You can’t say you’re helping people when you are seeking to take jobs away from factory workers and taxi drivers and hotel workers – Jews and Arabs alike.
Now I know J Street U opposes BDS, and I applaud you for that. And you have been an important part of the anti-BDS coalition on many campuses. For example, at the University of Michigan, which has experienced difficult BDS debates the past two years, the voices of J Street U student leaders were critical in speeches, articles and decision-making among a diverse Israel Cohort. I thank you for that leadership.
And so I know you understand when I say that we need to take forceful action everywhere BDS rears its head, and we need you to stand side by side on every campus with those with whom you have disagreements, working together as a community, like you have at Michigan and elsewhere.
I know what it is like to lead a large, decentralized organization, with strong and capable leaders on every campus. We see the diversity of our organization as a strength, not a weakness, and we know there will be different approaches on different campuses to many issues in Jewish life. But on the question of BDS, we are united. We will be an active part of the coalition against BDS on every campus, everywhere. And we will do that whether our Hillel leadership on campus agrees with every strategy or tactic that the anti-BDS coalition chooses to use or not. Because working together to defeat BDS is more important than having everything done exactly our way.
And so I implore you to dedicate yourselves to this effort on every campus where you have student leaders. And I urge your national leadership to encourage EVERY J Street leader on EVERY campus to stay at the table, help lead this fight and not partner in any programming that supports BDS.
I know for a fact that you can organize a good protest when you feel passionate about something. I am certain that when you put that talent to work helping defeat BDS on campus, there will be a lot more people marching with you on the rest of your agenda.
The proponents of BDS are not the only threat to our mission on campus. The values that all Jews cherish – civil rights, social justice, freedom and equality – require us to join in coalition with others, to build a broad and unified – not uniform – community.
On campuses and in communities around the world, Hillel students are living these values. Our programs highlight a wide range of perspectives on Israel and the Middle East. Our volunteer programs explore food security in Be’er Sheva, Bedouin women’s rights in the Negev and work to aid those in Israel suffering from domestic violence. We are assisting the impoverished Flavella region in Rio de Janeiro and those impacted by the war in Ukraine.
And this is certainly true in the United States. Just last week in St. Louis we marked the first anniversary of the death of Michael Brown with a panel of Jewish leaders who have been central to the civil rights movement, both at Selma in the 1960s and in Ferguson last year. We committed ourselves to engaging students in this important conversation and asking them how they can be part of the solution.
Hillel was an early partner with the White House for It’s On Us, recognizing the problem of sexual assault on college campuses. Through our work, we’ve helped survivors of sexual assault, and help Hillels better discuss bystander intervention .