With your help, in 2018 we worked hard to provide students on 87 campuses across the US, Canada, Ireland, the UK and Israel with the support they desperately needed to address anti-Israel lies and hate on campus.
66 CAMERA-supported groups hosted 429 events, including hosting educational speakers, instilling Zionist pride, and sharpening students’ knowledge of Israel’s history.
We worked closely with 40 CAMERA Fellows on 40 campuses across the world, who monitored positive and negative Israel-related activity on campus, proactively educating their peers and responding to inaccuracies by publishing Op-Eds and holding events.
CAMERA Fellows published 62 articles in their campus papers and local and international outlets, setting the record straight on Israel and raising awareness about anti-Israel activity on campus.
We started working with 18 more Israel groups and societies through our CAMERA-supported group program, enriching them with mentorship, resources and speakers to stand up for Israel on campus.
VIDEO: BRITISH STUDENTS STAND UP TO HATE
AT UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON
University College London made headlines in 2016 when riot police had to stop members of UCL Palestine Society from attacking Jewish students who were attending a CAMERA speaking event with Israeli human rights activist Hen Mazzig. Undeterred, Mazzig returned to speak at UCL on January 25th 2018 with our assistance.
This time, as Zionist students waved Israeli flags and sang Jewish songs, members of the UCL Palestine Society resumed their hatred, shouting falsehoods and slanders against Hen Mazzig and the Jewish state outside the event.
Watch the video here.
INTERNATIONAL CAMPUS DIRECTOR SPEAKS AT ISRAELI KNESSET
On February 12th, International Campus Director Aviva Slomich (second from right) attended a conference at Israel’s parliament called “Fighting the ‘Palestinian apartheid’ lie” about delegitimization efforts against Israel on campus and beyond. Slomich commented on the dangers of legitimizing JStreet within the Israel activist community, referring to them as a “gateway” organization to more fringe, extremist organizations, such as Jewish Voice for Peace.
PHOTOJOURNALIST GIL COHEN MAGEN
TOURS CAMPUSES WITH CAMERA
In April, Gil Cohen-Magen, who addresses issues of media and photojournalism bias, spoke to CAMERA-Supported Groups EMET for Israel (University of Miami), Knights for Israel (University of Central Florida), Bobcats for Israel (Ohio University), Scarlet Knights for Israel (Rutgers University), Cardinals for Israel (Wesleyan University, pictured), Bulldogs for Israel (Brooklyn College), Macs for Israel (Yeshiva University), and at the University of Pennsylvania for CAMERA Fellow Ariela Stein’s event.
“Two years ago, Knights for Israel (KFI) had faced Students for Justice in Palestine and their notorious Israeli-Apartheid Week. We answered with our own Israel Peace Week. That week was a huge success as we contested SJP’s ‘die-in’ with our own demonstration calling out their members for their lies. KFI had so much student involvement that there was never a dull moment. Our event was such a success that we made an annual tradition out of it, while at the same time, there hasn’t been a single sign of SJP on our campus or anything about the dishonest Israeli-Apartheid Week.”
To continue reading this article by CAMERA Fellow Jake Suster following CAMERA’s Annual Gala in May, click here.
80 STUDENTS FROM 70 CAMPUSES ACROSS THE WORLD ATTEND 8TH ANNUAL STUDENT LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
“Students are coming from as far away as the U.K., Ireland and Canada to strengthen their Israel activism with us,” said Aviva Rosenschein, CAMERA’s international campus director. “Hatred directed at students who support Israel is, unfortunately, a global issue, and we are working hard to help as many students across the world as we can.”
For interviews with some of the nearly 80 students who attended CAMERA’s 8th Annual Student Leadership Conference in August and the full article, click here.
INTERNATIONAL CAMPUS DIRECTOR AVIVA ROSENSCHEIN
CELEBRATES 10 YEARS AT CAMERA
International Campus Director Aviva Rosenschein (second from left) with students at the launch of CAMERA on Campus UK in fall 2017.
