi Rothshild, developed a plan that we call “Defeat Hate Week.”

By: Talia Salzman

The University of Victoria Israel On Campus Hasbara fellows have been busy organizing numerous events for campus this semester and are now in the process of running Israel Week! For the past several months, student leader and Hasbara fellow Steven Zbarsky has worked with fellows Matt Goldberg and Sarah Silvers Cawker to network with other advocacy groups to put on events, to run the annual Human Rights Fair sponsored by Amnesty International, and host a representative from the Canadian Federation of Jewish Students!

By: Sarah Close

Last week, Boston University Students for Israel (BUSI) hosted Israel Peace
Week in an effort to reach out and educate students about Israel’s desire for peace.

By: Tracy Frydberg (as seen on Israel Campus Beat)

“Israel wants peace, Israel needs a partner for peace.”

This is the proactive message that campus Israel activists are spreading as they prepare for Israel Peace Week (IPW) and Israel Apartheid Week (IAW).

By: Danielle Reich

Starting this week, both NYU and Rutgers will be hosting Israel Peace Week, spreading the message of Israel’s desire for peace in the Middle East across the New York/New Jersey area!

By: Avi Fuld

In the Campus Pulse’s previous post, my colleague and friend, Talia Salzman, noted how a Hasbara Fellow completely revamped her Israel club at the University of Washington. This story, amazingly enough, is not a unique instance anymore- Hasbara Fellows are effecting their Israel groups and college campuses across the country in a powerful way.

By: Talia Salzman

University of Washington’s Israel group, Huskies for Israel is now being run by Gabriella Horowitz, a fresh off the trip, Hasbara fellow! Her passionate enthusiasm for Israel has lead her to re-establish this club which over the years had minimal activity and presence on campus. Gabriella with co-President Maayan Kachlon are seeking out new and upcoming leaders who will help them create a more successful Israel group that promotes Israel and reaches out to the community.

By: Noa Naftali

What do life-saving surgeries, Valentines Day, and Israel all have in common?  This Valentine's Day, Tufts Friends of Israel presents its second annual Save a Child’s Heart Campaign.

By, Galia Nurko

Save a Child's Heart and Israel Peace Week are just around the corner for The Ohio State University, Ohio University, University of Cincinatti, University of Pittsburgh, and Carnegie Mellon. After weeks of preparation its exciting to see students come together to successfully illustrate to their campuses that Israel has made significant strives towards peace.

By: Ilana Zelener

Claremont Students for Israel take over the Claremont schools with big events for Valentines Day and for the future. This young club is making great strides in becoming a leader in the California region.

By: Sarah Close

With Israel Peace Week just weeks away, Hasbara fellows and staff met at the Combined Jewish Philanthropies (CJP) building in downtown Boston to discuss strategy and plans for this year's campaign.

By: Jesse Shore

For the past few weeks, all eyes with concern for Israel and for peace were focused on students at the University of Pennsylvania.

By: Danielle Reich

This past weekend, the University of Pennsylvania hosted a BDS Conference that was put together by the recently formed PennBDS group.  Not only did the pro-Israel students at UPenn produce a highly effective, multifaceted response, but Columbia University led an Ivy League-sponsored response as well.

By Rebecca Sterling

Last weekend, Noles for Israel at Florida State University hosted a state-wide conference for Israel advocates. The “Florida Loves Israel” Conference (FLI) was attended by 130 students, representing nearly every university in Florida.

By: Alexandra Cohen

For Johns Hopkins students, Israel is a place they know beyond the headlines of mainstream media.  It is a country many have visited, and consider to be a vibrant, unique society full of promise and opportunity.

By: Avi Fuld

This past Sunday night, the Brandeis Zionist Alliance, Brandeis’ Israeli culture club, hosted its “Coming Back from Israel” event. The event, which built upon last year’s Birthright and Burritos event, targeted students who had just returned from trips to Israel and wanted to learn how to become involved with Israel activism on campus.

By: Daniel Cohen

Students face different challenges on different campuses.  For some students, the start of the semester means the start of an entirely new pro-Israel club – while for others, it signals an opportunity to try something different.

The following is a blog entry written by Ellie Rudee, Hasbara Fellow from Scripps College who is participating on the winter Israel program.

The following is a blog entry written by Navah Stein, Hasbara Fellow from University of Vermont who is participating on the winter Israel program.

The following is a blog entry written by Miriam Eshaghian, Hasbara Fellow from UCLA who is participating on the winter Israel program.

The following is a blog entry written by Leah Karchmer, Hasbara Fellow from DePaul University in Chicago who is participating on the winter Israel program.

The following is a blog entry written by Daniel Amster, Hasbara Fellow from the University of Albany in New York who is participating on the winter Israel program.

The following is a blog entry written by Benjamin Cohen, Hasbara Fellow from Columbia College in Chicago who is participating on the winter Israel program.

By: Dan Pine, J Staff

This article was originally published in the Bay Area Jewish newspaper, J Weekly.  Last week, the UC Berkeley Jewish Student Union became the first student organization to vote on membership for J Street U.  Hasbara Fellows, including Jacob Lewis who is quoted extensively below, were heavily involved in the discussion and ultimately swayed the outcome of the vote.

U.C. Berkeley’s Jewish Student Union includes groups such as Challah for Hunger, Bears for Israel and the Jewish Business Association.   J Street U will not be joining them.

By, Galia Nurko

 

"Who's that Fellow?" is the the end of the semster blog highlighting one outstanding Hasbara Fellow. This semesters featured Fellow is Rebecca Wasserstein from The Ohio State University.

By Sandra Cohen

This past month, UC Davis’ Aggies for Israel focused on bringing Assi Azar to campus.

By: David Sverdlov

The author is the co-president of Tikvah Students for Israel at UC Berkeley and a Hasbara Fellow. Last week, in an unprecedented event, the question of whether J Street U would be admitted into the Jewish Student Union was put up to a vote at UC Berkeley. Various student organizations led by Hasbara Fellows voted against the measure, including Tikvah Students for Israel, Jews in Engineering, and the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity. The author shares his perspective as a Jewish student leader on campus.

By: Jesse Shore

When anti-Israel bias is lacking in momentum, student leaders can devote their time to strengthening the knowledge and appreciation of Israel on campus.  In taking advantange of the relative calm with regard to Israel, Binghamton students are doing just that.

By: Daniel Cohen

Last week, over 350 students at Michigan State University celebrated Israel-Fest, a massive explosion of pro-Israel messaging.  The event was held at the MSU Student Union Building and was co-sponsored by the student government.  Coalition building, campus media, educational and PR materials... the event was a huge success.  Read on for three important lessons to learn and to get some ideas for your own Israel Fest!

By: Avi Fuld

There are several elements that go into producing a successful pro-Israel event: food, music, and educational content. What is often underplayed, however, is the hard work and elaborate planning which serves as the backbone of any amazing event.

By: Alexandra Cohen

As part of the Adam and Gila Milstein Coalition Building Initiative, George Washington University’s Israel advocacy organization, SAFI – Student Alliance for Israel, recently partnered with DC Meor and College Republicans to bring Jerusalem Post Military Correspondent and Defense Analyst, Yaakov Katz to campus.

By: Adam Butensky

On Tuesday, November 8^th, 2011, Harvard Students for Israel (HSI) held their annual event of Israel Fest, and once again it was a phenomenal success.  Students from across campus chowed down on delicious falafel while enjoying the beautiful weather and some Israeli music.

