“Of Camps and Campuses”

"Bachelors"

Columbia University. Remember when that name conjured images of excellence, achievement, and the best academic standards? Today it has become synonymous with decadence, hate, and antisemitic diatribe. Last week it was my privilege, as a tour-educator, to escort and facilitate the Columbia pro-Israel faculty and staff, who came to support and be supported; to bear witness and to testify; to build, and to be built. In their own words: “to do whatever is the opposite of BDS.”

The participants heard from former Prisoner of Zion turned Israeli MK, Natan Sharansky and author Yossi Klein HaLevy; the BGU rector and the TAU president; they met President Herzog and Ilai David, brother of Evyatar, who is still held in Hamas’ clutches.

They recited the mourners’ Kaddish over the massacred Jews in Kibbutz Kfar Aza and donated therapeutic devices to wounded soldiers.

We met “Supes” in human form. Like Dr. Essi – the soft-spoken periodontist who volunteers in the security establishment’s casualty identification unit. She and her team identified hundreds of our holy brothers and sisters, soldiers and civilians, at times, reaching a positive I.D. based on a single dental human remain – thus bringing honor to the deceased and closure for the family. Or Cochav Elyakam-Levy –who has been tirelessly working (along with the mission’s very own Prof. Michelle Greenberg-Kobrin) to legally document the crimes committed by Hamas against Israeli women, children, men, and families, laying the foundation of future justice to be meted out. (For her work, Cochav was just awarded the country’s highest honor, the Israel Prize.)

A common, repeated thread: anti-Zionism=antisemitism

• Sharansky spoke about the three-pronged threat he faced back in the 1970s: anti-Zionism, antisemitism, and demonization.

• Prof. Harel of the Israel Academy of Sciences spoke about the urgency in fighting anti-Zionism and antisemitism as did Israel's President Herzog.

• Klein-HaLevy shared his thoughts on who is the “new” excommunicated Jew. Judaism is rife with varied and conflicting opinions, and so it always was. But there was ever a recognized border, beyond which there can be no dialogue. (Here think of Tevya during the scenes of “On one hand…”, and how with his challenge over his last daughter, “…there is no other hand!”) In the past, this dubious spot was reserved for the heretic. However, today, it is the Jew who aligns with our enemies, the anti-Zionist*, who should, and must, be cast in this light.

• Prof. Dina Porat – Yad Vashem’s chief historian and touted as one of Israel's sharpest minds – unequivocally stated: anti-Zionism is the new antisemitism. It is racism. Quoting Martin Luther King, “When people criticize Zionists they mean Jews, you are talking antisemitism.”

In 2016, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks z”l, said: “Antisemitism is a virus that survives by mutating. In the Middle Ages, Jews were hated because of their religion. In the 19th and 20th centuries, they were hated because of their race. Today they are hated because of their nation-state, Israel. Anti-Zionism is the new antisemitism.”

So we know that we are facing the newest brand of antisemitism, but what can we do? Advice, I don’t have, but I can share some thoughts Re: four “Re”s.

• Recourse! In light of Rabbi Sack’s description, what do you do with viruses? You fight them. You know you can never win, but you try to subdue them nonetheless.

• Remember! Recall the Churchillian saying “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” Or as Rabbi Tarfon says in Ethics of our Fathers: “It is not your duty to finish the work, but neither are you at liberty to neglect it.”

• Read! Books like Daniel Gordis’ “Saving Israel – how the Jewish people can win a war that may never end,” remind us that Israel has a new sense of purpose, one that transcends the current stalemate with the Palestinians and starts with the recognition that Israel was never meant to be a country like all others.**

• Re“member”! Bring in more members. Unite. Cochav defined a new form of terror directed at the deliberate weaponization or destruction of families. She coins this “kinocide,” the “cide” of “kin.” In contrast, the mission forged a new sense of familial bond, and kinship. I feel that the key to our strength and sanity lies therein.

*Note: I did not say “pro-Palestinian” as I believe you can be both pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian, as long as being one does not entail the genocidal eradication of the other.

**For years, I have been making this claim: In the future, when reviewing Israel’s 20th-21st century military conflicts, what we currently call wars (6-Day War, Yom Kippur War, etc.) will be known as the battles of Israel's War of Independence. Why? Because the word “in-dependence” means “non-dependency.” It speaks of a relationship between the other and ourselves. However, the Hebrew is “Atzmaut.” Literally this means “inner essence.” It speaks of our relationship with … well, with us. Throughout these past 76 years, its wars and everything in between, Israel has been battling with its enemies, but we have also been wrestling with ourselves. (Think of Jacob and his wrestling match…) We are engaged in determining who we are… and who we want to be! (Again, think of Jacob here. He might have been victorious, but he was also forever changed. Physically, disabled, but spiritually, enabled… transforming from Jacob into Israel.)

"Masters"

“Campus vs Campus”

All of the academic missions I accompanied have been interested in finding out what the Israeli university campuses have been going through. Have they experienced similar hate-filled protests? How have their Israeli peers, the faculty and staff, been dealing with challenges on campus amongst their students? (Note: in this section, the protests I refer to are the anti-Zionist/antisemitic hate-fests that have been plaguing the US campuses and are seen daily in the media.)

