Small Campuses Need Students Supporting Israel
By: Kyle Heisler
President of Students Supporting Israel at Augsburg College
As Israelis recover from the latest war with Gaza, many college students are returning to campus. In this past conflict and during operation “Protective Edge” in which Israelis were plagued with barrages of rockets, terror tunnels and loss of their young. Despite Hamas’ actions, the international community continued its condemnation of the Jewish State. College campuses are a breeding ground for this type of thought. Some even espouse a more pernicious view against Israel’s very existence. Students Supporting Israel (SSI) started as a way to combat those ideas and help reshape Israel’s image on college campuses.
Although SSI started at a large University (the University of Minnesota), anti-Israel bias is virulent on small campuses as well. In many classes, even those with no relations to foreign affairs, Israel is brought up in a dark and unjust light. Certain groups hold false events like Israel Apartheid Week and the industry of lies continually growing on our campuses. Under the premise of being “open minded” many students take up these thoughts blindly.
Students Supporting Israel at Augsburg College started out of the necessity to give students another side, Israel’s side, finally students are not afraid to speak up against the lies. We may not change the opinions of the hardened anti-Israel students and professors but we may give just one student a different opinion. We believe that even on a campus of 2000 it is vital to stand with Israel and help change the minds of a few. This is why Students Supporting Israel is a movement belongs to smaller or larger campuses; this is why for the first time in North America’s history we are able to stand together, united against the hatred. This is our first official year as a registered organization at Augsburg College and we are already off to a great start, join us, join our movement lets be the change.
God bless Israel and those who bless Her.
President of Students Supporting Israel at Augsburg College
As Israelis recover from the latest war with Gaza, many college students are returning to campus. In this past conflict and during operation “Protective Edge” in which Israelis were plagued with barrages of rockets, terror tunnels and loss of their young. Despite Hamas’ actions, the international community continued its condemnation of the Jewish State. College campuses are a breeding ground for this type of thought. Some even espouse a more pernicious view against Israel’s very existence. Students Supporting Israel (SSI) started as a way to combat those ideas and help reshape Israel’s image on college campuses.
Although SSI started at a large University (the University of Minnesota), anti-Israel bias is virulent on small campuses as well. In many classes, even those with no relations to foreign affairs, Israel is brought up in a dark and unjust light. Certain groups hold false events like Israel Apartheid Week and the industry of lies continually growing on our campuses. Under the premise of being “open minded” many students take up these thoughts blindly.
Students Supporting Israel at Augsburg College started out of the necessity to give students another side, Israel’s side, finally students are not afraid to speak up against the lies. We may not change the opinions of the hardened anti-Israel students and professors but we may give just one student a different opinion. We believe that even on a campus of 2000 it is vital to stand with Israel and help change the minds of a few. This is why Students Supporting Israel is a movement belongs to smaller or larger campuses; this is why for the first time in North America’s history we are able to stand together, united against the hatred. This is our first official year as a registered organization at Augsburg College and we are already off to a great start, join us, join our movement lets be the change.
God bless Israel and those who bless Her.
Students Supporting Israel: The Hope For College Campuses
By: Sarah Katularu
President of Students Supporting Israel at San Diego State University.
If you asked anyone in Israel a few months ago about the tension regarding Israeli politics on campuses, they would have had no idea what you were talking about. Israelis in Israel are only just now hearing about the events taking place on college campuses dealing with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I mean, who would really think something that is happening on nearly the opposite side of the world would affect American college students? The fact, though, is that is it happening- and it has been happening for nearly 10 years now. Students Supporting Israel (SSI), founded at the University of Minnesota, has given students the confidence they need to face the opposition they receive on their campuses everyday.
Although some campuses only receive minor opposition, it is important to have a strong support system to help these students face the battles that they face each year. Most schools, as it is, have their own club on campus for students that care about Israel and want to make a difference at a campus-level. However, these students are facing something bigger than, simply, a club on campus with a cause. These students are up against a national, and even international force. SSI is growing each and every day, making it an appropriate and rather strong opponent to the larger organizations pro-Israel students face on their campuses.
These pro-Israel students have been working incredibly hard to fight the anti-Israel propaganda on campus and have been successful in what they do. However, when it comes down to it, the credibility of a nationally recognized organization is much better than that of simply a small campus club. Students Supporting Israel, has given campuses a way to connect and grow as a nationally recognized organization.
