The high cost of our silence
By Abigail Bob
The Jewish Advocate
Before I left for college, I was warned of growing anti-Israel sentiment on campuses across the country. Yet when I arrived at Wellesley College, I was surprised to find no one talking about Israel. Previous clashes on campus left students on all sides weary. The consensus was that in order to keep the peace everyone would just keep silent.
Then one day in Middle Eastern History class a girl raised her hand and said, "After all we've learned in this class, I don't understand how anyone could ever support Israel." Most of the class, including the professor, nodded in agreement. I was shocked. Was this the price of silence?
Shortly thereafter, a group of concerned students formed Wellesley Friends of Israel (WFI), to provide pro-Israel programming to the campus community and to offer a "support group" for pro-Israel students. WFI received enormous support and guidance from JCRC, CJP, and USD-Hagshama through the Israel Campus Roundtable via grants to host speakers and advocacy trainings and cultural events that catered to our campus' specific needs.
Our goal was to engage students who did not take an interest in Israel through creative, nonpolitical programming. Within the first few months we hosted an Episcopalian minister speaking about liberal Christian support for Israel, a victim of the Hebrew University bombing speaking about nonviolence, and a shaliach explaining Israeli pop music lyrics. We were successful in attracting Jewish and non-Jewish students and highlighting aspects of Israeli life beyond the news broadcasts.
Yet WFI faces challenges common to all Israel advocates. The inclusion of anti-Israel propaganda into the "package" of liberal values dominant on campus threatens American support for Israel. The problem was seen at Iraq war protests, where "Make Love Not War" signs were next to pictures of burning Israeli flags. Advocacy groups must address these issues and illustrate Israel's significant achievements in the areas of democracy and human rights.
A less visible, but no less threatening challenge, is the apathy of many Jewish students. Some do not see a connection between themselves as American Jews and Israel or feel overwhelmed by the perceived scope of the issue. Israel activists must continue to engage these students by hosting advocacy trainings on campus and encouraging them to take advantage of available trips to Israel. Here again, JCRC, CJP, Hillels and the Israel Campus Roundtable can help.
After four years of Israel activism, I believe our work strengthened our commitment as advocates and influenced other students to see Israel in a positive light. My hope for the future? No more silence.
Abigail Bob is a senior at Wellesley College and will graduate in June with a B.A. in Middle Eastern Studies. She is the recipient of the Jacqueline Krieger Klein'53 Fellowship in Jewish Studies for travel to Israel in the fall.
