Israel Initiative
About the Israel Initiative
The Israel Initiative on Illinois Campuses is a partnership of the JUF Jewish Community Relations Council and The Hillels of Illinois. The goal of the Israel Initiative is to motivate and educate a new generation of Illinois college students to promote support for Israel on campus and beyond.
What’s New @ the Israel Initiative?
The Israel Initiative Discussion Forum is now live!As a result of the requests we’ve received for increased and better communication among interns, Hillel staff, other student leaders and ourselves, we’re excited to present our JCRC/Hillel Israel Initiative Message Board. Experiences and ideas need to be shared, as well as questions, challenges, and best practices. This forum was created to facilitate discussion and sharing of ideas among all of us. Welcome! This is the place to share a variety of information about what's happening on your campus, what challenges you're facing, what you'd like to see more or less of, what works, and what doesn't work. There's no reason to reinvent the wheel on programs or ideas; if you're in the brainstorming process, and need a hand, ask other participants if something similar has been done before. This forum will work best if it serves as a market of ideas, so your posting is crucial. You don't have to be a Hillel staff member of intern to participate in this discussion forum. If you'd like to join, just send an e-mail to jcrc1@juf.org, describing who you are, what school you attend, and why you'd like to join the forum. |
IsraLimmud: Israel Advocacy and Education FellowshipATTENTION COLLEGE STUDENTS! This fall, JUF's Jewish Community Relations Council/Hillel's Israel Initiative will begin a year-long Israel Advocacy and Education Fellowship for undergraduate and graduate students. Free of cost, the Fellowship will be led by former Jerusalem Post editor Carl Schrag. A select group of participants will be chosen to participate in an all expenses paid fly-in to Washington, D.C., to meet with Illinois legislators. Undergraduate workshops will be held once a month at several university campuses, while the graduate program will be held downtown. Take a look at the curriculum (PDF) and flyer (PDF), and contact us with any questions you may have about the Fellowship. The deadline is quickly approaching and slots are filling up fast, so please submit your application (PDF) as soon as possible! |
Israel in the Media:
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How the Initiative Works
- Throughout the academic year, The JCRC/Hillel Israel Initiative sponsors conferences, lectures, and Israeli speaker and cultural programs on campuses throughout the state of Illinois, as well as the University of Wisconsin at Madison.
- Programs are facilitated and executed with the help of the finest student activists on campus–our Israel Interns.
Israel Initiative Scholarship Opportunities
- The Israel Initiative provides Illinois student residents with scholarship opportunities that support travel to Israel and Israel-related conferences around the world.
- Fill out an Israel Initiative scholarship application (Microsoft Word) today
Learn About Israel Advocacy
- Contact us to request that the Israel Internship program come to your campus
- Download the Israel 101 Guide (PDF) and gain insight on key issues within the Arab-Israeli conflict.
- Discover how you can utilize various campus resources (PDF) for your organization or program.
- Learn about basic advocacy (PDF) on college campuses.
- Read the Anatomy of a Letter (PDF) and Letter Writing Tips (PDF) to submit an excellent letter to your campus newspaper.
- Download a primer on the British Union of Colleges and Universities boycott (PDF) of Israeli academic institutions.
- Read about the anti-Semitic and violent political charter (PDF) of Hamas.
- Learn where each political party in Israel belongs on the political spectrum (PDF).
- Discover how you can respond to unfounded claims of ‘Israeli apartheid’ (PDF).
We'd like to thank Steve Slivnick, 2007 Lewis Summer Intern, for his work in preparing many of the above materials.
Israel Initiative High School Prep
High school students can get a head start on preparing for the Israel Initiative by participating in conferences, seminars and other learning opportunities geared towards teenagers.
- Check out the JCRC/Hillel Israel Initiative high school brochure (PDF)
- Join Write On for Israel: A two-year Israel advocacy seminar for high school juniors. Prepares students to be future columnists and writers for university newspapers