This Rosh Hashanah, Aviva marked her 10th year with CAMERA on Campus. Aviva has been with CAMERA on Campus since the very beginning, working to support Zionist students on campuses where they desperately needed resources and guidance. Leading the department from the start, she led CAMERA’s Israel trips and was at the forefront of creating the CAMERA Fellowship and the Emet for Israel program. After making aliyah, she assumed the role of International Campus Director, which has led to the expansion of CAMERA’s activity to campuses in Canada, the UK, Ireland, and Israel. She splits her time between CAMERA’s Boston and Jerusalem offices. Mazel tov, Aviva!
THREE NEW CAMPUS COORDINATORS JOIN CAMERA ON CAMPUS
We grew significantly in 2018, gaining three more campus coordinators! Midwest and Mid-Atlantic Campus Coordinator Alex Rittenberg joined us in January; California and Florida Campus Coordinator Yoni Michanie joined us in April; and Campus Coordinator for Upstate New York and Canada Zac Schildcrout joined us in September. You can learn more about them here.
FIRST EVER CAMERA STUDENT LEADERSHIP
CONFERENCE HELD IN LONDON
Some 20 students from the United Kingdom and Ireland participated in the first high-level training conference that prepares students to respond to campus anti-Semitism and anti-Israel activism.
The inaugural CAMERA on Campus UK Student Leadership Conference, which was held on Oct. 14 in London, placed a heavy emphasis on empowering students to be proud, informed Zionists.
“CAMERA fills an important void on campus and provides unique tools for students,” says Israel activist David Collier. “If we are to fight back against the industrial anti-Israel distortion taking place, we need to reclaim the word ‘Zionism,’ and ‘Zionize’ students by providing them with our true history, and thus enable students to both unapologetically provide positive messages and engage to counter the lies.”
Read more about the conference at JNS.org.
THE JERUSALEM POST’S LAHAV HARKOV TOURS 13 CAMPUSES
Senior Contributing Editor to the Jerusalem Post Lahav Harkov toured with CAMERA in the US in the spring and fall of 2018, spanning 13 campuses. Her talks provided students with insights into the inner workings of Israel’s Knesset, the relationship between the US and Israel, and life in Israel. Read about her talk at Emory University here.
UCLA STUDENTS HOLD ISRAEL PRIDE WEEK IN RESPONSE TO NSJP CONFERENCE ON CAMPUS
In November, CAMERA was proud to provide mentorship and educational displays for pro-Israel students at UCLA who held an Israel Pride Week leading up to the National Students for Justice in Palestine (NSJP) conference on campus. Pictured above, left: CAMERA Fellow Justin Feldman (left) engages with students on campus as he holds a “This is what a Zionist looks like” sign.
In the months leading up to the conference, CAMERA staff worked vigorously with students and others to bring their concerns to the UC Regents and UCLA Chancellor Gene Block. This included submitting a petition on behalf of over 9,000 signatories, in addition to a letter signed by 31 pro-Israel campus groups. CAMERA Fellows and concerned students across the country also submitted Op-Eds to raise awareness on their own campuses. Unfortunately, CAMERA did not receive a response from Chancellor Block or the Regents.
Read more here.
PROMINENT CANADIAN-ISRAELI ENERGIZES BRITISH & IRISH STUDENTS ON CAMERA TOUR
Canadian-Israeli LGBT activist and celebrity designer Shai DeLuca-Tamasi traveled to campuses across Ireland and the United Kingdom in November, inspiring pro-Israel students.
DeLuca-Tamasi, also an IDF veteran, left a lasting impression on students at each stop of his tour, organized by CAMERA on Campus UK. He spoke at Maynooth University, the University of Birmingham, the University of Glasgow, Nottingham University and University College London. The latter three were co-sponsored by the Union of Jewish Students (UJS).
“When he stood up to all of the threats he received as an Israeli presenter on North American television during Operation Protective Edge, he showed students the importance of standing up for their identities on campus, no matter how hard it may get,” reflected Tamara Berens, UK Associate for CAMERA on Campus.
CAMERA Fellow Sarah Saide volunteered for emergency medical services organization United Hatzalah in Israel during her gap year before beginning her studies at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