Remember, I had the privilege of visiting all eight of Israel's public universities, multiple times, over the past few months. We met with dozens of senior faculty members and many students – Jewish and Arab, Palestinian and Israeli. We also heard from DEI officers in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

Our findings? If the vitriol from US faculty is ranked at 100, the comparative Israeli faculty rank would be 0.1. If US student protests are an entire Shakespearean play, the Israeli student protests are but one verse. If Jewish Americans on campus are facing a jungle of fear, the Jewish Israelis (and Arab Israelis) encounter but one tree.

How are our Israeli universities so much better?? They are not. They are just different.

Notice the areas where Israeli campuses differ from their USA counterparts:

1. Age gaps. Most undergraduates in the USA are straight out of high school. In Israel, most Jewish men will be at least three years older, and women two years older. Two exceptions are the Israeli Arabs and the ultra-orthodox. Arabs are exempt from service, and those who enroll in university are indeed 18+. The ultra-orthodox men – if they do enroll in higher education – will be even older, at least 24. (Note: in the US, those learning in college are called college kids, and their institution is called “school.” Israelis, although in college, are certainly not kids, are never referred to as such, and their colleges are never referred to as “schools.”)

2. Maturity level. I have worked for over 30 years with Jewish-American and Israeli youth. My general assessment: American high school kids tend to be worldlier than their Israeli peers, but maturity levels are similar. However, serving in the IDF does more than just “add years” before your university enrolment. It is a catalyst for accelerated emotional maturity.

3. Personal Identity. Based on the above, we may conclude that Israeli students have more settled personal identities than their US counterparts.

4. School Pride. Israelis lack the “school pride” so prominent in US schools. We don’t have “YALE”-emblazoned sweatshirts, we don’t shout “GO TARHEELS!” as we have no college teams, and we have no Delta House fraternities. Israelis see the campus as a place of work, even if it has student vibes and perks. For most Israelis “campus life” is a part of their life, whereas for many American students, “campus life” becomes their entire life. For them, it is even more than a house… it is a home.

5. Domestic Politics. Many US students choose their college or university based in part on matching personal politics to the school’s socio-political leanings and agenda. Israelis focus on specific preferential academic edges in their chosen field, and/or logistical convenience. Here again, it is an issue of American means and identity vs Israeli goals and practicality. And although Bar-Ilan U. may not always be on the same page as Tel Aviv U., Brigham Young and Berkeley are never on the same page, usually not in the same book, and mostly not even the same library.

6. Purpose. In the US, going to college is an “experience.” It is also a time for “experimentation.” Yes, they will also achieve academic excellence, but there is much more going on. It is a cultural milestone; a rite of passage. The means of achieving the degree is a goal in and of itself. Israeli university students tend to have but a single purpose: getting a degree. They study, (often while juggling a part-time job), and go home. (I used to joke that if an Israeli could buy a degree, they would. They do not need the experience. Case in point: back in the 90s, some Israelis “purchased” degrees from European universities. True, illegal and immoral, but they did not mind, as for them, any means justified the end.)

7. Social action. In general, US students are more social-action-oriented than their Israeli counterparts. US students are more vocal about general social issues than Israeli students, who do protest, but mostly about student-specific issues. (Conversely, the general Israeli population protests much more than the American public on issues of general national policy).
   

This list so far relates to general differences. Here are three more relating to the specifics of this conflict.

8.     “The Conflict.” There is no avoiding the elephant in the room. The two tribes between the “Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea” have been in perpetual conflict for over 150 years. Israeli Jews and Arabs may overlap professionally, but not socially. So most Arab students do not hang out with Jews, and most Jewish students do not go to Arab parties… because of the conflict. Sure, a small number do, but it is not a relationship in a bubble. They share that social environment because of (and NOT despite) the conflict. So whether you do or you don’t, the shadow of the conflict is omnipresent.

9.    “Skin in the Game.” Although the anti-Zionists protest with passion and relentless determination, they are merely “useful idiots” in assisting the axis of evil by fighting a proxy war. As seen repeatedly, they do not know what “river” and which “sea!” On the other hand, Jewish students in Israel and the USA have friends and family directly affected by the conflict. Simply put, the chance of a Jewish/Israeli student not personally knowing a murdered civilian or KIA soldier is highly improbable. (The picture shows the dozens of names - (look at the dates) - added to the BGU memorial)

10. Foreign Politics. This war has highlighted international influences on the US campuses. A money trail leads through the likes of the NSJP to Qatar and other anti-democratic, anti-Zionist players. For obvious reasons, Israeli institutions do not receive, and therefore are not influenced by, these foreign ideologically-linked funds.

Note how so many of these differences affect campus protests:

1. Regarding age, maturity, and identity (points # 1,2,3): I am not suggesting that protesters are only those who have pre-fully-formed brains (based on research this occurs only at 24), nor that mature people do not protest. However, I believe that a large component of the protesting US students stems from the understanding (consciously or subconsciously) that involvement in such endeavors plays a crucial part in creating and establishing their identities.

