JEWISH WORLD

22 JEWISH WORLD • NOVEMBER 18-24, 2022 Israel on it. It has become a habit that as I leave the parking lot deck, I check to make sure my [Star of David] necklace is inside my shirt.” Against the backdrop of the rising tide of anti-Semitism on campus, Jewish Agency Israel Fellows are working in Hillel centers at more than 75 schools across the continent with students on an individual level. They also engage in strategic part- nerships with groups on campus, na- tional organizations and various Hil- lel initiatives in order to respond to anti-Semitism or anti-Israel activity on campus. This mobilizes students and empowers them with the educa- tion that helps them respond effec- tively when triggering events occur. For students, this process pro- vides a model for how to be proud- ly Jewish without fear and act as a sounding board for fellow students in distress. Then, they know how to connect with their peers and mobilize them to participate in the response to anti-Semitic and anti-Israel incidents. These pro-Is- rael student leaders are the ones who can listen and smile when a student shares how they overcame anti-Semitism on campus. I srael Fellows not only organize educational activities that help students understand more about Israel and its diversity, but also en- courage Jewish and pro-Israel stu- dents to embrace their heritage, con- nect to the only Jewish state in the world and make their voices heard. When incidents like the ones de- scribed above occur, the Israel Fellows’ response is immediate. These emissar- ies are already on the ground, acting as de facto air traffic controllers. They coordinate with other Jewish groups on campus to streamline nuanced and effective messaging that reaches non-Jewish and Jewish students alike, as well as faculty and administrators. Of course, the Israel Fellows pro- gram is hardly the only initiative working to combat anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism on campus. But these efforts largely flow through the Israel Fellows. On any campus where they operate, Israel Fellows function as the fulcrum for organizing pro-Israel stu- dent activism. Ultimately, substantive change only occurs when students are supported by the Jewish world in their quest to mobilize and pressure their campus administrations. At Duke University, Israel Fellow Reuven Remez led a training semi- nar on anti-Semitism for 50 members of the student government that was based on Hillel International’s “Un- derstanding Anti-Semitism on Cam- pus” curriculum. Many attendees reported that they were unaware of the prevalence of anti-Semitism in the U.S. and now possess the tools to rec- ognize and combat it when it occurs on campus. Moreover, Duke’s student government unanimously voted to adopt the IHRAworking definition of anti-Semitism, which recognizes and outlines anti-Zionism’s multifaceted role in Jew-hatred. Between far-right rhetoric seep- ing into student life and far-left sen- timent disguised as social justice, many Jews on campus are unsettled, dismayed and in fear. No student should have to think twice about wearing a Star of David around their neck, going on Birthright, taking part in a Passover seder at Hillel or speaking openly about their support for Israel. In this highly challenging environment, Israel Fellows works to ensure that every Jewish and pro-Israel student feels safe. The Jewish Agency’s Israel Fel- lows is there to help students keep their heads up, be unapologetically Jewish, have the confidence to over- come fear and fight anti-Semitism and discrimination. They are the driv- ing force behind Jewish leadership on campus, bringing students, groups and partnering organizations together. With the new Jewish (and aca- demic) year still in its early stages, I am hopeful that our work will help bring about the day when anti-Se- mitic incidents are truly an anomaly rather than the new normal. Nati Szczupak is the Director of the Jewish Agency Israel Fellows program at Hillel International. Rutgers Hillel Senior Associate Director Rabbi Esther Reed wrote her script for a video on the importance of speaking out against anti-Semitism. The Jewish Agency is there to help students be unapologetically Jewish to overcome fear, anti-Semitism and discrimination. Normal continued from page 16