With this unification, these pro-Israel clubs will be joining a nationally recognized movement, their credibility will instantly improve, and their recognition will no longer just be some club students join on their campuses. These students will be part of a movement that is changing the fate of campuses each day as SSI continues to grow.
President of Students Supporting Israel at San Diego State University.
If you asked anyone in Israel a few months ago about the tension regarding Israeli politics on campuses, they would have had no idea what you were talking about. Israelis in Israel are only just now hearing about the events taking place on college campuses dealing with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I mean, who would really think something that is happening on nearly the opposite side of the world would affect American college students? The fact, though, is that is it happening- and it has been happening for nearly 10 years now. Students Supporting Israel (SSI), founded at the University of Minnesota, has given students the confidence they need to face the opposition they receive on their campuses everyday.
Although some campuses only receive minor opposition, it is important to have a strong support system to help these students face the battles that they face each year. Most schools, as it is, have their own club on campus for students that care about Israel and want to make a difference at a campus-level. However, these students are facing something bigger than, simply, a club on campus with a cause. These students are up against a national, and even international force. SSI is growing each and every day, making it an appropriate and rather strong opponent to the larger organizations pro-Israel students face on their campuses.
These pro-Israel students have been working incredibly hard to fight the anti-Israel propaganda on campus and have been successful in what they do. However, when it comes down to it, the credibility of a nationally recognized organization is much better than that of simply a small campus club. Students Supporting Israel, has given campuses a way to connect and grow as a nationally recognized organization.
With this unification, these pro-Israel clubs will be joining a nationally recognized movement, their credibility will instantly improve, and their recognition will no longer just be some club students join on their campuses. These students will be part of a movement that is changing the fate of campuses each day as SSI continues to grow.
Our Future Leaders
By: Cadet Benji Fischman
President of Students Supporting Israel at the New Mexico Military Institute
Students do not go to New Mexico Military Institute to have fun. Most go to work hard and achieve their goals in a challenging and stressful environment. A great number of cadets will graduate as commissioned Second Lieutenants in the United States Army, and others go on to study at any Federal military academies such as West Point, Merchant Marine Academy, or the Naval Academy in Annapolis. When cadets are able to relax and discuss topics important to them it is truly a breath of fresh air.
SSI at NMMI had its first meeting on September 12th. More than thirty cadets showed up to discuss and learn about Israel. This question was poised to the group, “How would you respond if Mexico or Canada fired rockets into the United States?” As future military leaders, the opinions of individuals were extremely passionate on this subject, but it was that small emotional experience that opened the eyes of many cadets about the Israeli struggle. Most who attended the meeting are hungry to learn more about Israel, and the conflict in the Middle-East.
The SSI NMMI Officer team is also excited to announce we have tentatively scheduled Dr. Anat Berko, a high class terrorism expert, to lecture at NMMI, so please stay tuned for more updates on that fantastic and eye-opening learning opportunity. We are so excited to make this inaugural year of SSI at NMMI a memorable one for everyone involved!
President of Students Supporting Israel at the New Mexico Military Institute
Students do not go to New Mexico Military Institute to have fun. Most go to work hard and achieve their goals in a challenging and stressful environment. A great number of cadets will graduate as commissioned Second Lieutenants in the United States Army, and others go on to study at any Federal military academies such as West Point, Merchant Marine Academy, or the Naval Academy in Annapolis. When cadets are able to relax and discuss topics important to them it is truly a breath of fresh air.
SSI at NMMI had its first meeting on September 12th. More than thirty cadets showed up to discuss and learn about Israel. This question was poised to the group, “How would you respond if Mexico or Canada fired rockets into the United States?” As future military leaders, the opinions of individuals were extremely passionate on this subject, but it was that small emotional experience that opened the eyes of many cadets about the Israeli struggle. Most who attended the meeting are hungry to learn more about Israel, and the conflict in the Middle-East.
The SSI NMMI Officer team is also excited to announce we have tentatively scheduled Dr. Anat Berko, a high class terrorism expert, to lecture at NMMI, so please stay tuned for more updates on that fantastic and eye-opening learning opportunity. We are so excited to make this inaugural year of SSI at NMMI a memorable one for everyone involved!
