5 Questions, 5 Minutes

Compiled by Audrey Shore
Jewish Theological Seminary/ Columbia University
(KOACH on Campus Editor)

We here at KOACH dish out five questions, and in five minutes or less you can shed some light on a variety of topics vis-a-vis your honest responses.

Special Israel Edition

1. What is your name?

2. Where do you go to school?

3. Have you been to Israel before? If so, what kind of program (vacations, lived there, family trips)? If not, would you go now for the first time? Why or why not?)

4. What do you think we can do / what do you think you have done, here in the Diaspora/Galut, to raise awareness and, ultimately, help Israel?

5. Have you experienced anti-Israel sentiment on your campus? What have you done / what has been done about it?

Andy Gryll
Emory University

Yes, USY Israel Pilgrimage 2000 (Group 5)

Have it accessible. Everyone is aware and knows where to go to get more. People will learn and help if they feel they need to. We can only do for ourselves and make others aware, but they have to do for themselves. Yes, by left-wing Israeli activists. We have written editorials. If you have any suggestions, please let me know. Call me at 404-251-4049

Shira Futterman
University of Maryland

I spent 3 weeks in Israel during the summer of 1996 with my family on vacation. Then I spent the summer in Israel with USY pilgrimage and then spend 3 months there on USY Nativ. I think Jewish youth groups like USY run programs and have information sessions that raise awareness about Israel and Jews in the diaspora. Once students get to college, Hillels and other assorted Jewish groups host numerous Israel support rallies, programs, and information sessions.

On a campus as large as UMD's there are some hostile undertones regarding Israel and Arab nations. There are flyers hung up around campus (especially around these unstable times) that appear to be anti-Israel. They say Israel is a terrorist nation and claims Israel and its supporters are liars. Of course reading such things is extremely frustrating but it's hard not to see both sides. I am not sure what can be done at this point but on campus there have been conferences and lectures with both and Israeli and Arab speakers in the hopes of bringing them together at least just for those few moments.

Mindy Brooke Rubinlicht
West Chester University

Yes I've been to Israel before. 1995 I went for my Bat Mitzvah, 1999 I went on USY Italy Israel pilgrimage Group 10 and in 2000 I went on SAREL Volunteers for Israel.

I have done tons of things like talk about my trips, raise money for the Magen David Adom, donate my time and money to Israel programs, apply to be a madrich on an Israel trip. People need to first be educated on what is going on in Israel and as a madrich/doogmah we need to show people what the truth is (even if it hurts).

Actually this week in the school paper a guy wrote an article saying how wrong it is for Israel and how wrong they are, and that the Palestinians are right. I'm not saying that the Israelis are right, and I know some things they have done are wrong, but still. I wrote a rebuttal telling him facts and truths about things he "assumed" he knew.

Adam M Rosenthal
Washington University in St Louis

Many trips (Synagogue, Day School, Camp Ramah Seminar) and a year at Hebrew University.

Write articles, donate money, write letters to politicians in America and Israel, be a walking advertisement, go to as many debates and info sessions as possible and contribute, be ready to debate. Yes, generally in the form of newspaper articles, an occasional speaker. Responses through writing editorials, letters to editor, talking with responsible student groups

Bill Dilworth
Brown University, Providence, RI

I'm a grad student here in Portuguese and Brazilian Studies.

I went for my first time last year soon after the Sbarro bombing; unfortunately, I could only stay a week before I had to return to the states. I went on my own, and stayed with friends who are studying there at Pardes and the Conservative Yeshiva. I'm hoping to go again this summer for a short visit, if I have the funds.

I think it's important to challenge anti-Israel propaganda (in a calm but confident manner) wherever it appears - and it's appearing all over the place, from news outlets to the classroom.

There's been an effort to stir up the student body by the use of anti-Israeli fliers and posters, but it doesn't appear that the student body is buying it. A lot of pro-Israeli letters have been published in our school paper, most written by people with "Jewish sounding" names, but not all. Our campus has gotten somewhat more conservative/cynical since 9/11, and of course the approach of the semester's end has got people's attention focused on that.

[Posted 4/12/02]