By: Galia Nurko

“The bond between the United States of America and Israel is unbreakable.” Senator Sherrod Brown stated in a video he produced for the attendants at Buckeyes for Israel’s annual pro-Israel conference, Ohio Loves Israel.

By: Leah Karchmer

The author is a freshman at DePaul University, a member of DePaul Students for Israel, and an incoming Hasbara Fellow. The following describes her reaction to an anti-Israel walkout at a "Israel 101" event last week, which she has since incorporated into a final presentation for one of her classes.

By: Alexandra Cohen

October 25^th marked the 1948^th day after Gilad Shalit was captured by Hamas.  It was also a day that the Coalition of Hopkins Activists for Israel (CHAI) chose to celebrate human rights in Israel and discuss Shalit with a diverse cross section of the Johns Hopkins community.

By: Eitan Gilboord

Toronto students have a very tough time with anti-Israel propaganda on campus. Ryerson University students, who are located in the heart of downtown Toronto have been doing an amazing job at countering the negativity and promoting the wonderful aspects of Israel.

By: Talia Salzman

Does Canada always have leadership retreats? You bet! Vancouver Hillel saw students from Simon Frasier University, University of Victoria, University of British Columbia, and Evergreen College for a weekend full of fun leadership building activities and Israel Activism training. We ate, we talked, and then we talked some more..

By: Natalie Milstein

Tufts Friends of Israel has provided its campus with ample information about Israel and has engaged a wide array of campus leadership in the past two months by bringing distinguished speakers Professor Guiora and Dr. Tal Becker and by planning a cultural event to bring the sundry ethnic tastes of Israel to Tufts University.

By Sandra Cohen

Last week, student delegates from several Bay Area schools spent their Shabbats near Santa Cruz, CA to freshen up on their advocacy skills.

By: Batya Reyz

On Tuesday, NYSIPAC (the Brooklyn College Israel Club) joined together with the Food Sustaibablility Club to hold a tabling event educating the student body on the numerous ways that Israel works to protect the environment.

By: Danielle Reich

Midterms? Jewish holidays?  No sweat!  Nothing stops Columbia University and New York University from advocating for Israel in full force on campus.

By: Avi Fuld

Many Israel groups on campus excel in planning all sorts of events: speakers, rallies, tabling, and cultural fests. It is often overlooked that pro-Israel groups need to continually educate their members internally in order to strengthen themselves.

By: Rebecca Sterling

Pro-Israel advocates are always coming up with creative ideas on how to work together with other student groups. However, sometimes students feel that even if they have a great idea, it wouldn't work on their campus. Ask what's holding them back and you will most likely hear "We don't know anyone in group X that will work with us" or "We simply do not have the funding to make it possible". Suddenly, a bright light begins to shine, the clouds part, and the answer to their prayers appears before their very eyes; The Adam & Gila Milistein Coalition Building Initiative.

By: Daniel Cohen

Ishmael Khaldi, Israel's first Bedouin deputy consul and first high ranking Muslim in the Israeli foreign service, is continuing a Midwest tour that has already stopped at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Michigan.  Khaldi will head to Purdue University on Friday.  So far, the tour has generated significant interest - and a fair bit of controversy - from both students and community members.

By: Josh Morris

Now that school has started its time to start (or jumpstart) recruiting members to your student groups. After working with many different groups across the country, I have discovered these three tactics to recruit members to your groups. The crucial three are: BRAND, HYPE,and GET PERSONAL.

By: Rebecca Sterling

Over the last couple of weeks, pro-Israel advocates have been extremely active in spreading facts and knowledge across hundreds of campuses. Armed with resources and training from Hasbara Fellowships, students in Florida geared up to face the challenges of September.

By Sandra Cohen

As pro-Israel groups in Northern California are starting up still, UC
Berkeley's Tikvah Students for Israel has already had two general meetings and hosted Professor Amos Guiora, a Law Professor at the University of Utah and an expert on Security Law, to discuss the legal implications of the Palestinian unilateral Declaration of Statehood.

By: Galia Nurko

An unpredicted reactionby Israel's detractors on Ohio campuses leads pro-Israel students to take on a pro-active goal in establishing strong coalitions on their campus.

By: Alexandra Cohen

As on many college campuses nationwide, the students at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD prepared intensely for what they expected to be an ominous “September”.  After spending the Summer months sharpening their knowledge of the heating climate in Israeli-Palestinian politics, the Coalition of Hopkins Activists for Israel (CHAI) recognized the importance of catching students right out of the gate as they returned to campus in the Fall.

By: Natalie Milstein

In preparation for the Palestinian Authority unilateral declaration of statehood at the United Nations, Tufts Friends of Israel invited Mr. Hillel Neuer to address the community on the topics of the U.N.’s differential treatment of Israel and whether the Palestinians would benefit from seeking recognition from the international organization.

By: Daniel Cohen

Last week saw a record number of campuses using the new “Friend Request Pending” promotional materials to stand up for Israel.  The Midwest region had several stand-out efforts, thanks to the work of Hasbara Fellows and select Binyan students who really took the extra step and got more involved on campus.

By: Chananel Weiner

I got the call from my students just after noon that a speaker from the Palestinian Authority, Fatah, was coming at 4:30 as part of a special presentation in a class on Islam and America at Northeastern University.
My students were upset that his talk was planned clandestinely, sprung on them and would be happening both in the shadow of 9/11 and on the heels of the UN General Assembly meeting.

By: Galia Nurko

"Friend Request Pending" has taken The Ohio State Universtiy by storm. Today at the welcome week involvement fair, Buckeyes for Israel, successfully and passionately presented to the student body why the Palestinian unilateral bid for statehood is a deviation from the peace process rather than a step towards peace.

By: Rachel Weiss

In the ten years since Hasbara Fellowships held their first mission to Israel, the program has successfully trained and motivated over 2,500 Jewish college students to become ambassadors for Israel on their campuses. The education, confidence, and passion that the Hasbara Fellowships training and staff instill in our students make them lifelong, proud pro-Israel activists. Not surprpisingly, a huge number of Hasbara Fellowships alumni go on to pursue careers in the pro-Israel advocacy or Jewish world.

By Daniel Heinrich

On Tuesday, September 13^th, the Brandeis Zionist Alliance (BZA) ­­hosted a Hookah Night for Brandeis Students for the first time. Held outside on the Great Lawn at the center of the campus, BZA offered students free Hookahs to smoke and a plentiful amount of snack food. This event was the first cultural event offered by BZA so far this year.

By: Batya Reyz

Wow, what a week it’s been on the East Coast! Between classes, work, engaging new students, planning upcoming events, and getting ready to table on our campuses!

By: Danielle Reich

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s…a huge Bedouin tent right outside of Rutgers University Hillel!  Last Wednesday, Rutgers kicked off the fall semester on a fun, high note.  What better way to attract students to pro-Israel activism than a relaxed Bedouin atmosphere, free Israeli food and amazing opportunities for students to get involved?

By: Chananel Weiner

Over 50 Hasbara fellows attending New England schools gathered to network, share ideas, and get motivated to advocate for Israel this semester at the Hasbara Fellowships New England Reunion Kickoff event.

Students attending were treated to a sophisticated menu of hors d’ oeuvres while overlooking the Boston skyline from the 14^th floor of the Hyatt Regency Cambridge. The evening also included the launch of the Friend Request Pending Campaign along with an introduction of the staff and newly formed student leaders board.