A Strong Movement Matters
By: Valeria Chazin.
SSI Board Chair and co-Founder.
A quote by the writer and producer Gary David Goldberg says that “A good team, like a good show, comes into being when the separate individuals working together create, in essence, another separate higher entity - the team - which is better than any of those individuals can ever be on their own.”
Why is it important for Students Supporting Israel to create a united, pro-Israel movement on campuses? because working together makes the message of pro-Israel supporters on campus stronger. As a movement, Students Supporting Israel’s vision is to unite the many pro-Israel activists which currently work in an isolated manner, in order to promote a more coordinated pro-Israel student grassroots activism. While each chapter of Students Supporting Israel operates based on its unique campus needs, being part of a larger organization can provide inspiration, support, and a sense of confidence to activists to speak up and share their Pro-Israel opinions, knowing that like-minded students in other universities are acting for the same cause.
A united pro-Israel movement will bring about a positive change to the current situation on college campuses, by promoting a unified front to stand against the often well-organized illegitimate criticism of Israel, which sometimes takes the form of demonization and anti-Semitism. An example of the benefits that a movement provides is the environment where students can exchange ideas about events, encourage each other, and make news from a single university reach a much larger audience outside its own campus.
Those who join Students Supporting Israel across the country recognize the importance of working towards a shared vision using a collaborative effort. As just this month a few new chapters joined the Students Supporting Israel family, we hope that the vision of a pro-Israel grassroots movement will continue becoming a reality.
SSI Board Chair and co-Founder.
A quote by the writer and producer Gary David Goldberg says that “A good team, like a good show, comes into being when the separate individuals working together create, in essence, another separate higher entity - the team - which is better than any of those individuals can ever be on their own.”
Why is it important for Students Supporting Israel to create a united, pro-Israel movement on campuses? because working together makes the message of pro-Israel supporters on campus stronger. As a movement, Students Supporting Israel’s vision is to unite the many pro-Israel activists which currently work in an isolated manner, in order to promote a more coordinated pro-Israel student grassroots activism. While each chapter of Students Supporting Israel operates based on its unique campus needs, being part of a larger organization can provide inspiration, support, and a sense of confidence to activists to speak up and share their Pro-Israel opinions, knowing that like-minded students in other universities are acting for the same cause.
A united pro-Israel movement will bring about a positive change to the current situation on college campuses, by promoting a unified front to stand against the often well-organized illegitimate criticism of Israel, which sometimes takes the form of demonization and anti-Semitism. An example of the benefits that a movement provides is the environment where students can exchange ideas about events, encourage each other, and make news from a single university reach a much larger audience outside its own campus.
Those who join Students Supporting Israel across the country recognize the importance of working towards a shared vision using a collaborative effort. As just this month a few new chapters joined the Students Supporting Israel family, we hope that the vision of a pro-Israel grassroots movement will continue becoming a reality.
May My Right Hand Forget Its Skill
By: Joe Willms
Co-Founder and President at Students Supporting Israel Nebraska - Omaha.
We are born Jewish. We come into this world Jewish. We will always be Jewish no matter what, we cannot change our background. The longing for a state of Israel in Jewish hearts is nothing new, the Jewish people have always wished for a state of Israel, ever since we were expelled from the land two thousand years ago. During those years, we never stopped praying towards Jerusalem, in our weddings we always said: “If I forget you, Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill”. Israel was always in our hearts and dreams.
Many countries around the world face security challenges; however, since its establishment Israel’s security was at risk. What would you do if your life was being threatened in the past 67 years, and with a terrorist organization like Hamas which is in charge of almost half of the Palestinian population? The terror and hostility against Israel has never stopped. What would you do if you could be in Israel’s shoes, how would you defend yourself?
I guarantee you that Jews are doing all that they can to stop this, to stop the hate, the violence, and to stop spreading such a disrespectful idea or paradigm of themselves. I also guarantee that if anyone will fight for Arab and Palestinian rights, it will be the Jews in the land of Israel. In the hostile and chaotic Middle East region, Israel is the only true democracy. Israel is the key to peace and security in the region. In times when so many try to picture Israel as an evil state, our support to Israel on campuses is as important as it gets. This is the number one reason to why we established Students Supporting Israel at Nebraska. As long as we are on campus, we will continue representing what is right; we will continue supporting the State of Israel. We are proud members of the Students Supporting Israel family, we are a united pro-Israel movement!