2. School pride (point # 4): The protests, in fact, are double-edged. The US protesters feel “at home” to do as they please and may even feel their “home” demands this of them. Conversely, the objects of those same protests are not only attacked, they are attacked in their own home! (Which leads to heightened insecurity… if you are not safe in your home, where are you safe??)

3. Points # 5-#9 all feed into this conclusion, as put to me by an anonymous Hebrew U. staff member: “The Palestinian and Israeli students mostly disagree, but they do so in silence. They come to class. Keep their mouths shut. Get their degrees. And move on with their lives.”

4. Lastly, I believe that Qatari money did, and did not, create these US-campus protests. To say the protests are a result of foreign influence denies the long history and heritage of US-campus protests. To say they are not the result is proven factually wrong. Points # 7 + # 10, when combined, lead to an ominous conclusion. The anti-democratic/anti-USA/anti-Zionist ideologues recognized and studied the pre-existing US-campus protest culture, and then proceeded to harness and manipulate this culture over many years carefully crafting a specific type of protest movement that would suit their diabolical desires.

"Doctorate"

Moving on to another topic: “DEI”

I have fairly educated myself on the topics of affirmative action and DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion). I know that it has developed and changed from its inception in the 1960s. I know that it stems from specific societal values, and has pros and cons. And I’m familiar with some of the legal and constitutional issues that surround it. I am aware that these programs have achieved certain objective outcomes, which are subjectively determined to be a success or failure based on a person’s value system.

Let’s examine the differences between the DEI of the USA vs the DEI of Israel

1. The “E.” In Israel, while universities may have DEI officers, the “E” means something slightly, but significantly, different. Here it means “Equality” not “Equity.” Often the “E” is even removed. Our value system is more about equal opportunities than it is about equal outcomes.

2. The degree. In the words of one officer, “We also do DEI, but we don’t go crazy like they do in America.” In other words, it is not that Israelis are achieving less of the same goal, rather the goals are less extreme.

3. Israeli Jews and Arabs reject it. So claims the Director of Research at “Do No Harm.” “The ideology of “DEI” is a direct threat to Israel’s existence. … it sacrifices the merit that has helped Israel survive in a sea of hostility. [The Arab DEI officer] said her school demands equal opportunity, not equal outcomes. The latter would pit people against each other, deepening divides that Israel has worked hard to close.

4. Anti-government vs anti-Zionist. The majority of Israel's academics align with Israel's left. Most opposed the judicial reform/revolution. Most strongly oppose Bibi’s government. But all are Zionists. Anti-Government is NOT anti-Zionist and NOT antisemitic. In Israel, DEI aligns with our left, but our left is Zionist! Conversely, in the USA, “Diversity officers at U.S. colleges are antisemitic.” Such are the findings of “Heritage Foundation” senior policy analyst, Dr. Jay Green (a recent mission participant). Read more about his incredible findings through research via the hyperlink.

5. Diversity, race, and tribalism. The US student body is diverse. Diverse in political affiliation, religion, race, and culture. Within the Israeli Jewish society, we already have all those varieties. We have Jews who are white, brown, and black. Various cultural affinities and lots of political diversity. Religiously, although diverse, all the diversity relates to just one faith. The main factor that unites us diverse Jews: rallying around our tribe, known as “Jewish Peoplehood.” Even more than Arabs and Jews belonging to different races, faiths, and cultures, we belong to different tribes. No amount of conversion, cultural cross-pollination, “being blind to race” or “seeing race as beauty” has been, or is going to be, able to shift an entire tribal adherence and alliance.

"Post-Doc"

Lastly…

For over 30 years I have been a soldier (in reserves) and in my capacity as a tour educator, for 30 years I have guided many hundreds of soldiers through Jerusalem. For the most part, the group vibe is “When can we call it a day and move on?” Disinterest and complaining (“What?! More steps?!) are themes of the day.

Last month I guided 3 groups of reservists. All were ending a stint on the front line. All were already slated for yet another stint in three months. Never has a group had more justification for the above-mentioned issues. And yet…

Never have I had the privilege of guiding so many reservists with so much interest, thirst, and energy. They were attentive… they were in a state of yearning. As is my practice, I adjusted my content delivery to the reception capabilities of my listeners. They upped the ante and I responded in kind.

While giving my final spiel at the Kotel, I honestly had tears in my eyes. Some of them did as well. What I said was… Well, if you never had the opportunity to wear green, you would not understand, and if you ever were in uniform, I need not tell you as you already know.

After much thought as to why this shift transpired, I conclude the following: As per Daniel Gordis’ “Saving Israel – how the Jewish People can win a war that may never end,” this war rekindled in this otherwise disparate group, a new sense of purpose. One that transcends the very soul. We are reminded that Israel was never meant to be a country like all others. We know that this is our time. To fight. To win. To determine who we are… and who we wish to be.

And to all my new friends in academia, whether faculty, staff, or student, I see you as the new soldiers and officers fighting on the new and cruel front lines of another battlefield. I sense that you too are rallying around a new sense of purpose.

And all. Of us. Together. Will. Win.

Love and Blessings,

pJosh