What role do we Jews in the Diaspora play in securing Israel and the Jewish people?
Some of our community members engage in advocacy, others in philanthropy, and there are those who frequently travel to Israel in support of our brothers and sisters there and the economy.
There are, however, other types of Jews, those whom we call activists – individuals who generally operate at a grassroots level, ready and willing to engage our opponents and/or enemies in the field of battle outside the war zone.
Some of these activists can be found in our Jewish communal offices, shuls or quietly strategizing at home with friends and neighbours.
And then there are a group of Jewish student activists who attend our local and out-of-town universities and colleges, those who steadfastly stand toe to toe and eye to eye with our adversaries and enemies in large, unfriendly central squares and lecture halls without borders.
They are activists by choice and situation, and they do our community proud as they courageously take positions on the front line of fighting anti-Semitism and defending Israel.
An example of the Jewish student activism I speak of was a rally co-ordinated by the students of Hasbara Fellowships, Hillel of Greater Toronto and the Canadian Centre for Israel Activism held on Jan. 18, called Toronto for Israel.
This magnificently proud rally, staged in Dundas Square in downtown Toronto, attracted well over 1,000 people from the Jewish and non-Jewish student bodies, supportive professors (somewhat of an oxymoron) and community members.
The objective of this outdoor demonstration, according to the co-ordinators, was to “demonstrate solidarity with the people of Israel who have endured more than 10,000 Hamas terrorist missiles and mortar shells from Gaza for nearly nine years.”
And indeed it did.
With great pride, throngs of Canadian and Israeli-flag-waving Jewish demonstrators listened, clapped and cheered as university student activists sang their praises for Israel, its humanitarian approach to the war in Gaza, and its heroic fight against terrorism. With the gusto and resolve of U.S. civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., those brave young Jews raised their voices above the rooftops, on a chilly snowy Sunday afternoon, chanting Am Yisrael Chai – the Nation of Israel Shall Live. Well done!
Throughout the rally, I stood next to a Jewish community leader who filled me in some of the background of the event.
She said the students decided to hold the demonstration because they recognized the need to do so in the face of the world, and in earshot of “the other side.” She added it is not always easy being a Jewish student activist, especially when some professors make their anti-Israel opinions known. (To this end, Hillel of Greater Toronto offers counselling services for students who need to talk through their feelings after facing frequently virulent anti-Israel/Jewish sentiment. Support your local Hillel! They are innovative.)
According to Zak Kay, the executive director of Hillel of Greater Toronto since 1995 and recent award winner for a quarter century of leadership with Hillel, “the students felt the outdoor demonstration was the right thing to do. They wanted to take back the streets (from the “other side”). They wanted to be out there on their terms. They did a great job.”
We often wonder where Diaspora Jews stand on the stage of Jewishness and safety for Israel. In many ways, this query is answered by the teenagers we send off to college and university, who while there, turn into strong young adults, gracefully and courageously accepting the mantle of Jewish leadership through activism.
Accolades to our Jewish student activists. Thank you for answering this question. Am Yisrael Chai!
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