This past September, CAMERA on campus staffers Aviva Slomich and Samantha Mandeles journeyed across Florida for a whirlwind visit with some of CAMERA’s students!
Sam and Aviva started out in the lovely Orlando to visit the University of Central Florida and meet with our CCAP-supported group, Knights for Israel! CAMERA was able to catch up with the new Knights for Israel CCAP Liaison, Ari Hoffman, who first became acquainted with CAMERA through the annual Student Leadership and Advocacy Training Conference this past August.
Knights for Israel talked with CAMERA staff about their exciting plans for this semester, which include a lecture by counter-terrorism expert Dr. Anat Berko, and a focus on group publicity and social media development.
Next, Sam and Aviva stopped by Tampa to visit with 2013-2014 University of South Florida CAMERA Fellow Danielle Haberer, and representatives from the USF CCAP group, Bulls for Israel. Danielle and Bulls for Israel were gearing up for a Less Hamas More Hummus event with Dr. Anat Berko, and were in the midst of planning a Krav Maga event with a Florida-based IDF veteran! (Read about Anat Berko’s successful event at the University of Florida: Hecklers Flee Israeli Speaker at U of Florida)
CAMERA next trekked to Boca Raton to meet with 2013-2014 Florida Atlantic University CAMERA Fellow Abraham Mercado and the FAU CCAP group Owls for Israel. Aviva and Sam helped OFI to begin planning for their event with Dr. Anat Berko, and were able to hear about OFI’s initiatives in partnering with the Black Student Union and the Creole Club on campus. CAMERA and OFI discussed OFI’s extensive work in combating anti-Israel activism on campus as well, focusing on follow-up to the eviction letter situation and monitoring the behavior of SJP.
Finally, Aviva and Sam visited the University of Miami to check in with a CAMERA Fellow alumnus, 2012-2013 CAMERA Fellow Abir Gitlin and his new pro-Israel campus group, EMET. Abir and another member of his group decided to become a CCAP supported organization, and have recently officially enrolled in the program!
Aviva, Sam, and the rest of CAMERA thank all of the students for their courage, ingenuity, and hard work! We look forward to the next time we have the opportunity to visit our amazing Florida students!
Contributed by Samantha Mandeles
