Learn. Lead. Launch. A grassroots activism guide for the next generation of leaders. Learn About Israel Israel’s story is intricate, complex and deserves an in-depth understanding in order to communicate it accurately to friends, classmates and the campus community. When the opposition aggressively attempts to invent their own version of the facts, it is critical that we educate ourselves and inform our campuses. READ STAY CURRENT Israeli Culture/Life in Israel: Israeli News Sources: The Israelis: Ordinary People The Post in an Extraordinary Land, Donna Rosenthal Haaretz Start Up Nation, and Saul Singer Ynet News Here and Now: History, Nationalism, and Realism in Modern Hebrew, Todd Hasak-Lowy U.S. News Sources: Written by Israeli Authors: The New York Times Poems of Jerusalem, Yehuda Amichai A Woman in Jerusalem, A.B. Yehoshua The Last Jew, Yoram Kaniuk At the Entrance to the Garden of Eden, Yossi Klein Halevi Beyond the Conflict: Israel 21c The Conflict: Israel on Campus Myths and Facts: A Guide to the Israel Campus Beat Arab-Israeli Conflict, Mitchell G. Bard From Beirut to Jerusalem, Thomas Friedman In the Land of Israel, Amos Oz Exodus, Leon Uris

Advocacy: The Case for Israel, Alan Dershowitz The Israel Test, George Gilder 101 Ways to Help Israel: A Guide to Doing Small Things that Can Make Big Differences, Haskell Nussbaum GO

Birthright Young Judea Taglit-Birthright Israel offers the gift of a free, 10-day YJ Impact emphasizes personal engagement with the real educational trip to Israel for Jewish adults aged 18 to 26. Israel through multi-faceted programs and opportunities. The trip aims to strengthen participants’ Jewish identity; YJ Impact embodies the pluralistic, non-partisan approach to build understanding, friendship and a lasting bond of Young Judaea and its sponsor, Hadassah. with the land and people of Israel; and to reinforce the solidarity of the Jewish people worldwide. The Milstein Foundation Campus Allies Mission to Israel Masa Israel Journey (Open to non-Jewish Students)

Masa Israel Journey connects Jewish young adults (ages The Milstein Foundation Campus Allies Mission, 18-30) to gap-year, study abroad, post-college and volunteer which is open only to those who have not been to Israel programs. No other organization makes it easier for young and are not eligible for Birthright Israel, is designed adults to have exciting, life-changing experiences in Israel. for pro-Israel political activists and student leaders from Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hasbara Fellowships Christian campuses and primarily Hispanic-serving institutions. Participants experience the land of the Bible, Intensive Israel activism education is the core strategy gain a deeper understanding of the strategic and social of Hasbara Fellowships and remains exclusively our niche. issues facing Israel today, and examine the challenges Hasbara Fellowships brings hundreds of students to Israel and opportunities associated with the U.S.-Israel alliance. every summer and winter; over 1,800 students from more than 250 campuses have benefited from the information, tools and confidence provided by the program. Hasbara Fellows return to their campuses as strategic thinkers, organizational leaders and innovative advocates, dedicated to the positive portrayal of Israel on campus. Lead by Example Leading by example speaks volumes to your friends, classmates and the campus community-sometimes even beyond what you can say about Israel. Let your actions serve as the precedent. Look for leadership, service and other opportunities that will connect your passions and Israel.Invest in yourself and others!

