SSI Van Campaign

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​This campaign aims to bring SSI activity to some of the most anti-Israel campuses across the country - where a confident pro-Israel message is needed the most.
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Campaign Goals 
  • Reach the most anti-Israel campuses where there is no active SSI presence. 

  • ​Reach an audience of hundreds of people with a bold and visible pro-Israel message. 

  • Encourage and challenge freedom of speech on the grounds of leading academic institutions.
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  • Execute a campaign that is pure grassroots activism,  for which SSI was created.

SSI Van Campaign Routes 

Spring 2018

Spring 2018 Van Campaign #1 - Ivy Leagues

​Overview
A team of four people, that included three activists and one videographer traveled across the Ivy League schools on the East Coast.

Spring 2018 Route
  • Princeton
  • Yale
  • Brown
  • Harvard
  • Dartmouth College​
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This campaign was piloted at the Ivy League schools where SSI does not have chapters (Columbia University & UPenn).
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The SSI team was equipped with a fold-out table and chairs to be set at a public space, with pro-Israel materials to hand out, banners, coffee to give out and attract by-passers, and more. The table featured items such as leaflets disproving common accusations against Israel and those exposing the anti-Semitic face of BDS, set of Virtual Reality glasses, and other attention grabbing materials.    
The video above uses footage from our Spring 2018 Van Campaign touring campuses on the East Coast. The campaign was so successful the first time around, we decided to continue doing it every semester: ​
WE DID IT ONCE, HELP US DO IT AGAIN! 
Fall 2018

Fall 2018 Van Campaign #2 - West Coast


​Overview
This fall semester Students Supporting Israel visited five universities on the West Coast which were included in the 20 most anti Israel List of the US and Canada’s Worst Campuses for Jewish Students .” The schools are:

Fall 2018 Route
  • Stanford
  • San Francisco State University
  • UC Berkeley
  • Portland State
  • ​University of Washington​​​
Fall 2019

Fall 2019 Van Campaign #3 - Midwest

The video above uses footage from our Fall 2019 Van Campaign visit at the University of Michigan. This video features a student's initial reaction to the HAMAS Bake Sale, Exemplifying that Students are outraged by Hamas, promoting conversation about Israel and the fight against terrorism.
The SSI team was equipped with a fold-out table and chairs to be set at a public space, with pro-Israel materials to hand out, banners, and baked good to pass out and attract by-passers.

​The tables on this campaign featured items such as our (anti-) Hamas Bake Sale, where students could see the hypocrisy of donating to Hamas - a recognized terrorist organization, where their donations would be reallocated to an organization the helps build bomb shelters for children affected by Hamas' terrorist attacks after learning about WHAT Hamas stands for, how it affects Israelis, and what Israel does to better the world against terrorism. 

​A recap of the 2019 Van Tour can be found on our blog, here. 

​Overview
A team of three SSI National Representatives traveled across the Midwest on campuses both with and without SSI chapters, accompanied by an Israeli journalist to document and report the campaign.   

Fall 2019 Route
  • University of Michigan
  • Michigan State University
  • University of Notre Dame
  • University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign
  • Benedictine University
  • University of Minnesota​​
Spring 2018
Fall 2018
Fall 2019

Examples of Posters Used on the Campaign:

We engage hundreds of students, faculty, and community members during each campaign. The reactions have ranged from anti-Israel students who accuse SSI of making them feel "unsafe" because of our messaging with attempts of removing us from campus, to many who came to hear and learn from us, and thanked us for being the group finally willing to speak up for the truth!