Learn.Lead.Launch.A grassroots Israel activism guidefor the next generation of leaders.

Learn About IsraelIsrael’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.

Israeli News Sources:The Jerusalem Post

Haaretz

Ynet News

U.S. News Sources:The New York Times

The Wall Street Journal

The Washington Post

Beyond the Conflict:Israel 21c

Israel on Campus

Israel Campus Beat

STAY CURRENT Israeli Culture/Life in Israel:

The Israelis: Ordinary People in an Extraordinary Land, Donna Rosenthal

Start Up Nation, Dan Senor and Saul Singer

Here and Now: History, Nationalism, and Realism in Modern Hebrew, Todd Hasak-Lowy

Written by Israeli Authors: 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

The Conflict:Myths and Facts: A Guide to the

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

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Young Judea

YJ Impact emphasizes personal engagement with the real

Israel through multi-faceted programs and opportunities.

YJ Impact embodies the pluralistic, non-partisan approach

of Young Judaea and its sponsor, Hadassah.

The Milstein Foundation Campus Allies Mission to Israel

(Open to non-Jewish Students)

The Milstein Foundation Campus Allies Mission,

which is open only to those who have not been to Israel

and are not eligible for Birthright Israel, is designed

for pro-Israel political activists and student leaders

from Historically Black Colleges and Universities,

Christian campuses and primarily Hispanic-serving

institutions. Participants experience the land of the Bible,

gain a deeper understanding of the strategic and social

issues facing Israel today, and examine the challenges

and opportunities associated with the U.S.-Israel alliance.

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Birthright

Taglit-Birthright Israel offers the gift of a free, 10-day

educational trip to Israel for Jewish adults aged 18 to 26.

The trip aims to strengthen participants’ Jewish identity;

to build understanding, friendship and a lasting bond

with the land and people of Israel; and to reinforce

the solidarity of the Jewish people worldwide.

Masa Israel Journey

Masa Israel Journey connects Jewish young adults (ages

18-30) to gap-year, study abroad, post-college and volunteer

programs. No other organization makes it easier for young

adults to have exciting, life-changing experiences in Israel.

Hasbara Fellowships

Intensive Israel activism education is the core strategy

of Hasbara Fellowships and remains exclusively our niche.

Hasbara Fellowships brings hundreds of students to Israel

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.

Set a good example.Be a positive force in class and excel in your studies. Speak up and interact positively with your classmates. If and when Israel comes up in conversation, make your voice heard and establish

yourself as a trusted and open-minded resource.

Listen.Grass roots activism is not about shouting the loudest. It requires the ability to listen and adapt to the needs

of your fellow classmates and campus community.

Engage your peers on campus.Befriend students outside your regular circle.

Get to know who they are and what they care about.

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.

Serve on boards and councils.Some may include a mix of students, faculty

and administrators with whom you can connect.

Get involved.Become active in different student organizations

or volunteer for service projects. Reach out to your classmates and peers on campus. Look into collaborating with multiple

student groups on Israel-focused programs.

Consider pro-Israel leadership positions.Develop leadership skills through various pro-Israel

leadership positions or internships on campus with Hillel, your local Jewish Federation or other pro-Israel organizations.

Lead by ExampleLeading 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!

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!

• Faculty have a vested interest in their students. Let them know about your involvement in Israel advocacy.

• Engage with your professors and get to know them. Ask to meet for coffee and tell them about your involvement with Israel advocacy and Israel’s relevance to your campus.

• Tenured professors may feel more comfortable working with you than those without tenure. Try to check out their views before meeting with them. Check the internet and look up their course syllabus and recommended resources so you know who you are speaking with.

• Ask faculty whether their departments would co-sponsor programming with you.

• Make relationships with department chairs. Send them an email explaining who you are and the work that you do.

• Bring in an Israeli academic and ask faculty to host them in their classroom (i.e. a recognized expert on the Middle East in an International Relations class).

• Be professionally persistent. If they do not respond to an email, follow up with a phone call.

• Give them all the info they might need (speaker’s bio, topics, availability, costs, etc.).

• Grow your faculty network. By building these relationships you will be able to provide your campus greater access to Israel education and also have a backup if anti-Israel activity flares up on your campus.

Administration & Faculty Relationships:

Get involved.Connect with Hillel and ask about Israel-focused activities

you can join or lead. If options are limited, consider

creating a group of like-minded pro-Israel students

willing to implement a strategic campaign on campus..

Recruit your team.Volunteers are the key to success. An inspiring message, clear

plan of action and strong leadership will motivate your team.

Develop strong relationships with non-Jews.Build relationships with non-Jewish administration,

faculty, student government association, campus news,

religious leaders and student club leaders. Reaching out

beyond the Jewish community is key.

Expand your vision.Include a diversity of affinity groups, specific and various

academic areas, and consider which shared values resonate

with each group, department and individual.

Learn more about your campus.Understand your campus culture, faculty and students’

interests, and choose topics that introduce Israel in a

non-threatening and ultimately educational manner.

Not Jewish?Consider reaching out to other students and create a

pro-Israel group or initiative on campus. Contact Hillel,

make them aware of your plans and let them know

you’re interested in possible joint projects.

Other Ideas:

• Don’t limit yourself to certain groups. Jewish Studies and Middle Eastern departments are a good start but won’t reach a diversity of people.

• Bring speakers on campus that appeal to different departments and approach them to co-sponsor.

• Be it political science, journalism, medicine, nursing, military science, art, music, women’s studies, religion, etc., Israel is a leader in the field and offers experts in each who will speak on campus.

SGA, Student Clubs, Students in Your Classrooms:

• Run for student government or ask to sit in on open meetings. Know who the key decision-makers are. Make sure your voice is heard on issues concerning Israel.

• Try to serve on boards and councils in order to be on the pulse of what’s happening on campus. Some may include a mix of students, faculty and administrators.

• Ask other student groups to meet with you and your Hillel/pro-Israel group over coffee. Find common interests 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.

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