Israel Resources

Where to Go For Help: Organizations Specializing in Israel Advocacy
The following organizations will provide great resources for you as you work on Israel advocacy in your chapter or region. They all specialize in Israel education and activism, and can be of great use particularly in preparing USYers for college campuses.

Under each organization, the first paragraph provides some general history and information about the organization, and then the second paragraph provides information on what they have to offer you. Website addresses are also given for each organization so you can contact them further.

B'Hatzlacha - good luck!

• The Anti-Defamation League
  The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has fought anti-Semitism, bigotry, and extremism fro over 90 years. It's objective is to protect the Jewish people and all citizens from anti-Semitism and unfair discrimination. Particularly today, when anti-Semitism is once again on the rise, the ADL is an extremely important organization and ally of Jews in North America. The ADL tackles issues such as civil rights, education, hate crimes, Israel, security awareness, and terrorism. For more information on ADL, visit their website.

  Most importantly for you, ADL places an enormous emphasis on fighting anti-Semitism on college campuses. Find out about issues you may face in college and how the ADL can help through their various programs by visiting www.adl.org.

• American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC)
  AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, is America's pro-Israel lobby, founded in the 1950s to promote Israel advocacy in the United States. Today, AIPAC has 65,000 members across all 50 states who are working at the issues facing Israel today: stopping Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, fighting terrorism and achieving peace, and ensuring Israel's continued strength.

  AIPAC is a great organization to help you lobby for Israel on college campuses and provides periodic political leadership training conferences. The AIPAC website can help you learn how AIPAC can help you, and also provides educational resources about the history of conflict in Israel. Visit www.aipac.org.

• Mercaz
  In short, Mercaz is the Zionist arm of the Conservative movement. This organization serves as the voice of Conservative Jewry around the world, to support religious pluralism in Israel and strengthen the connection between Israel and the Diaspora. Also, Mercaz works to increase the impact and influence of Conservative/Masorti Judaism on Israeli society. Today, one of the most important issues on Mercaz's agenda is educating American youth about Israel and how they can support the Jewish State. They seek to work with the other arms of the Conservative movement, including USY and Koach, to promote education, political action, and traveling to Israel.

  Join this important organization and get more information at www.mercazusa.org.

• American Jewish Committee
  The American Jewish Committee - advancing democracy, pluralism, and mutual understanding. Basically, this committee serves to protect the welfare of Jews in the United States and around the world, and enhance the quality of American Jewish life. With 33 chapters around the country, the committee is spread out and can be a great resource at many college campuses. You can visit the website of the American Jewish Committee at www.ajc.org and find out about its many programs relating to Israel affairs, inter-religious groups, the media, Jewish life in America, and many other topics.

• Koach
  Koach is the college-outreach branch of the Conservative/Masorti Movement, and it offers services and information to help enrich your college experience. Koach can provide grants, a newsletter written by students for students, an annual International Kallah, learning projects, and much more. Even better - many colleges have a Koach group on campus! To learn about choosing a college from a Jewish perspective, visit www.koach.org.

  As USY alumni entering the world of college, this might be the most important organization for you to hear about. If you are interested in continuing your involvement with the Conservative Jewish community in college, then Koach is the organization for you. To find out more about this organization, visit www.koach.org. Also, be sure to contact possible colleges of choice to see whether they have Koach groups on campus. Koach can not only help you be an Israel advocate on campus, but on a broader scale can be the place where you feel comfortable as a Conservative Jew.

• Panim
  Panim is the institute for Jewish leadership and values. Panim has many goals but their most relevant one is to "strengthen the links between the Jewish community and the American public interest/public policy arenas." Through several programs and educational workshops that Panim holds every year high school students and college students can learn valuable skills to become leaders in the American Jewish community by advocating and supporting Israel in the political arena.

  Check out their website for more information and contact them about their programs and upcoming workshops at www.panim.org.

• Hillel
  Hillel is the foundation for Jewish campus life. Hillel provides Jewish students on campus with all sorts of resources but this website will concentrate on how they can help you advocate and support Israel.

  Each one of Hillel's 500 centers supports and holds solidarity programs for Israel. Most college campuses have a Hillel. Contact your local Hillel for programs and ways to get involved: www.hillel.org.

• Israel On Campus Coalition
  The Israel on Campus Coalition (ICC) is a network of national organizations working to promote Israel education and advocacy on university campuses across the United States. The ICC is made up of over 20 different Jewish organizations. The collation is dedicated to fostering support in students for Israel. The Coalition provides a united community front to promote a pro-active, pro-Israel agenda and to respond to the resurgence of anti-Israel activity on college campuses. Coalition members are committed to bringing Israel resources to campus (including speakers, marketing campaigns, reference materials, etc.), launching national initiatives in support of Israel, and providing information on Israel travel.

• United Jewish Communities
  United Jewish Communities (UJC) is a fundraising organization that supports Jewish Communities around the world. UJC supports Israel, and those wishing to make aliyah. UJC can help you learn about how people are helping fund different Israel trips and programs, how you can donate or even educate you about the current Israel situation and status. Visit their website for more information.