Co-Founder and President at Students Supporting Israel Nebraska - Omaha.
We are born Jewish. We come into this world Jewish. We will always be Jewish no matter what, we cannot change our background. The longing for a state of Israel in Jewish hearts is nothing new, the Jewish people have always wished for a state of Israel, ever since we were expelled from the land two thousand years ago. During those years, we never stopped praying towards Jerusalem, in our weddings we always said: “If I forget you, Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill”. Israel was always in our hearts and dreams.
Many countries around the world face security challenges; however, since its establishment Israel’s security was at risk. What would you do if your life was being threatened in the past 67 years, and with a terrorist organization like Hamas which is in charge of almost half of the Palestinian population? The terror and hostility against Israel has never stopped. What would you do if you could be in Israel’s shoes, how would you defend yourself?
I guarantee you that Jews are doing all that they can to stop this, to stop the hate, the violence, and to stop spreading such a disrespectful idea or paradigm of themselves. I also guarantee that if anyone will fight for Arab and Palestinian rights, it will be the Jews in the land of Israel. In the hostile and chaotic Middle East region, Israel is the only true democracy. Israel is the key to peace and security in the region. In times when so many try to picture Israel as an evil state, our support to Israel on campuses is as important as it gets. This is the number one reason to why we established Students Supporting Israel at Nebraska. As long as we are on campus, we will continue representing what is right; we will continue supporting the State of Israel. We are proud members of the Students Supporting Israel family, we are a united pro-Israel movement!
One Picture is Worth a 1,000 Words:
It is about us being united and wining back our campuses.
By: Ilan Sinelnikov
Students Supporting Israel President
I was looking at this photo bellow for a few minutes, it made my whole body shake but I felt so proud of this young and brave couple. We all know that supporting Israel isn't easy and in many cases it might be much more fun to support Sweden or Norway. On the outside unions and teachers try to boycott us because we are Jewish. On campuses, radical students spread so much hate and bias against us because we are pro Israel.
Many times I ask myself why us?
Our most important job is to face the challenge, and only those who will face it, will win the challenge. We can choose to step aside and hope that things will get better, or we can be a little bit scared but brave, a little bit unconformable but proud, fighting for what is right and there is nothing more right and just than the State of Israel. Our only way to win back is being united like this couple. The girl might be afraid to stand with a flag against a mad mob with a flag and her boyfriend might feel unsafe. Together - nothing will break them a part.
This is one of the reasons to why we decided to start SSI, only together and united we will be able to stand up as one movement against the hatred. It is not about us being powerful in one place and losing nation wide, it is about us being united all over and wining back our campuses. One photo equals 1000 words, this photo equals much more. Proud of this young Canadian couple. Our time to win back has arrived.
Students Supporting Israel President
I was looking at this photo bellow for a few minutes, it made my whole body shake but I felt so proud of this young and brave couple. We all know that supporting Israel isn't easy and in many cases it might be much more fun to support Sweden or Norway. On the outside unions and teachers try to boycott us because we are Jewish. On campuses, radical students spread so much hate and bias against us because we are pro Israel.
Many times I ask myself why us?
Our most important job is to face the challenge, and only those who will face it, will win the challenge. We can choose to step aside and hope that things will get better, or we can be a little bit scared but brave, a little bit unconformable but proud, fighting for what is right and there is nothing more right and just than the State of Israel. Our only way to win back is being united like this couple. The girl might be afraid to stand with a flag against a mad mob with a flag and her boyfriend might feel unsafe. Together - nothing will break them a part.
This is one of the reasons to why we decided to start SSI, only together and united we will be able to stand up as one movement against the hatred. It is not about us being powerful in one place and losing nation wide, it is about us being united all over and wining back our campuses. One photo equals 1000 words, this photo equals much more. Proud of this young Canadian couple. Our time to win back has arrived.
I saw this photo on facebook, showing a couple during a Palestinian demonstration in Canada.
Unfortunately I could not track from the post who took this photo,
but I want to thank the photographer who captured this moment!
SSI Conference: It's All About the Students!
