FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jodi Bodner
JNF Director of Communications
212-879-9305 ext. 221
jbodner@jnf.org
JNF Strengthens pro-Israel Activities on College Campuses
Announces a New Cooperative Venture Agreement with Scholars for Peace in the Middle East
July 3, 2006 -- New York, NY -- Taking the quest to strengthen its pro-Israel activities on college campuses one step further, Jewish National Fund (JNF) is excited to announce a new cooperative venture agreement with Scholars for Peace in the Middle East (SPME).
SPME is an independent, faculty-driven, not-for-profit, "big-tent” grassroots community of scholars with well over 6500 academics and members receiving its SPME Faculty newsletter on over 300 campuses worldwide. Over 20 of these campuses now have their own chapters and more are forming in a number of countries as well.
As a complement to its already successful Caravan for Democracy (CFD) program on college campuses nationwide, JNF’s association with SPME will strengthen its impact on college campuses in two ways:
- It will provide mentors for the Caravan student leaders who face tremendous and unfair challenges from faculty and sometimes the administration of their universities as they advocate the pro-Israel message.
- Faculty play a critical role in addressing anti-Israel claims. Through conferences, teach-ins, and scholarship in academic literature and presentations, SPME counters anti-Israel propaganda passing as scholarship with academic integrity, honest debate and new standards for academic analysis and discussion. When professors challenge and critique another's work, the discussions in the particular discipline will improve and those advocating propaganda rather than scholarship will be quickly isolated and exposed at their institutions and amongst their peers.
SPME's mission is to engage, inform, motivate, encourage and empower faculty to use their academic skills and disciplines on campus, in classrooms, and in academic publications to develop effective responses to the ideological distortions, including anti-Semitic and anti-Zionist slanders that poison debate and work against peace. SPME welcomes scholars from all disciplines, faith groups, and nationalities who share its desire for peace and commitment to academic integrity and honest debate.
SPME has played and continues to play an important role in addressing the British boycott of Israeli universities, and hosted a highly successful teach-in at Columbia University last year which spawned other programs at other schools.
"We are very proud of the work we've done in turning around the situation in terms of faculty advocacy for Israel," said SPME president and acting director Dr. Ed Beck . "We are empowering faculty to address the anti-Semitism on campuses in the various disciplines and the curriculum. Beforehand, many were afraid to stand up for Israel, but our networking has strengthened them."
As the tenor of a campus is very much dictated by the faculty, a strong faculty will greatly enhance CFD's work. An intiative of JNF and Media Watch International, CFD brings speakers representing a wide spectrum of political and philosophical thought from Israel to college campuses throughout the United States in order to drive campus dialogue on the Middle East and discuss the shared values of freedom and democracy that connect Israel and the United States, as well as the challenges Israel faces as the only democracy in the Middle East.
Since its inception four years ago, CFD has sponsored 176 events, visited over 70 campuses and communities, reached more than 20,000 participants at Caravan events and lectures, and stays in touch with over 10,000 students through its newsletter.
"An important part of JNF’s mission is to engage, educate and energize American Jews in support of the land and people of Israel,” said Dr. Sol Lizerbram, JNF’s vice president of College Activism. “Several years ago we recognized the growing anti-Israel sentiment on college campuses and responded with our Caravan for Democracy program that has proven highly successful in assisting Jewish students in achieving a more balanced dialogue in the college setting. During these same years SPME has proven successful in its work with college campus faculty. It is a natural fit for JNF and SPME to now partner in this venture and will enhance the vital work and conversations being had in all corners of the campus."
JNF is looking to raise $250,000 which will be matched by a three-year graduated challenge grant from The Donor Forum of $250K for year one; $175K year two; and $100K year three, to support SPME’s national and local efforts. SPME faculty members will speak at JNF local board meetings and at other educational presentations.
Here’s what funds raised can buy:
- $100,000 funds a 10-day mission to Israel for 30 scholars.
- $75,000 funds an international academic conference with 250-300 scholars presenting significant papers on important issues in the Middle East.
- $45,000 funds a one-day teach-in at a university.
- $35,000 funds a 2-3 day small group, academic conference.
- $10,000 prints and delivers a petition on suicide bombing to heads of state and governments. The petition has 333,000 signatures.
- $5,000 provides for a chapter start up on a campus for one academic year.
- $3,000 enables SPME officials and task force members to attend important meetings of major Jewish organizations.
For more information, contact Rabbi Eric M. Lankin, D.Min., Chief, Institutional Advancement and Education, 212-879-9305 ext. 264 or ELankin@jnf.org
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Jewish National Fund is a non-profit organization founded in 1901 to serve as caretaker of the land of Israel, on behalf of its owners-Jewish people everywhere. Over the past century, JNF has planted over 240 million trees, built over 180 reservoirs and dams, developed over 250,000 acres of land, created more than 1,000 parks, provided the infrastructure for 1,000 communities and educated students around the world about Israel and the environment. Today, JNF is putting its century of experience to work with the Blueprint Negev initiative, supporting Israel’s newest generation of pioneers in developing the Negev Desert - Israel’s last frontier. For more information on JNF or to plant trees in Israel, call 1-800-542-TREE (8733) or visit www.jnf.org. To contact your local office, please call 888-JNF-0099 or visit www.jnf.org.
