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Challenges on Campus
Houston Hillel's campuses have not yet experienced demonstrations leading to police intervention, but the campus climate for Jewish students continues to deteriorate at six of our campuses that have active anti-Israel student organizations. This week anti-Israel students at Rice University and the University of Houston are occupying areas of campus, but university administrators continue to feel that the demonstrating students are behaving within campus regulations.
This past Monday night the University of Houston's Student Government Association debated an antisemitic BDS resolution at exactly the same time as Jewish students were attending first night Seders - despite knowing that Jewish students would not be able to speak at the meeting.
Rabbi Kenny Weiss and Houston Hillel's staff regularly communicate with university administrators throughout Southeast Texas, including a recent meeting during which University of Houston staff shared the language they are using to incorporate the IHRA definition of antisemitism into the university's Title IX regulations.
Houston Hillel's recent Israel Engagement Trip to Washington DC is one example of how we teach students to advocate for Israel. The group pictured below included Jewish and non-Jewish students from Rice University, the University of Houston, and Houston Community College. Students met with a variety of scholars to learn about Israeli politics and the US-Israel relationship.
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