By: David Plotkin

I have just begun my first semester at Canada’s best law school and boy is it tough! But you know what’s even more tough? Getting college students motivated for Israel Advocacy on campus with early-semester distractions like Frosh, Orientation, Beer, “I forget,” More Beer… But this “frosh apathy” has not been a problem for Montreal and Ottawa leaders. Not to say that our leaders aren’t cool. They just have strong motivations to get down to business (… and party).

By: Daniel Cohen

Student leaders at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have hit the ground sprinting this year with a week of Israel programming called I-Fest.  The programming includes tabling for “Real Partners Real Peace” with Hasbara Fellowships’ “Friend Request Pending” materials, a 9/11 campus-wide vigil, and culminates with a speech from Tal Brody, Israeli basketball superstar and current Goodwill Ambassador.

By: Talia Salzman

Write for your campus newspaper on a Pro-Israel topic, get it published, send it to OpEdChallenge@hasbarafellowships.org, and you may win $250! We are looking for students who want to write about and educate the rest of the student body about what is really going on in Israel, and what they can do to help!

By: Hasbara Fellowships Staff

This month, the Palestinian Authority will be bringing the issue of Palestinian statehood to a vote at the United Nations. Instead of recognizing and negotiating with Israel for a two-state solution, the PA is attempting to isolate Israel and increase regional tensions. Are you prepared to defend Israel in the battle on campus?

By: Stephanie Aziz

It’s difficult trying to explain Jewish and Pro-Israel life on campus. It’s important to remember that most students do not feel anti-Semitism and anti-Israel sentiment on a day-to-day basis.

By: Rebecca Sterling

Whether your goal is increasing and maintaining membership, coalition building, or educating your campus, you might find the beginning of the school year a bit tricky if you don’t feel like your group has enough momentum. Here are some tips to help gain momentum within your group and with other student organizations you wish to reach out to.

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By: Natalie Milstein

As Tufts University students prepare to return to campus, Tufts Friends of Israel eagerly awaits its kick-off event for the year with Hillel Neuer, the executive director of the Geneva-based NGO UN Watch on Thursday, September 15^th at 6:30 p.m.

By Sandra Cohen

Students in the Northern California semester schools are back and beginning to plan for the year! Leaders at UC Berkeley are planning events to recruit freshman, educate their members, and build coalitions.

By: Galia Nurko

Ohio Campuses are preparing for an exciting year in Israel Advocacy. As the UN vote for Palestinian statehood approaches, Ohio campuses are preparing op-ed, education seminars, and campaigns to ensure that their campus is educated on the importance of direct negotiations. There is no doubt that Israel Advocacy across Ohio is going to start out with a positive bang!

By: Batya Reyz

As the beggining of the school year approaches, we are all very busy getting used to our new schedules and setting personal goals for the upcoming semester. But as hectic as things can get, we need to take advantage of the new semester and all it has to offer. The start of a new semester is an amazing opportunity to reach out to incoming freshman or uninvolved students and get them excited about joining the Israel activism movement!

By: Danielle Reich

In light of the recent month’s events, we as Hasbara Fellows have a lot to look out for as the upcoming year commences.   Whether it is the Palestinian unilateral bid for statehood at the United Nations in September, the Durban III Conference, or the upcoming elections in Egypt, these events are going to play a large role in determining Israel’s defensive plan in the next few months.

By: Hayley Magerman

Supporters of Israel have to deal with the good, the bad, and the ugly. There are many events on your campus that will occur whether you like it or not. Evaluate who you believe will be in the audience ahead of the event so that you can decide how to appropriately prepare for it. Here are a few tips on how to best react to anti-Israel events at your school.

By: Avi Fuld

Welcome back to school, everyone! I am sure you are all very excited to see your old friends, go to parties, and especially get back into Israel activism. While many of you already have a rough outline of the core members of your groups and events you want to run, it is crucial to be aware of one thing during these first few weeks of school: freshmen.

By: Daniel Cohen

For four days in August, members of the world’s largest Jewish fraternity, AEPi, joined together in Orlando, Fla. for the 98^th annual Convention, which focused on leadership building. Hasbara Fellowships Midwest Regional Coordinator (and AEPi brother) Daniel Cohen was there and shares his experience.

By: Daniel Cohen

There are many ways to wake someone from slumber. You can say their name, nudge them, set a loud alarm clock, let the smell of pancakes fill the room… the list goes on. And if all else fails, a splash of ice-cold water is sure to do the trick.

When it comes to developing tomorrow’s Israel advocates, a summer or winter training program in the holy land provides that splash of reality.

By: Raffi Mark, Rutgers University

Today we stepped out of the discussion rooms and truly experienced Israel. We left our hotel in the Tel Aviv area destined for the city of Sderot. Sderot is along the border with Gaza and has been experiencing regular rocket attacks since 2011.

By: Daniel Levi, Rutgers University

Our experiences today can be summed up as a lesson in Israeli innovation. Beginning at the Weizmann Institute we heard from the director of Perach, a program started in Israel that connects college students with younger disadvantaged students to serve as their mentors.

By: Ryan Jenner, University of California, Irvine

Today we focused on some intense political discussions  balanced out by some light hearted krav maga to end the night.

By: Adi Guigui, CUNY Brooklyn College

Early this morning we met with Alex Weiss of the Misgav'am, the most northern kibbutz in the world. Alex gave us a quick history lesson about the kibbutz and described the wars it has lived through. He mentioned that the kibbutz had excellent relations with the Lebanese until 1970, but contrasted those peaceful times by emphasizing the war with Lebanon in 2006. Nevertheless, Alex pointed out that life in Misgav'am did not stop during the Lebanon war, even though the border of Lebanon is only a few yards away and 20 or so rockets actually hit inside the kibbutz during the war.

By: Avi Rubin, UCSB

Day two: another phenomenal day in the holy land.  Today we snaked our way up the green line from Jerusalem to our overnight location in Tel Chai, in the far north.  On our way we stopped at a number of locations, including Alphei Menashe, a town on the Israeli side of the west-reaching bubble of the West Bank. From our hilly lookout we could see all the way across central Israel to Tel Aviv.

By: Matthew Farajzadeh, UCLA

As our second day here in Israel comes to an end, it is hard to believe that roughly 24 hours ago our El-Al flight was touching down in Ben Gurion airport, unloading a plane full of Hasbarah Fellows.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

In the midst of an intellectually chaotic battlefield on campuses throughout the world, Hasbara Fellowships has been teaching us how to tackle the anti-Israel sentiment prevalent today.

Monday, May 30th

After spending a lovely evening in the Tel Chai Guest House, we set out for our exploration of northern Israel. We stopped at lookouts and key sites that exemplify Israel's relationship with its neighbors.

One of our first stops was to Kfar Giladi where a group of IDF reservists was hit and killed by a Hezbollah rocket while sleeping in a parking lot. This situation reminds me of the stories that we heard in Sderot where Hamas rockets fire without warning.  Standing in Kfar Giladi at the spot where the rocket hit, I reached a new level of understanding of the danger that Israelis face everyday.  At the spot of the attack, a memorial commemorates this unit.  Under the tree branches, still scorched with the rocket's remains but growing with new life, photos of these soldiers are planted in the ground.  Piles of rocks and small mementos lie next to their faces, honoring these brave people.

