April 27, 2009
With the end of the academic year just around the corner, many students are focusing their energies on final papers and studying for their exams – leaving little time to spare for extra-curricular activities. But with Israel Independence Day approaching, there are thousands of fraternity and sorority students nationwide hard at work on excellent Yom Ha’atzmaut celebrations. Some campuses are not content to stick with the normal camel-falafel-hookah recipe for Israel Independence Day programs, and this year the proximity of Earth Day (April 22) to Yom Hashoah and Yom Ha’atzmaut convinced students to weave the green theme of environmentalism into their initiatives, while others are linking their celebrations with a look back at one of the historical underpinnings of the State of Israel.
Working with resources from Hasbara Fellowships and JNF, the AEPhi chapter at the University of Illinois took charge with the “Think Green. Think Blue” campaign, using the last two weeks in May to share information and increase awareness on their campus about the things Israel is doing to preserve the environment and help the rest of the world be environmentally friendly. Thousands of students were exposed to “Did you know…” posters and flyers filled with relevant environmental facts from Israel, and students have been sporting buttons branded with the bright Israeli recycling logo. Sorority sisters in AEPhi coordinated a recycling contest between all of the Greek houses at U of I, providing both recycling boxes for all sorts of materials and information to hang at every chapter. The students also collected old t-shirts from their fellow Greeks, on which they printed the “Think Green. Think Blue” slogan. During the week of Yom Ha’atzmaut, the shirts will be distributed so that hundreds of Greek and non-Greek students can spread the message while they wear them during the campus’ Israel Week festivities. At the heart of the entire green push are two AEPhi members who attended Israel Amplified last summer.
In preparation for Israel Independence Day, the AEPi chapter at the University of Central Florida sponsored a Tel Aviv-themed bash to raise money for the construction of the United States Holocaust Museum’s new wing dedicated to the Darfur genocide. Over the course of one evening, the event raised more than $2500 to assist in what the UCF Greek students have identified as an important link between Israel’s roots and its current dedication to freedom, tolerance and security for all peoples.
The Greek students behind the events at these campuses and many others across the country benefitted from the training and networking provided by Israel Amplified, the only pro-Israel activism conference exclusively for fraternity and sorority students. After three years of successful stewardship by Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity, the ICC is proud to announce that planning for Israel Amplified 2009 is already underway as part of the Greek Outreach Initiative of the Israel on Campus Coalition, which is generously supported by the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation. For more information about Israel Amplified 2009, please contact Alex Shapero, the ICC’s Greek Outreach Associate, at ashapero@israelcc.org.