With more education comes greater pride

Due to technology (that was invented by Israelis) I was able to watch the BDS debate at the University of Michigan. My dad was able to live-stream the six-hour debate from his iPhone to our TV. Chills rushed through my body as soon as supporters of BDS acted as victims of a "terrorist" country, Israel. My stomach started to swirl and I almost had to leave the room. The Israel supporters were the only people getting me through the whole debate. 

Although I was so behind in schoolwork, I knew how important it was for me to attend the Israel Advocacy Seminar at Rutgers University. It really interested me how unaware the Israelis were that defending Israel was such a huge deal for Jewish Americans. I learned a lot from the speaker as well. She explained to us that fighting back against Israel's protesters through mindless pejoratives was not an effective way to prove our points and facts about Israel. There are 10% of people who support Israel, 10% who are against Israel, and 80% who are unaware of the issues surrounding Israel. Our goal as Jews is to inform the 80% who are unaware because we will never persuade those who hate Israel. She taught us to use ingenuous questions to prove our facts about Israel. For example, a way to inform those who think an apartheid is going on in Israel is by asking them the actual definition of apartheid. They will soon find out that apartheid is a policy or system of segregation or discrimination on grounds of race. We can then ask them to look up the ratio of Jews to other ethnic groups in Israel. It will be proven that Israel’s Jewish population makes up a majority of Israel. Just by definition, it is clear that there is not an apartheid going on in Israel. A way to defend the wall that was put up in the West Bank is to explain that it was put up to protect the safety of all civilians, not just Jews. We also learned that the Israeli Company Soda Stream has a majority of workers who are Muslim. By supporting BDS and boycotting the company, the supporters are actually causing problems for their own people. I learned so much from the speaker and was impressed with the Israelis’ engagement in the conversation, especially since it is not a common issue that they face in Israel.

After I heard the speaker from Stand With Us, I felt a different kind of chills rush through my body. I felt proud and privileged to be able to learn how to support my Jewish homeland. This was one of the most meaningful moments that I experienced during NAS because it really hit home for me. Being able to share this moment with my fellow Metrowest Dillers and the Dillers from Rishon Lezion made it even more special. It proved to me that with the help of friends, a difference can and will be made.

-Alexa Smith