By: Ethan Rauf
Northeastern University

When I reviewed the itinerary for Hasbara Fellowships, I saw that Jerusalem Post journalist, Khaled Abu Toameh, would be giving a lecture. I have previously read his articles on the internet, but I have always wanted to see him speak in person. On Friday morning, Mr. Toameh spoke to us about anti-Israel bias in the media, Palestinian life under Hamas and the Palestinian Authority (PA, and some fascinating, personal experiences. At first, I thought the lecture was special simply because Mr. Toameh is an Israeli-Arab who has openly criticized Palestinian leadership. Aside from his unique background, the most amazing topics covered were his experiences battling the anti-Israel bias in the media.

By: Emily Green, Temple University ‘13

Of all the things we did today, being in Sderot was especially moving. In this troubled area of Israel, we partnered with two activists working for the Sderot Media Center. Without people like Noam and Tom, important information about the reality on the ground would probably not be exposed the way it should. It is horrifying to think that this small city in Israel and its civilians are consistently targeted by missile and mortar attacks by terrorists in Gaza, less than a kilometer away.

It's been a jam packed few days since we've arrived in Israel! So far we've had the opportunity to explore the Old City, hear from Itamar Marcus from Palestinian Media Watch, and visit the Israeli Foreign Ministry in addition to learning about the roots of anti-Semitism and how to advocate for Israel on campus. So far we have had the opportunity to engage students from campuses across America and Canada about what's happening on their campuses, and how they advocate for Israel.

By: Ashley Faintuch

On March 7-14 University of Manitoba and University of Winnipeg were subjected to the hateful and fallacious rhetoric of Israeli Apartheid Week. This same week, I led a coalition of students, known as Campus Democracy, in Israel Peace Week (IPW) at the University of Winnipeg, with the intent of educating the general campus community about Israel’s vibrant democracy and multiple attempts to reach peace.  The coalition I led was comprised of students of various ages, religion and ethnicity and was sponsored and supported by Hasbara Fellowships and StandWithUs.

Brandeis students filled the atrium of the campus center as over 100 students attended Yom Hazikaron ceremony in the Brandeis Campus Center last night.  The ceremony was organized by the Brandeis Zionist Alliance to commemorate Israelis who have fallen in war or to terror.  Despite being in the midst of finals, Brandeis students showed unwavering support for Israel in her persuit of peace. The ceremony consisted of poems, speakers, and Hatikvah.  Each member of the ceremony wore white shirts, as is traditional in Israel.

By Chananel Weiner

Congratulations to everyone at Hasbara Fellowships and Hasbara Fellowships New England, especially Channah Barkhordari, Heddy Ben Atar, and Arielle Adler for their incredible job of hosting the 1st ever Israel Activism on Campus Awards Dinner this past Friday night.

By David Plotkin

Classes have recently come to an end in Montreal. Instead of burying their heads in final exams and papers, anti-Israel students have been bullying their way into the news.

By Gail Axelrod

As the spring semester comes to a close, students in the Southeast are actively preparing for Yom Ha’atzmaut and other celebrations of life and culture in Israel.

By Channah Barkhordari

Two packed weeks of programming hit two sides of New England these past few days, as Israel Peace Week took hold at Smith College in Western Massachusetts and Northeastern University in the heart of Boston.

By Heddy Ben Atar

On Monday, March 28^th, Hasbara Fellow Sarah Geller organized a leadership dinner at the house of the Israeli Consulate of New England.

By Hashem Hamdy

City-Wide Ottawa IAC President and soon-to-be Hasbara Fellow (June ’11) Hashem Hamdy, fills us in on the happenings at the University of Ottawa and Carleton. Looking forward to his continued contributions to the strong Hasbara Fellowships-IAC relationship.

By: Abram Shanedling

This week has already proven a strong one for Israel awareness in the greater DC area. From Goldstone's recant in the Washington Post to Israeli President Shimon Peres meeting President Obama to discuss Middle East events and the peace process at the White House. And only a few miles away from there, pro-Israel groups are also taking these key messages to the general public.

By Gail Axelrod

Students across the southeast will be celebrating Israel in the coming weeks with various on-campus festivals.

By Ashley Faintuch

It is the last week of classes in western Canada, papers and studying aside, fellows are busy promoting Israel until the last day.

By David Plotkin

On March 22^nd from 10:30am to 3:00pm, the actively Zionist pro-Israel club on campus “McGill Friends of Israel” held a tabling campaign to promote democratic values and human rights.

By Netanella Refael

Pro-Israel demonstrators gathered in New York City on March 27, 2011 at the Israeli Consulate to show support for victims of terror in Israel.

By Leo Nayfeld

By Gail Axelrod

This week in the southeast…

Dawgs for Israel at the University of Georgia will be screening the film Iranium, today March 29^th at 7:30 PM in MLC 275. The film explores Iran’s clandestine nuclear program and the rise of the current regime. Dawgs for Israel will also be hosting Israel Day on April 13 in Tate Plaza.

By Jessica Felber

Why is tabling on your campus so important?

Four good reasons:

By Gail Axelrod

This week in the southeast…

Emory Students for Israel’s Israel Peace Week, was a huge success. The group is now gearing up for their annual iFest, which will take place on Thursday, April 14^th.  Also at Emory University this week: The Jewish Law Students Association, the International Law Society, Hillel at Emory, and the Consulate General of Israel to the Southeast hosted Arthur Lenk, the director of International Law at Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

By Adam Kredo, The Washington Jewish Week

The annual anti-Zionist exercise known as Israeli Apartheid Week made its appearance at several local universities last week, but pro-Israel campus activists report that this year's version of the event was all bark and no bite.

By Nathaly Schneider

A lot of exciting things have been happening across Ontario over the last week, but without a doubt the event stirring up the most buzz is the upcoming referendum taking place at Queen’s University.

 

By: Abram Shanedling

It’s mid-March and everyone knows what that means. Spring Break, Purim and of course, NCAA basketball. But for several schools in the Midwest and DC/Maryland – especially those whose teams didn’t make the tournament cut – pro-Israel students have been keeping busy with Israel Peace Week. Here’s the breakdown.

By Ashley Faintuch

This week is Israel Peace Week in Winnipeg, and a phenomenal campaign has been planned and implemented! The week long campaign at the University of Winnipeg focuses on democracy and human rights in Israel. Student volunteers are standing strong for Israel because they support democracy, human rights and freedom and have a passion to educate the campus community.

By Jessica Felber

We Are Number 12

Pro-Israel activists launched their We Are Number 12 campaign at UC Irvine last week in response to the infamous "Irvine 11."  The "Irvine 11" refers to a group of 11 MSU students who refused to allow Israeli Ambassador to the United States, Michael Oren, to speak at UCI last year.

By David Plotkin

The “Week of Hate” has come and gone and McGill University is no worse for wear. On the contrary, the buzz surrounding recent events has helped to change the narrative on campus.

By Gail Axelrod

Emory Students for Israel is sponsoring Israel Peace Week the week of March 14^th. The weeklong event features a screening of the documentary Iranium on Wednesday, March 16 at 7:00 PM in the Math and Science Center Room E208. Hillel at Emory will be providing attendees with FREE PIZZA.

By: Ashley Faintuch

The last 10 days have been Israel filled in British Columbia. Last week, the University of British Columbia celebrated Israel: A Party Week (IAW) with Beer, Dancing and Socializing (BDS)! The week has been jam-packed with tons of action.

