The energy in the room was palpable at the Zionist Organization of America NY Metro’s kickoff event on September 6th, a program entitled Jewish Students Under Siege: At A Campus Near You! ZOA Chooses Fight Not Flight. Led by the ZOA NY Metro Team, and ZOA Campus’ Associate Director and New England Campus Coordinator Jonathan Ginsburg, this introductory event brought in almost 50 attendees.
Throughout the country, the enemies of Israel are promoting and funding BDS (boycott, divestment, sanctions) and groups such as SJP (so-called Students for Justice in Palestine), and are encouraging anti-Semitism. It knows no bounds, as professors and administrators have either encouraged or tolerated this as well. Infringement upon pro-Israel free speech, staged die-ins and physical threats to Zionist students are common tactics. This was made clear when we heard from two courageous young women.
Adela Cojab Moadeb, ZOA Campus Activist at NYU and a Jewish Week 2018 36 Under 36 Most Influential Jews, and Hendel Seif, ZOA Campus Fellow at CCNY, spoke about their experiences on their respective campuses, battling students and administration, and how ZOA provided the necessary resources, factual evidence, legal assistance and constant presence in order to help them feel supported and to safeguard their religious and personal freedoms.
We are witnessing the vitriol of hate speech and bullying on college campuses across the country, and it is imperative to be proactive in responding with an agenda for religious expression and freedom of speech. From professors through the counseling student bodies, students have been met with anti-Zionist and anti-Semitic rhetoric and harassment at unprecedented levels in this country. ZOA is proud to stand alongside and work with pro-Israel students! ZOA Campus and our Center for Law and Justice mentor and empower students on the front lines, in the media, and if necessary in the courts. ZOA will always stand strong and advocate unabashedly for Israel and students’ rights to express their Zionism.
In addition to hearing about ZOA’s indispensable role on college campuses, ZOA introduced a new engagement structure focused on donor appreciation efforts. Details of the benefits and exclusive programming will be available shortly.
Stay tuned for ZOA NY Metro’s next event on Tuesday, October 9th entitled:
Eastern, Central and Western Europe, 2018: 70+ Years Post-Holocaust – is it safer to be a Jew and/or Zionist in Warsaw or in Paris?
To join ZOA, become a Society Level Donor, or for more information, click here, call the office at 212-481-1500, or email us at info@zoa.org.