May 26, 2009
In the wake of Operation Cast Lead, there was a marked increase in anti-Israel activity on college campuses across the country. To learn about the variety of ways students were dealing with this challenge, the Israel on Campus Coalition (ICC) launched the Best Practices Contest, in which students were invited to describe the Israel climate on their campus, explain how it changed after Israel’s operations in Gaza, and present the ways they worked to present a positive image of Israel to their campus communities. The contest entries demonstrated that pro-Israel students quickly recognized that one of the most effective ways to defuse anger and combat misinformation was to present to their peers information about an Israel very different from what students were witnessing in the media – an Israel rich in culture, history, technological advances, rights for women and minorities, and more.
The ICC is pleased to present this compilation of outstanding student-written essays. The first two essays, by Stephanie Feit of New York University and Geoffrey Levin of Michigan State University, were selected as the winners of the Best Practices Contest by the ICC’s Steering Committee. The other essays were selected as deserving of honorable mention. All the essays presented here are excellent examples of proactive, positive initiatives that served as powerful forces in shaping the campus Israel climate during a very challenging semester.
Please download the Best Practices Compilation:
Best Practices on Campus: Pro-Israel Activism (PDF file)
[Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader version 4.0 or higher.]