By: Channah Barkhordari

Following Boston University’s successful Israel Peace Week, Brandeis University and Tufts University are in full gear, packing their IPWs with speakers, screenings, and campaigns enlightening America’s hub of academia.

By: Jessica Felber

This past Sunday, I was absolutely blown away by the passion and commitment of the Ottawa Israel Awareness Committee (IAC) and the 35-plus advocates who filled the room at University of Ottawa’s law building for an intensive training session. The goal of this session was to teach IAC’s membership how to table effectively for Israel during IAW. Over 3 and a half hours were spent dissecting the issues, role playing typical “confrontational” situations, and providing tips on effective tabling demeanor.

By: Netanella Refael

Israel Peace Week has been the main focus on many campuses throughout the United States, and New York is no different. Rochester University students eagerly tabled all week leading to the events of IPW. Their first event of the week was a Peace Train where they had free food, a commentary video of Rochester students and faculty speaking about their connection to Israel and how peace has been impacted.

By: Abram Shanedling

What do Israel, the Wall Street Journal and dragons have in common? Not much usually. But all three came together this past week as Bret Stephens of the WSJ’s editorial page, made the liberal case for Israel for an event hosted by one of Drexel University’s newest student group: Dragons for Israel.

From Gail Axelrod

Kudos to all of the south’s amazing Israel advocates!

By Eric Schorr

*From Ynet News

Responding to hate campaign: Pro-Israel students across the United States and Canada have launched a campaign to communicate messages about the Jewish state's peace efforts, while countering a notorious anti-Israeli initiative, Israel Apartheid Week.

Known as Israel Peace Week, the new campaign is being hosted at nearly 50 North America universities.

By: Channah Barkhordari

Yesterday, Boston University Students for Israel (BUSI) inspired nearly 300 students and affiliates to come out to the campus’s Marsh Plaza in support of the Jewish state.  The peace rally, which was held at 3 pm, was a mass of Israeli flags and smiles in the midst of large banners and posters.

By: Nim Nahum, UCLA class of 2012 and Internal Vice President of Bruins for Israel

Students at UCLA were faced with Palestinian Awareness Week on campus last week.  In addition to the usual counter-events, pro-Israel activists decided to think outside the box.  They used their partnerships and coalitions on campus to show the strength and diversity of the pro-Israel community. Nim, an experienced pro-Israel activist, has been involved with Hasbara Fellowships for several years.  He tells about the events at UCLA last week from a student perspective.

By David Plotkin

Back to school, and right into the most intense period of Israel Advocacy. With many groups actively working to delegitimize and demonize Israel in the campus sphere, Montreal and Ottawa activists are working diligently to have a strong proactive response.

By: Jason Holtzman
Midwest Campus Coordinator, Zionist Organization of America, Graduate of the Hasbara Fellowships training program in Israel

*As published in The Jerusalem Post*

It is always refreshing to heighten awareness on college campuses about the rich fabric of Israeli society that is often largely ignored by Israel’s biggest critics. For that reason, the Zionist Organization of America and Hasbara Fellowships co-sponsored a campus tour for Ethiopian-Israeli lecturer Zion Uness titled From Ethiopia to Israel: a Return Home. During his three-week tour, Uness spoke to more than 300 students on campuses in the Midwest, including Northwestern University, University of Illinois, University of Wisconsin, Ohio State University, Michigan State University, Butler University, and more.

By Abram Shanedling

Each year thousands of Jewish young adults from across North America participate in Taglit-Birthright, the free 10-day educational experience in Israel. This summer alone, Taglit plans to send roughly 15,000 young adults. But with so many students enthusiastic about Israel and eager to share their personal experience, many return to campus unsure or uninterested in translating their personal story into advocacy.

Luckily two Mid-Atlantic campuses are seeking to change that.

By Gail Axelrod

Spring marks the beginning of the second annual Israel Peace Week, an international movement showcasing the steps Israel has taken in the hopes of achieving a stable peace with her neighbors.

By Natalie Menaged

As anti-Israel propaganda increases on university campuses, pro-Israel student leaders are communicating the truth about Israel.

By Special Guest Blogger Adir Dishy
(Adir is a 3rd year Economics major at York University, and President of Hasbara@York)

Hasbara at York University is very excited to be hosting The Honorable Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism for a speaking engagement on campus.

By David Plotkin

Many Canadian students are bogged down in books this week, as professors take “Reading Week” (alternately known as Spring Break?) far too literally. It is essential, however, that we take a few moments from our studies to acknowledge a specific event that took place at Carleton University in Ottawa this past week.

By Ashley Faintuch

It's reading week in Western Canada, but that hasn't stopped students from Israel advocacy.

By Channah Barkhordari

Saturday evening, February 12, kicked off Tufts’ week-long Save a Child’s Heart (SACH) campaign with a bang.

By Gail Axelrod

February is an exciting time for pro-Israel advocates in Georgia and Florida.

By Nathaly Schneider

Students at York University are no strangers to controversy, but this instance is a little too bizarre (even for their standards)!

By Ashley Faintuch

Considering it is the last week before reading week and students are over their heads in midterms and assignments, the region has seen a lot of pro-Israel activity.

By Leo Nayfeld

After a relaxing vacation, and for some an amazing two weeks in Israel with Hasbara Fellowships, students in the Midwest have immediately gone into action and have some very big things planned for this semester already!

By Arielle Adler

Hasbara Fellows at Boston University have been working hard to prepare for Israel Peace Week!

By Netanella Refael

It’s been a busy couple of weeks for students in the New York area and it’s only going to get busier!

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.

By Gail Axelrod

As the warm weather begins to return to the south, Israel advocates in the region are gearing up for an exciting couple of weeks.

By Channah Barkhordari

On February 8^th, the New England Premier of Iranium was held at the AMC Loews by the Boston Common, co-sponsored by Hasbara Fellowships. Film staff spoke to a packed theater on the significance of the movie before the screening, while Siavash Sartipi and Parya Ahangari of the Confederation of Iranian Students shared their stories and took questions after the screening.

By David Plotkin

What’s a week without a little positive retribution?

After the Canadian National Library and Archives succumbed to intimidation and threats by the Iranian embassy, the Jan 18^th screening of Iranium was cancelled. 3 weeks (and plenty of media attention and political jostling) later, the show went on! Iranium was shown to a sold out crowd of 400, with 100 left wanting outside. A big thank you to Heritage Minister Moore and the Conservative government of Stephen Harper, for their principled defense of freedom of speech.

By Heddy Ben-Atar

New Hasbara Fellow Dana Kandall organized Brandeis’ first event of the semester; Birthright and Burritos.  She invited all Birthright alumni at Brandeis to make their own burritos as they hear about opportunities to increase their involvement with Israel Activism on campus.

By Ashley Faintuch

This week was a week full of planning for Western Canada. Fellows across the region are putting together exciting events in the coming weeks. With Valentine's day next Monday, University of Alberta Fellow Marit Abrams is planning a fundraiser on campus on Monday and Tuesday for Save a Child's Heart (SACH). her fundraiser is titled "Make a Heart to Save a Heart" and for a donation you can make Valentines cards. U of A students can find the table in the Student Union Building and anyone can visit the Hillel Edmonton sponsorship page she created and donate.

By: Alan Levine

The Orange County District Attorney’s office charged 11 UC Irvine students with conspiring to disrupt a lawful meeting and speech, the LA Times reported last week.  The incident in question came exactly a year ago today when 11 students interrupted a public lecture by Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren.