Set a good example. Serve on boards and councils. Be a positive force in class and excel in your studies. Speak up Some may include a mix of students, faculty and interact positively with your classmates. If and when Israel and administrators with whom you can connect. comes up in conversation, make your voice heard and establish yourself as a trusted and open-minded resource. Get involved. Become active in different student organizations Listen. or volunteer for service projects. Reach out to your classmates Grass roots activism is not about shouting the loudest. and peers on campus. Look into collaborating with multiple It requires the ability to listen and adapt to the needs student groups on Israel-focused programs. of your fellow classmates and campus community. Consider pro-Israel leadership positions. Engage your peers on campus. Develop leadership skills through various pro-Israel Befriend students outside your regular circle. leadership positions or internships on campus with Hillel, Get to know who they are and what they care about. your local Jewish Federation or other pro-Israel organizations. Run for student government. Or ask to sit in on open meetings. Know the key decision-makers. Make your voice heard on issues concerning Israel. Launch a Grassroots Movement You need to build a team to launch a successful movement on campus for Israel. Reach out to others and rally them around your cause. Reach people where they are by showing them how Israel relates to their everyday lives. Recruit old friends, make new friends, approach faculty and let them all play an active role in launching a vision that becomes a movement! Get involved. Administration & Faculty Connect with Hillel and ask about Israel-focused activities you can join or lead. If options are limited, consider Relationships: creating a group of like minded pro Israel students - - • Faculty have a vested interest in their students. willing to implement a strategic campaign on campus.. Let them know about your involvement in Israel advocacy.

Recruit your team. • Engage with your professors and get to know them. Ask to meet for coffee and tell them about your involvement Volunteers are the key to success. An inspiring message, clear with Israel advocacy and Israel’s relevance to your campus. plan of action and strong leadership will motivate your team. • Tenured professors may feel more comfortable working Develop strong relationships with non-Jews. with you than those without tenure. Try to check out Build relationships with non Jewish administration, their views before meeting with them. Check the internet - and look up their course syllabus and recommended faculty, student government association, campus news, resources so you know who you are speaking with. religious leaders and student club leaders. Reaching out beyond the Jewish community is key. • Ask faculty whether their departments would co-sponsor programming with you. Expand your vision. • Make relationships with department chairs. Send them Include a diversity of affinity groups, specific and various an email explaining who you are and the work that you do. academic areas, and consider which shared values resonate with each group, department and individual. • Bring in an Israeli academic and ask faculty to host them in their classroom (i.e. a recognized expert on the Middle Learn more about your campus. East in an International Relations class). Understand your campus culture, faculty and students’ • Be professionally persistent. If they do not respond interests, and choose topics that introduce Israel in a to an email, follow up with a phone call. non-threatening and ultimately educational manner. • Give them all the info they might need (speaker’s bio, Not Jewish? topics, availability, costs, etc.). Consider reaching out to other students and create a • Grow your faculty network. By building these relationships pro-Israel group or initiative on campus. Contact Hillel, you will be able to provide your campus greater access make them aware of your plans and let them know to Israel education and also have a backup if anti-Israel you’re interested in possible joint projects. activity flares up on your campus. SGA, Student Clubs, Students Other Ideas: in Your Classrooms: • Don’t limit yourself to certain groups. Jewish Studies • Run for student government or ask to sit in on open and Middle Eastern departments are a good start meetings. Know who the key decision-makers are. Make but won’t reach a diversity of people. sure your voice is heard on issues concerning Israel. • Bring speakers on campus that appeal to different • Try to serve on boards and councils in order to be departments and approach them to co-sponsor. on the pulse of what’s happening on campus. Some may • Be it political science, journalism, medicine, nursing, include a mix of students, faculty and administrators. military science, art, music, women’s studies, religion, etc., • Ask other student groups to meet with you and your Israel is a leader in the field and offers experts in each Hillel/pro-Israel group over coffee. Find common interests who will speak on campus. and goals. Explain why you support Israel, but also be interested in their goals and collaborate. Ask to co-sponsor programming together; this is a great way to get involved and build support.

• Reach out to your classmates and peers on campus. Speak to them about Israel and why it’s important to you on a personal level. The more students can make a personal connection with Israel and understand it through your perspective, the easier it will be for them to feel comfortable talking about it.

• Approach the college chaplain and leaders of other religious groups to meet, talk and look into the possibility of interfaith programming with a focus on Israel. www.facebook.com/IsraelEducationCenter