November and December have been very active in programming on CAMERA- supported campuses. The large variety of events have allowed students to learn about different aspects of history, politics, and culture!
Friends of Israel at Rockland Community College held the event, “Israel and The Middle East In The Age of Hashtag Diplomacy” with speaker Neil Lazarus. The idea of the event was to provide an unbiased view of the Middle East and for individuals attending the event to be able to learn about the history of the Middle East, current events, and stories from both sides of the conflict. The event was overall successful and very informative.
Friends Of Israel at Rockland Community College also held their own shuk this month! They were able to set up many tables that had different information, foods, henna, and Middle Eastern music playing. They were able to successfully bring the diverse culture of Israel and the shuk to their campus! The responses that Friends Of Israel received were positive!
This is Israel at the University of Florida held an event this month about the Balfour Declaration. They were able to pair with the Department of Jewish Studies for the event. The program consisted of a panel discussion about the Balfour Declaration and the impact that it had on Israel, the United States, and Britain. The panel discussion was followed by questions and dialogue from the audience. Many of the attendees did not have much knowledge on the subject before and felt as though the event was very informative.
Indiana Israel Public Affairs Committee (IIPAC) at Indiana University held their Leadership Reception this month. Many different organizations from across campus were invited to attend. There was a discussion about what Indiana Israel Public Affairs Committee (IIPAC) does, bipartisanship, and a U.S- Israel relationship. The reception also served as a way for all attendees to network and build further relationships with other groups arounds campus. The event seemed to be very beneficial and successful. There were a large number of attendees and a further hope for relationships between organizations.
CAMERA co-sponsored and event with Nottingham Jewish and Israel Society and Culture, and the Film and Media Society entitled, “Politics and Pizza – Lahav Harkov”. The event was divided into a number of different sections discussing her journey into political journalism, tips for students entering the field, the “ins and outs” of Israeli politics, and ultimately time for questions. The event was well attended, and many participants had questions at the end. Overall, the event was successful and enlightening about Israeli politics and the work that Lahav Harov does.
SKFI at Rutgers University held a Minute to Win It: Sderot Edition! The event had different games with different facts about Sderot formatted similar to that of the popular game, Minute to Win It. The event was very successful and was ultimately able to get people excited about different events to come!
SKFI at Rutgers University also held the event “Party for a Purpose: RockIt for Peace”. The event was a concert featuring Sammy K the rapper. The proceeds from the event went to the JNF Sderot Project. The concert was enjoyed by many, and many participants are excited for similar events in the future!
The University of Oregon participated in the StandWithUs Israeli Soldiers Tour this month! The IDF soldiers that participated in the event spoke about a number of different things, such as their service in the IDF, lives outside of the IDF, and future plans. They were able to answer questions from the participants as well. The event was an overall success and answered many of the questions that the community held.
Glasgow Students’ Israel Forum at Glasgow University/Strathclyde University held the event “Diversity in Israel Through the Lens of a Knesset Journalist”. Lahav Harkov spoke to the group about Israel’s political parties, their voter bases, their general attitudes towards key issues, their histories, and their leaders. After Lahav Harkov spoke, the audience was able to ask questions to continue the discussion further. The event was very successful in the efforts to deliver a friendly event on the subject.
Aggies for Israel at UC Davis held their second general meeting of the year this month. They were able to discuss board applications, how to become more involved with the organization, future events, and anti- semitism on campus. The meeting was well attended and had productive outcomes!
Israel Society at Maynooth University held the event entitled, “Diversity in Israel, through the lens of a Knesset Journalist”. Lahav Harkov spoke to the group about a number of topics covering how the Knesset works, the history of the different political parties, to her what her role is. Many attendees had many questions, and the Q + A time went beyond the set end time of the event. The program was very successful and was able to continue the discussion about Israel.
Israel Student Association at Queens College CUNY held their own Aroma Cafe! The ultimate goal of the event was to have casual conversations about Israel without becoming too political. The group was able to achieve this goal by having Israeli music playing, different trivia games about Israel, and general discussions about the history of Israel, all while enjoying a cup of Aroma ice coffee!
Emet Israel at the University of Miami held their Cultural Fellowship! They focused on Israeli culture, as well as the similarities and differences between Israeli culture and American culture. The members of the fellowship were able to engage in different trivia games, discussions, and try different Israeli foods!
Emet Israel also held a Finals Study Break on their campus this month. This event allowed students to take a break from studying to talk about Emet Israel, hear about future events, and have a snack!
SOAS Jewish Society at SOAS University of London held the event, “The Forgotten Refugees of the Middle East”. The event’s goal was to provide awareness and education about the 1947 Partition Plan and the expulsion of Jewish refugees from different Arab lands. The attendees were able to ask questions and participate in the dialogue on the subject. The event was successful and had a positive response from the many different participants.
Matadors for Israel at CSUN held the event “Meet Our Israeli” this month! The new Israel fellow on campus was able to share her story, speak with a number of different students, as well as enjoy shakshuka!
Laurentian Jewish Student Association at Laurentian University held a Chanukah event called, “Festival of Lights”. Attendees were able to make their own Chanukah candle, learn about the history of Chanukah (both in Israel and across the world), and participate in different dreidel games! Many people seemed to enjoy the event and gain a new understanding of the holiday.
Contributed by Campus Coordinator Alex Rittenberg