By Abram Shanedling

Despite having to kick off the semester by responding to a talk by an infamous Israel delegitimizer, the University of Pennsylvania’s Penn Israel Coalition is moving at full speed organizing pro-active, positive Israel awareness initiatives on their Philadelphia campus.

By Gail Axelrod

Israeli pride is booming in the southeast! This past Sunday, Hasbara Fellow Claire Miller and the University of Florida Gators for Israel launched Hasbara for Breakfast: Coffee and Conversations.  The bi-monthly “brunch and learn” program highlights Israeli politics and current events in the region.

By Alan Levine

UC Santa Barbara has long been one of Hasbara Fellowships’ most successful campuses.  We have hired two UCSB grads (including yours truly) as full time campus coordinators.  We have had over a dozen Hasbara Fellows in the last five years there including three presidents of American Students for Israel, student government representative, and one Hillel president.

By Nathaly Schneider

While the weather outside can be frightful in Ontario, students across the province have put their game faces on as Israel advocacy efforts are in full swing!

By Ashley Faintuch

This week was Israel Week at the Universities of Winnipeg and Manitoba! Despite temperatures hitting -46°C, Israeli culture brought warmth to campus. Fellow, Jesse Marantz, organized a week full of events for both universities.

By David Plotkin

Greetings from the Great White Northeast!

I am thrilled to be writing my first newsletter as Campus Coordinator for Montreal and Ottawa. A graduate of the Hasbara Fellowships Israel Program in ’09-‘10 and the NY2DC trip just a month ago, I am eager to put my knowledge to good use and help support the growing number of Israel activists in my region.

By Abram Shanedling

It takes real commitment to spend a day of your weekend in a professional meeting. But this past Sunday over 50 pro-Israel student leaders from universities across DC, Maryland and Virginia showed it as they convened in DC to discuss strategy and pro-Israel programming at a meeting hosted by the Israel on Campus Coalition of Greater Washington.

By Gail Axelrod

The past week has been a busy one for schools in the Southeast. Emory Students for Israel is working away planning their largest annual event, iFest. Other upcoming ESI events include a Valentine’s Day fundraiser for Save a Child's Heart and a screening of “Iranium.”  Similar events for Save a Child’s Heart will be talking place at the University of Georgia and Florida International University.

By Alan Levine

The Santa Cruz Israel Action Committee (SCIAC) at UC Santa Cruz has hit the ground running this semester. With two new Hasbara Fellows and lots of enthusiasm, they hosted a major event on campus last week.

By Ashley Faintuch

Since Winter classes began, Fellows in Western Canada have been very busy!

By Netanella Refael

After a snowy winter season, students in the New York area are back in classes and are ready for an amazing (and hopefully warm) spring semester.

By Jessica Felber

By: Gail Axelrod

As one of Hasbara’s newest team members, I could not be more excited for the semester that lies ahead.  As the new Campus Coordinator for Georgia and Florida schools, I am thrilled at the prospect of working with students in the region of my alma mater, Emory University.

By: Abram Shanedling

Campus activism is underway in the Mid-Atlantic region. And two universities are already getting a taste of the good and the bad.

By: Channah Barkhordari

More than 120 students from over 60 colleges across North America and Brazil returned to campus this week excited to begin the semester for one reason: to advocate for Israel. Hasbara Fellowships' intensive tracks brought a majority of students to Israel, where they absorbed two exhilarating weeks of education and training.

By: Nathaly Schneider

This week, students across Ontario experienced a rollercoaster of ups and downs.

By: Ilanna Newman, University of Maryland, College Park

Now in their second full day, participants on the Hasbara Fellowships Winter 2010-2011 program in Israel are already learning new Israel advocacy skills and visiting important sites. Read more as University of Maryland student Ilanna Newman, a member of ZOA UMD, shares her experience so far.

The first group of students landed yesterday in Israel, and they are doing really well so far.  We had an exilerating day of activism training, exploring the methods of effective communication and building strategy.

By: Members of the GW Student Alliance for Israel

A few weeks ago at George Washington University, the local Students for Justice in Palestine hosted an event on campus that to show “Solidarity with the Palestinian People.” Instead, the panel discussion quickly degenerated into less of a pro-Palestinian, but more of an anti-Israel discussion, promoting the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. In response, board members of the GW Student Alliance for Israel (SAFI), including four Hasbara Fellows, quickly got in touch with student leaders and the campus media with this message.

By: Gabe Toran

Last week, the Save a Child's Heart campaign was run at UPenn by sophmore Hasbara Fellow Rebecca Borison with the help of other students in Hillel Israel Sector, Alpha Epsilon Pi, ICC, and PennPMA. Throughout the week, they tabled inside and outside of Hillel with hot chocolate and treats, and showed a film about the Save a Child's Heart organization. At the end of the week, this great campaign was able to raise $602.11 and 1 shekel! Mazel Tov on the great effort put into this campagn at Penn.

By: Netanella Refael

After hearing of CSJP efforts to set up a theatrical mock checkpoint in the center of campus, Israel groups at Columbia University joined forces to counter the protest this past Thursday.

By: Heddy Ben-Atar

Who can resist free falafel, pumping Israeli tunes, and getting informed about Israel on the beautiful campus of Harvard University? Practically no one, as demonstrated by the 1,000 or more attendees who visited Harvard Students for Israel’s annual I-Fest.

By: Abram Shanedling

Last week, I had the pleasure of visiting several Georgia universities to meet with pro-Israel activists on campus, Greek leaders, as well as campus professionals. During my visit, I led several successful activism training sessions and discussed new strategies for strengthening the pro-Israel campus movement.

By: Alan Levine

In the wake of extremist attempts to encourage divestment from Israel at the University of Southern California, SC Students for Israel (SCSI) was led by Hasbara Fellows, Shanel Melamed and Stephanie Aziz, who spoke out on behalf of Israel in the campus newspaper and have continued to organize pro-active and positive pro-Israel initiatives. This month is officially "Israel Block Party" at USC, and the party is moving ahead at full speed.

by: Nim Nahum, UCLA, '12 and Ashley Strain, UCLA, '11

Earlier this month, the pro-Israel community at UCLA woke up to alarming news.  Efforts to boycott, divest, and sanction Israel had come to the campus.  They found out from the campus paper.  There was no warning.  Pro-Israel activists, including three Hasbara Fellows on campus, mobilized and saved the day.  Nim Nahum and Ashley Strain tell the story.

By: Gabe Toran

A lot has been going on in Philly in the past few weeks. The Philly BDS movement is heating up, and hummus is the target! Who knew hummus could get so political? After hearing about an BDS flash mob at the Fresh Grocer off Penn's campus, many Jewish students decided to take action. Click here to read more about the affair in this past week's issue of The Jewish Exponent, and learn how many Jewish students counteracted the BDS movement by buying the store dry of hummus!

By: Nathaly Schneider

Something is seriously not right on university campuses in Ontario. Now, more than ever, appointed leadership in student government groups are using their podium to express and publicize anti-Israel views.

By: Ashley Faintuch

While little was happening on campus in central Canada, there was a lot of planning and strategizing going on this week.

By: Zach Paikin

Last week’s Campus Pulse talked about exciting events taking place in the Ottawa area, including the CJPAC and ICCA conferences. This week, the focus shifts to Montreal campuses, particularly McGill.

By: Jessica Felber

NorCal has two Israel groups on the rise this fall at SFSU and UC Davis!

