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Campus Anti-Semitism

Over the past several weeks, college campuses across our nation have been places of rising anti-semitism.


On many campuses throughout the country, activism has morphed into environments of hostility, threats, and intimidation (or worse) against Jewish students, often fomented by outside groups unaffiliated with the universities. Jewish students should feel as safe, welcome, and included on campus as every other student.


The following organizations are working to support Jewish students and combat the rising anti-semitism and intolerance on college campuses.

ORGANIZATIONS TO SUPPORT

Core Campus Organizations

Hillel InternationalHillel's Campus Climate Initiative has partnered with scores of campuses to help university leaderships share information, be informed of the experiences of Jewish students, and create best practice policies to create a safe campus for Jewish students.


Hillel of San Diego – In addition to the highly publicized encampment recently cleared out at UCSD, Hillel of San Diego has been supporting Jewish students at schools across San Diego under increasingly challenging circumstances.


Chabad on Campus International – Chabad maintains a robust support system for college students across many campuses worldwide. Support can go to the international organization or Chabad SDSU.

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Educational Support Organizations

Academic Engagement Network (AEN) – AEN, founded in response to the increasingly activist environment in university academia against Israel or Zionism, creates programs and engagement to support the expression of Jewish identity and robust discourse about Israel. 


Institute for Curriculum Services (ICS) – Secondary education is unfortunately becoming the new battleground for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. ICS provides in-depth and standards-aligned lesson plans for K-12 schools about Judaism, Israel, and anti-semitism. ICS’s professional development has reached over 15,000 teachers in all 50 states.


Murray Galinson San Diego-Israel Initiative (MGSDII) – MGSDII is a nationally-recognized program that engages students, faculty, and other members of the campus community in quality education about modern Israel through visiting professors, classroom collaborations, student exchange, and more. MGSDII expands the marketplace of ideas on campus with a firm commitment to academic freedom and integrity.


A landmark study released in December by Brandeis University on US Jewish college students' perceptions of anti-semitism on campus states that efforts to understand and respond to anti-semitism on campus need to address the interaction between anti-Jewish and anti-Israel hostility. Expanding the study of modern Israel on campus in areas that directly relate to the conflict—history, political science, sociology and the like—as well as other areas such as urban planning and design, economics, film, environmental sustainability and climate change and many others has been cited to be one of the most effective tools to change the campus climate and quality of education in both the short and long term.

"Even if you're not physically threatened, it's very scary to walk past a group of people who unconditionally hate you."

A Jewish Student at Brandeis University

Confronting Anti-Semitism

Anti-Defamation League (ADL) – Both in San Diego and nationally, ADL collects data on threats to the Jewish community and involves law enforcement when needed. ADL has created programs to educate the public about anti-semitism, including professional development for teachers, lesson plans for students, and training for youth advocacy.

 

American Jewish Committee (AJC) – AJC works with elected officials, universities, school administrators, media, and intergroup and interfaith partners to combat the growing threat of anti-semitism, promote Israel’s place in the world, and champion the values of democracy and pluralism.


Project Shema – A newer organization, Project Shema was founded to fill a gap for progressive Jews who felt alienated from traditional Jewish spaces, but also unwelcome in progressive spaces because of their Judaism/support of Israel. Project Shema focuses on how anti-Jewish ideas can emerge in discourse around Israel and Palestine.

Israel Activism on Campus

Israel On Campus Coalition (ICC) – ICC provides strategic coordination and expertise to strengthen support for Israel, uniting and empowering pro-Israel campus organizations.


StandWithUs – StandWithUs supports Israel and fights anti-semitism, empowering and energizing students and communities with leadership training and educational programs on hundreds of college campuses, as well as high schools and middle schools.

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To recommend a grant to any of the organizations listed above, or any other organizations from your Jewish Community Foundation Donor Advised Fund, please login to JCFConnect or email Lizette Safa.

Jewish Community Foundation San Diego

Individuals can make a difference; together we change the world.

(858) 279-2740 / info@jcfsandiego.org / www.jcfsandiego.org