Jewish National Fund-USA recently hosted 16 Jewish organizations and a group of students at Ronald S. Lauder JNF House in New York for a “Campus Situation Room Workshop,” where the groups coordinated plans to deepen their support for Jewish and pro-Israel university students in anticipation of any antisemitism and anti-Israel campaigns they will face throughout the upcoming semester.
Led by Gary Wexler, founder of the Global Jewish Communication Alliance, and several other communication professionals, the two-day workshop united a diverse group of pro-Israel thought leaders and activists. The strategy sessions focused primarily on messaging and implementation, as everyone collaborated to develop the best communication strategy while reaching the largest audience.
“This is a historic moment,” said Jewish National Fund-USA CEO Russell F. Robinson. “For Jewish National Fund-USA, we see a winning Jewish community ready to come together behind a unifying movement—one that will empower our college communities by showing that collectively we are working to change hearts and minds. Together we are creating a ‘new lane,’ one that will help amplify our efforts and unify our people and allies.”
The workshop represents a new chapter of cross-communal collaboration, with groups recognizing the urgency of the threat students face and the difference that inter-organizational cooperation can make. Sharing ideas in large sessions and smaller breakout groups, leaders were confident that while the situation on campuses remains difficult, together they could equip students with the support, knowledge and leadership skills needed to make a positive impact.
“I am confident that we will ultimately win,” said Wexler, as he explained that the stakes have never been higher for Jewish and pro-Israel students.
“We know that many Jewish organizations are already active in this front, working exhaustively to counter this movement,” added Robinson. “But there’s an imperative of Jewish collaboration now so we can begin to turn the tide.”
The Jewish National Fund-USA has created an online hub and resource guide for fighting Jewish hate on college campuses. See: www.jnf.org/campusresources.