By: Leo Nayfeld

Students throughout the Midwest have been very busy planning events for next semester. At Miami University, Hasbara Fellows Adam Baer and Paula Mermelstein have put together a great line-up for next semester, including David Baker, Yaakov Katz, and Itamar Marcus! This busy semester is going to be combined with fundraising efforts for Save A Child’s Heart. Great job MSI!

By: Netanella Refael

Last week, two amazing schools raised money for Save A Child’s Heart. Leah Spungen, a Hasbara fellow from the University of Rochester, helped organize a dodgeball event at her school as a part of Israel Culture Week. The UR Israel Council hosted a dinner and dodgeball tournament on November 8, benefiting SACH, an Israeli based non-profit organization which performs life-saving heart surgery on children from countries where that would not be an option. SACH builds the infrastructure necessary to enable growth in cardiac surgery in these countries. AEPi, SDT, Hillel and the UR Dodgeball Club helped co-sponsor the event with the help of The David Project. Students donated the money that was raised to AEPi on their campus to help them reach their goal of helping a child at SACH.

By: Abram Shanedling

Last Thursday, November 11, I joined more than 1,000 university and high school students, as well as community members, at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. to mark the 1600th day that Hamas has held hostage Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.

By: Heddy Ben-Atar

Last week, Brandeis hosted an Israel Peace Week. Coordinated by Hasbara Fellows, Rachel Goutman and Sivan Levine, the Brandeis Zionist Alliance hosted over 135 students at their annual Gourmet Israel Buffet. This event shows Israel's diversity by cooking different dishes based on the different immigrant populations in Israel. The event featured Moroccan, Russian, Anglo, and Israeli food.

By: Alan Levine

I had the pleasure of leading a very successful activism training session for the "Advocacy Micro-Community" of Texans for Israel at the University of Texas in Austin. The event was attended by Jewish and non-Jewish students alike, including members of Christians United for Israel (CUFI), despite the recent graphic demonization and initimidation of pro-Israel activists at UT. Thank you to Hasbara Fellow Ygal Schuller, TFI Advocacy Chair Rachel Kutler, and the Hillel shlicha, Ayala Peer, for planning this fantastic event. Check out Ygal's fantastic viral video about Hamas!

By: Ashley Faintuch

I spent last weekend  in Ottawa at the CJPAC (Canadian Jewish Political Affairs Committee) Campus Fellows Conference. The conference was an amazing opportunity to learn about the Canadian political system and meet with politicians from all major political parties including Senators, Ministers, MP’s, Staffers and even the Prime Minister! The conference was full of Hasbara Fellows and I got to hang out with the Montreal/Ottawa Campus Coordinator Zach Paikin.

By: Zach Paikin

The Montreal/Ottawa region was proud to host two conferences this past week, both of them taking place in the nation’s capital.

By: Jessica Felber

SCIAC's Israeli-style Shabbat in Santa Cruz last Friday night was incredible!  With upwards of 160 students in attendance, this Shabbat drew over 100 people more than usual!  SCIAC used this forum to increase positive associations with Israel as well as to increase interest in getting involved with pro-Israel activity on campus.  Two students spoke about what Israel means to them as American Jews, and one girl spoke about the similarities between her parents' Israeli and Chinese cultures.  And to the enjoyment of everyone SCIAC hosted an Israel trivia game as well!  For those of you who attended this event and would like to know more about SCIAC and getting involved, email jfelber@hasbarafellowships.org!

By: Netanella Refael

On Wednesday November 10, Alma Sifrin will be speaking at Brooklyn College. Alma is 20 years old who made Aliyah from Canada and is currently serving in the IDF. The Jewish Agency for Israel sponsored Alma, along with other speakers to share their stories with students from the New York area.

By: Abram Shanedling

Hoos for Israel, the pro-Israel advocacy organization at the University of Virginia is growing rapidly and has already made a name for itself and its mission this semester: educating UVA students about the history, culture and politics of Israel.

This week has been busy as always for Ontario Israel advocates!

Students at York were disturbed to see that one of their Professors had made the hateful claim that Hillel was not right to advocate for the state of Israel. Said professor aired his grievances in a letter to the President of the University and the situation became public when the school newspaper reported about the letter last week. Hasbara Fellowship commends the great things that Hillel@York has been doing to stand tall and in support of their right to represent Israel, the historic homeland of the Jewish people!

By: Alan Levine

This is the time of year in which student groups are finding their identity; they are forming their leadership structures, recruiting new members, and discovering their group dynamic.

I have been in touch with pro-Israel student groups from all over the Western U.S. and Canada and many seem to encounter the same problems.  Based on that, a few tips in building up your pro-Israel activism organization!

By: Ashley Faintuch, University of Winnipeg

It's midterm mania in Central Canada, but there is still lots of programming in the region! Recently, Hillel Winnipeg screened Unsettled. Shira Meged, Israel Affairs Chair of Hillel at the University of Manitoba, shared her thoughts on the movie and the event:

"Unsettled is a riveting documentary about Israels withdrawal from Gaza in 2005. The story follows a group of young Israelis as they face, process, and experience the withdrawal from competing angles. This film does a commendable job of portraying the different experiences and thoughts of Israeli soldiers, workers, and civilians during this point in time and offers a deep and insightful snapshot of the emotional whereabouts of the people on both sides during this controversial moment in Israel’s recent history.

By: Zach Schoenholtz

Friday night, October 15th in Boston 50 top Israel activists representing Harvard, Tufts, Boston University, Emerson, Brandeis, Northeastern, Wellesley College, and Babson came together for feasting, singing, but above all, collaboration. The night was an immediate success when pro Israel group board members from each school shared and presented past accomplishments and future endeavors.

By: Chelsea Kauffman, University of Wisconsin-Madison, '12

On Thursday, Oct 21, Ret. Co. Ann Wright, a known anti-Israel figure, spoke at the University of Wisconsin-Madison about her experience on the Gaza flotilla in June 2010. Hasbara Fellow and UW-Madison sophomore Chelsea Kauffman attended the event, as a board member of the Madison-Israel Public Affairs Committee (MadPAC). Following the event, Chelsea shared her thoughts on what she heard.

By: Natalie Menaged

Israel activism is on fire this semester down in sunny Florida!

At the University of Florida, Gators for Israel hosted their third Gators for Israel Campus Leaders Reception, attended by top-tier campus leaders including the University President, the Vice President for Student Affairs, two college deans, the Student Body President, the Student Body Treasurer, over eight Student Senators, and Presidents of several fraternities.   Consul General of Israel to Florida & Puerto Rico Ofer Bavly was a great draw for student leaders.  Gators for Israel engaged with all the students present, explaining why supporting the U.S.-Israel relationship matters to all members of our campus community.

By: Netanella Refael

It’s been a busy week here in New York!

Last Monday, Yakum- Yeshiva University’s Israel club started off their three-step Israel advocacy, training program by showing the movie Crossing The Line at Stern College for Women. On Sunday October 24, Yakum will be showing the film again at their YU campus with opening words from their Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Hershel Schachter. Yakum wants their students at Yeshiva University to reach out to other campuses in the NY area and to be more active with Israel Advocacy.

By: Abram Shanedling

Pro-Israel awareness groups at campuses across the East Coast have been keeping busy this past week, facing a growing and more visible BDS movement, but remaining pro-active with several unique programs for students to learn the truth about Israel.

