Neil Lazarus came to speak at Queens College on October 28, 2015 about current events in the Middle East.
Lazarus gave a lecture to members of Emet for Israel supported group Queens College’s Israel Student Association for about an hour throughout which he discussed the conflict and issues Israel is facing now. This event was intended to be educational and board members hoped to give students a better and deeper understanding of Middle Eastern affairs.
StandWithUs and the ZOA were sponsors of this event in addition to CAMERA.
Neil Lazarus was definitely a great resource to provide them with such a clear perspective on the matters at hand. Students expressed that they enjoyed Neil’s wit and easy-to-understand breakdown of current events in the region. He also brought great visual aids that really helped unravel the nuanced and complex situation. Toward the end, Lazarus was very open to questions, which created a comfortable atmosphere for the attendees and clarified many of the common misconceptions regarding Israel.
Afterward, pizza was served and this gave students the opportunity to interact with one another and talk about the lecture. Once members and other students really understood the topic and had enough confidence to bring up these issue with their peers, only then would they be able to properly advocate for the club and its goals. Board members are ecstatic that this is the case, and are looking forward to the group’s growth and effectiveness on campus in the near future.
Since the lecture, the clubs has received many new “LIKES” on Facebook and messages from members reaching out about ideas for events. QCISA has also been working on more cooperative events with other clubs to help gain more recognition. Everyone is looking forward to other events on campus that will strengthen their ability to advocate for Israel.