By: Chantelle Moghadam
Co-Founder and President of Students Supporting Israel at the University of Missouri
When I walked into Students Supporting Israel’s very first conference, with my SSI pin on the lapel of my black blazer, I was filled with pride. During the past eight months that I have been a part of this organization, I have watched it grow from 20 to nearly 50 chapters, with SSI leaders across North America who came together in the city where it all started – Minneapolis.
I could write about everything I learned at the conference, or the remarkable speakers, but the best part of the conference is what SSI is really about – the students. SSI is different from any other pro-Israel organization because it is built by students, for students. Every leader and founder of an SSI chapter has played a fundamental role in shaping the organization and leading the pro-Israel fight on university campuses. Every student is just as much a part of SSI as our founders at the University of Minnesota.
Our first conference was not just a milestone; it was a personal accomplishment for each and every one of us. It was an opportunity to recognize the work we had done and look forward to another year of pro-active, pro-Israel activism. Even if every SSI leader has had different experiences on campus, and we have all had to fight different battles, we have never had to so alone. SSI is more than a network of students – we are a family. Being a part of SSI does not only mean empowering ourselves to be the pro-Israel voices on our respective campuses, it means empowering each other.
I have a genuine love for this organization because, like every other student leader, I have invested so much of myself in it. This conference was both a celebration of all our hard work and the start of something new. There is a saying that goes, “When you build, build for a long time. Build for a thousand years.” Years from now, may we not only remember the first Students Supporting Israel conference as a start to our own journeys, but also as one of many ways that we have paved the road for thousands of SSI leaders to come.
Co-Founder and President of Students Supporting Israel at the University of Missouri
When I walked into Students Supporting Israel’s very first conference, with my SSI pin on the lapel of my black blazer, I was filled with pride. During the past eight months that I have been a part of this organization, I have watched it grow from 20 to nearly 50 chapters, with SSI leaders across North America who came together in the city where it all started – Minneapolis.
I could write about everything I learned at the conference, or the remarkable speakers, but the best part of the conference is what SSI is really about – the students. SSI is different from any other pro-Israel organization because it is built by students, for students. Every leader and founder of an SSI chapter has played a fundamental role in shaping the organization and leading the pro-Israel fight on university campuses. Every student is just as much a part of SSI as our founders at the University of Minnesota.
Our first conference was not just a milestone; it was a personal accomplishment for each and every one of us. It was an opportunity to recognize the work we had done and look forward to another year of pro-active, pro-Israel activism. Even if every SSI leader has had different experiences on campus, and we have all had to fight different battles, we have never had to so alone. SSI is more than a network of students – we are a family. Being a part of SSI does not only mean empowering ourselves to be the pro-Israel voices on our respective campuses, it means empowering each other.
I have a genuine love for this organization because, like every other student leader, I have invested so much of myself in it. This conference was both a celebration of all our hard work and the start of something new. There is a saying that goes, “When you build, build for a long time. Build for a thousand years.” Years from now, may we not only remember the first Students Supporting Israel conference as a start to our own journeys, but also as one of many ways that we have paved the road for thousands of SSI leaders to come.
Students Supporting Israel at the University of Georgia Passing the First Pro-Israel Resolution of 2015
By: Sara Diamond
Director of Public Relations
Students Supporting Israel at the University of Georgia
Students Supporting Israel at the University of Georgia is excited to announce that we passed a resolution in the Student Government Association that encourages the expansion of study abroad programs in Israel. This is a great accomplishment for us, as few resolutions of its kind have been passed on other campuses. Now that the resolution has passed, we will take it to the Office of International Education in order to make these programs a reality. “The most important thing right now for us is to keep the momentum going and turn this resolution into tangible results,” said SSI co-presidents Lara Schewitz and Eytan Palte.
It is extremely important that students have the option to study abroad in Israel, as it is a leader in technology, business, medical technology, computer science, and sustainability, among other subject areas. When proposing the resolution to the Senate, Palte advocated “for our students to have the ability to learn from faculty at the forefront of their fields in a country leading the way in so many different disciplines.” Many people, especially students, know very little about Israeli culture, society, and day-to-day life. If given the opportunity to study abroad there, students will gain a different view of Israel and will grow both personally and intellectually, with a deeper appreciation if Israel’s democracy and diversity. With headlines often missing the excellence of Israeli academics, such study abroad programs will expose students to the large impact Israel has on the rest of the world.