By: Alan Levine

I had the chance this weekend to attend and speak at the Canadian Hillel West Coast Leadership conference.  It was a great opportunity to meet new student activists as well as to check out the brand new Hillel building at the University of British Columbia (UBC).

By: Jessica Felber

It looks like the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) movement at Berkeley has not yet disappeared. Anti-Israel students are continuing their attempts to forward a cause on a campus that has already rejected it.  Next week SJP will be holding an event to teach professors how to promote divestment from Israel, and coincidentally enough, it will be at exactly the same time that Ken Stein is planned to speak to students about Palestinian-Israeli Negotiations.

By: Leo Nayfeld

Ohio Loves Israel is finally here this weekend! After months of preparation, Hasbara Fellows Wendy Cohen, Galia Nurko, Mandy Gross, Rebecca Wasserstein, and Sarah Perrill and the rest of Buckeyes for Israel are hosting the statewide, day-long training conference with speakers like Ishmail Khaldi and Neil Lazarus.

By: Abram Shanedling

After a whirlwind tour across the Midwest last week– from Madison to Chicago, Illinois to East Lansing – it was clear that student Israel action groups across the Midwest are finding time, even through mid-term season, to actively support Israel.

By: Zach Paikin

In this week’s Hasbara Angle, we talked a bit about the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.

Well, Montreal has been graced with the pleasure of having its very own BDS conference, which will be held on the weekend of October 22-24. How exciting. It gives me great reassurance that while Mahmoud “Atom-Bomb” Ahmadinejad and Hassan “40,000-Rockets” Nasrallah are making speeches in Lebanon this week calling for the destruction of the State of Israel, several “peace activists” in Canada are contributing to this very noble effort.

By: Ashley Faintuch

Fellows in Central Canada are continuing to plan programming for the rest of the semester and the beginning of next semester. In Winnipeg, Lauren Slusky at the University of Manitoba has been working hard to ensure Hillel has some great programming. She is organizing a screening of Unsettled, a moving documentary following the lives of young Israelis during the 2005 Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

By: Abram Shanedling

Pro-Israel groups from the Mid-Atlantic to the Midwest have already run several successful
events in the last few weeks, highlighting current events in the Middle East and urging student
action in support of peace.

By: Nathaly Schneider

Hello!

Hope all of you Canadians out there are enjoying your Thanksgiving weekend, all of you Americans are having a fantastic Columbus day, and that everyone else who may be reading this is just having a plain old good day.

By: Alan Levine

Aztecs for Israel, the Israel action group at San Diego State University is on the rise.  The group had been dormant for two years, but is now resurging under the leadership of president, Michelle Golan, and vice president and Hasbara Fellow, Jason Edney.

By: Gabe Toran

Temple University

Temple University is all set for Aryeh Green. He will be speaking at the brand new Ed Rosen Hillel Center Monday night October 18th about democracy and freedoms in the Middle East. Hasbara Fellowships, The David Project, Hillel at Temple and Temple Students for Israel are teaming up to bring this event to Temple.

By: Zach Paikin

In last week’s entry, we briefly discussed the theoretical basis of leftist ideology using the example of Gideon Levy’s recent visit to McGill. We explained that leftists, unlike liberals and conservatives, do not judge international affairs through the lens of clear morality (i.e. right vs. wrong), but instead through the lens of solidarity for whom they deem to be powerless.

By: Netanella Refael

I hope everyone had an amazing holiday but it is time to get down to business! There are many wonderful events and speakers in the New York area this month.

By: Abram Shanedling

Students at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore showed their support for Israel’s efforts at peace Tuesday with the help of effecting tabling by the Coalition of Hopkins Activists for Israel (CHAI).

By: Leo Nayfield

Despite the sudden drop in temperature, things in the Midwest are quickly heating up on campuses throughout Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois!

By: Alan Levine

Ishmael Khaldi is visiting California this week!  As Israel’s first Bedouin diplomat, Mr. Khaldi is a living example of minority empowerment, religious diversity, and social mobility that is unique to Israel in the Middle East.

By: Nathaly Schneider

Hello Readers!

I hope everyone had a great Sukkot and that you're not still recovering from Simchat Torah!

This last week in Ontario has seen some WONDERFUL events, and some not so great ones.

By: Ashley Faintuch

In the midst of all the chaggim, student groups in central Canada are very busy. The University of Alberta, welcomed Miri Eisen. Kol Ha Kavod to Staci Silverman and her Hillel team for organizing such a great opening event!

By: Abram Shanedling

Pro-Israel student groups across the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest region are hard at work and already making quite a difference.

By: Zach Paikin

Last week, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) hosted Gideon Levy at McGill. Levy, a columnist for Haaretz, is known for his very critical views on Israel.

By Abram Shanedling

A crucial element of effective pro-Israel activism is coalition building. Developing strategic relationships with other students, leaders and campus organizations who share the interests and values that Israel epitomizes can lead to partnerships that benefit everyone in terms of recruitment, promotion, media coverage and accomplishing your overall semester goals.

By: Nathaly Schneider

Hello! Welcome!

I hope everyone survived Yom Kippur 2010, and that your bellies are full and your minds reenergized for the new school week!

By: Natalie Menaged

Hi Everyone –

As we wrap up an exciting week of the Hasbara Campus Pulse, it is incredible to see how many student activists are already hard at work planning a phenomenal semester of Israel activism!

by: Alan Levine

A very important part of pro-Israel activism is educating our base.  Though we must always reach out to those who have not yet joined the pro-Israel movement, it is very important to educate our own committed activists.  They need to know the issues well and learn how to articulate Israel’s message.

By: Ashley Faintuch

School has begun, and central Canada is gearing up for an amazing year! Expect amazing programs and campaigns, and top notch and engaging speakers. Some speakers we are expecting include Neil Lazarus, Gil Hoffman, and Amos Guiora.

By: Zach Paikin

As a new school year begins in the Montreal and Ottawa regions, we have reasons to be both optimistic and pessimistic. Last year was a turbulent time for both of these regions.

By Leo Nayfeld

With the sad end to the summer begins an exciting new semester at schools throughout the Midwest, and schools throughout the region have gotten off to a blazing start! The Midwest sent many students on Hasbara Fellowships programs to Israel this summer including Adam Baer from Miami University, Michael Jacobson from Indiana University, and Wendy Cohen, Galia Nurko, Sarah Perrill, Rebecca Wasserstein, and Mandy Gross from The Ohio State University. The new Fellows have already begun extensive work on their campuses.

On behalf of the new Canadian Campus Coordinators, we’d like to welcome you to the Campus Pulse!  Before we tell you all about the awesome adventures of the Hasbara-Canada crew, allow us to introduce ourselves.

By Abram Shanedling

Now that school’s been in session for almost two weeks in the Mid-Atlantic and most Midwestern schools, pro-Israel student groups are already hard at work planning important campaigns to demonstrate Israel’s quest for peace this semester.

By Abram Shanedling

It’s that time of year again. School season is in the air. But amid all the chaos that comes with the start of this fall’s semester, it’s also important not to leave out your planning for your pro-Israel group and campus activism.

Here are a few ideas to consider that will hopefully help you better achieve your semester/year long aspirations.

Hasbara Fellowships recently concluded an exciting and very successful summer with two of its Hasbara Fellowships Activism Training Seminars in Israel. Seventy students from over 45 campuses attended the programs, which were based at the Aish HaTorah World Center in the Old City of Jerusalem.

With their new knowledge and tools, the students are excited and ready to return to their campuses.