Those who have been to Israel know how amazing of a place it is and all that it has to offer. This resolution brings us one step closer to letting the rest of UGA’s student body understand this, as well.
Director of Public Relations
Students Supporting Israel at the University of Georgia
Students Supporting Israel at the University of Georgia is excited to announce that we passed a resolution in the Student Government Association that encourages the expansion of study abroad programs in Israel. This is a great accomplishment for us, as few resolutions of its kind have been passed on other campuses. Now that the resolution has passed, we will take it to the Office of International Education in order to make these programs a reality. “The most important thing right now for us is to keep the momentum going and turn this resolution into tangible results,” said SSI co-presidents Lara Schewitz and Eytan Palte.
It is extremely important that students have the option to study abroad in Israel, as it is a leader in technology, business, medical technology, computer science, and sustainability, among other subject areas. When proposing the resolution to the Senate, Palte advocated “for our students to have the ability to learn from faculty at the forefront of their fields in a country leading the way in so many different disciplines.” Many people, especially students, know very little about Israeli culture, society, and day-to-day life. If given the opportunity to study abroad there, students will gain a different view of Israel and will grow both personally and intellectually, with a deeper appreciation if Israel’s democracy and diversity. With headlines often missing the excellence of Israeli academics, such study abroad programs will expose students to the large impact Israel has on the rest of the world.
Those who have been to Israel know how amazing of a place it is and all that it has to offer. This resolution brings us one step closer to letting the rest of UGA’s student body understand this, as well.
A New Year On Our College Campuses
By: Valeria Chazin
SSI Board Chair and co-Founder.
The new Jewish Year, as well as the new academic year, brings with it new resolutions, goals, and hopes. Along with our aspirations to be better students and to make new friends, we also want to promise ourselves that this year we will be more active to stand for what we believe in.
It is no secret that for a long time now college campuses have become increasingly hostile to individuals who hold pro-Israel views. A problem that could be bigger than the hostility itself, is the apathetic attitude of the campus community that lets such a climate exist. Isolated incidents, such as not speaking up in class when a professor expresses clearly bias views, or not attending events calling for Israel’s boycott to challenge the anti-Israel narrative, together allow an environment where holding a pro-Israel view is seen as unpopular. Because silence often translates to agreement, we can no longer remain silent to things we disagree with.
The academic world is the free market of ideas, and it often takes only one person with an idea to make a difference. In addition, no research would move forward if its basic assumptions would not be challenged and required proof. As students and future leaders, you should not shy away from challenging statements you think are misleading, and not let anti-Israel propaganda become the wide spread, sole assumption offered on campus. You should use the privilege of being part of the academic world to share your thoughts and opinions by offering them to the market of ideas. Even if think your view point is not the most popular “product” among your faculty and peers, you never know how many other students were just waiting for it to come up, and to join you.
Political debates were always present on academic institutions. In the case of Israel, it seems like many institutions are replacing the debate itself with an already established anti-Israel conclusion. As a movement, Students Supporting Israel is here to reopen the debate by showing the pro-Israel side. This year, we are here to stand for what we believe in.
SSI Board Chair and co-Founder.
The new Jewish Year, as well as the new academic year, brings with it new resolutions, goals, and hopes. Along with our aspirations to be better students and to make new friends, we also want to promise ourselves that this year we will be more active to stand for what we believe in.
It is no secret that for a long time now college campuses have become increasingly hostile to individuals who hold pro-Israel views. A problem that could be bigger than the hostility itself, is the apathetic attitude of the campus community that lets such a climate exist. Isolated incidents, such as not speaking up in class when a professor expresses clearly bias views, or not attending events calling for Israel’s boycott to challenge the anti-Israel narrative, together allow an environment where holding a pro-Israel view is seen as unpopular. Because silence often translates to agreement, we can no longer remain silent to things we disagree with.
The academic world is the free market of ideas, and it often takes only one person with an idea to make a difference. In addition, no research would move forward if its basic assumptions would not be challenged and required proof. As students and future leaders, you should not shy away from challenging statements you think are misleading, and not let anti-Israel propaganda become the wide spread, sole assumption offered on campus. You should use the privilege of being part of the academic world to share your thoughts and opinions by offering them to the market of ideas. Even if think your view point is not the most popular “product” among your faculty and peers, you never know how many other students were just waiting for it to come up, and to join you.
Political debates were always present on academic institutions. In the case of Israel, it seems like many institutions are replacing the debate itself with an already established anti-Israel conclusion. As a movement, Students Supporting Israel is here to reopen the debate by showing the pro-Israel side. This year, we are here to stand for what we believe in.
Discrimination On Campus Is No Joke
By: Shannon Riley,
Senior at Ryerson University.
When I found out that the Ryerson Students’ Union had booked racist, Israel-hating comedian Aamer Rahman as part of their Fall 2014 Week of Welcome, I was angry and disheartened, but not particularly shocked. The RSU, after all, has a long and rich history of taking actions that target and discriminate against certain students, all while claiming to stand against hatred and oppression. However, I feel that this represents a new low. Week of Welcome is a time for Ryerson freshmen to get acquainted with their community and learn about their new school – including the body that purports to represent them and their interests, the RSU. It’s also a time that sets the tone of the year for returning students. This should be a time of positivity and celebration! It should be a time to excitedly plan all of the wonderful things we can achieve in the upcoming school year. Instead, as they often do, the RSU has chosen to politicize it and turn it into a time for discrimination and divisiveness, and a time to make students from certain groups feel uncomfortable and out of place on their own campus.
The RSU is demonstrating quite clearly that they do not care about the interests of white students, or students who support Israel. They loudly trumpet their commitment to creating “safe spaces” for all different kinds of “folks” while quietly and deliberately failing to do this for anyone with lighter skin. Racism is racism: white students are not immune from feeling hurt when their student union hires a comedian whose jokes are almost exclusively at their expense, and whose jokes would cause them to be removed from campus if they were directed at any other race.
The RSU will not remove Aamer Rahman. Instead, they will give him a stage and a microphone to spew his racist ‘jokes’. In fact, they’ll even pay him to do so. This will come at the expense of not just unhappy students’ tuition fees (students have long bemoaned the lack of choice to opt out of paying dues to a union they want no part of), but also at the expense of a diverse, coexistent, harmonious campus. It will come at the expense of new students’ comfort with and excitementabout their new school. It will come at the expense of the RSU’s reputation as a body that claims to represent its constituents fairly and without discrimination (a reputation that was already sorely in need of repair).
And I think that price is too high to pay.
Senior at Ryerson University.
When I found out that the Ryerson Students’ Union had booked racist, Israel-hating comedian Aamer Rahman as part of their Fall 2014 Week of Welcome, I was angry and disheartened, but not particularly shocked. The RSU, after all, has a long and rich history of taking actions that target and discriminate against certain students, all while claiming to stand against hatred and oppression. However, I feel that this represents a new low. Week of Welcome is a time for Ryerson freshmen to get acquainted with their community and learn about their new school – including the body that purports to represent them and their interests, the RSU. It’s also a time that sets the tone of the year for returning students. This should be a time of positivity and celebration! It should be a time to excitedly plan all of the wonderful things we can achieve in the upcoming school year. Instead, as they often do, the RSU has chosen to politicize it and turn it into a time for discrimination and divisiveness, and a time to make students from certain groups feel uncomfortable and out of place on their own campus.
The RSU is demonstrating quite clearly that they do not care about the interests of white students, or students who support Israel. They loudly trumpet their commitment to creating “safe spaces” for all different kinds of “folks” while quietly and deliberately failing to do this for anyone with lighter skin. Racism is racism: white students are not immune from feeling hurt when their student union hires a comedian whose jokes are almost exclusively at their expense, and whose jokes would cause them to be removed from campus if they were directed at any other race.
The RSU will not remove Aamer Rahman. Instead, they will give him a stage and a microphone to spew his racist ‘jokes’. In fact, they’ll even pay him to do so. This will come at the expense of not just unhappy students’ tuition fees (students have long bemoaned the lack of choice to opt out of paying dues to a union they want no part of), but also at the expense of a diverse, coexistent, harmonious campus. It will come at the expense of new students’ comfort with and excitementabout their new school. It will come at the expense of the RSU’s reputation as a body that claims to represent its constituents fairly and without discrimination (a reputation that was already sorely in need of repair).
And I think that price is too high to pay.