Recent News Updates (May 2021)

 Pomona College Student Gov’t Removes Club Divestment from BDS Resolution (Jewish Journal) - "The Pomona College student government removed a provision from the recently passed Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) resolution that would have denied funding to Jewish and pro-Israel student groups on campus."

New Kosher Dining Pilot Available on Campus (Mitzpeh) - "A new Kosher dining pilot program has begun at [University of Maryland, College Park] starting on April 19 and running through the end of the semester, providing students with an easier way to obtain Kosher food."

Amid crisis, American teens on Israel gap years reflect, parents worry (The Forward) - "But despite the escalating violence on the ground, none of the students, parents, or trip organizers who spoke with the Forward are considering leaving Israel before their planned departure dates later in May."

How international students can help solve Israel’s brain drain (The Jerusalem Post) - "The Jerusalem College of Technology (JCT) is answering the state’s call to action — and the college’s International Program in English offers students from abroad the unique opportunity to enter Israel’s high-tech sector and help the start-up nation meet its emerging workforce challenges."

Jewish students at UMass Amherst fear rise of antisemitism (MA Jewish Ledger) - "'I was pretty involved with progressive student groups on campus until I started to feel like I was unwelcome because I was Jewish. It was just very uncomfortable to be a Jew in a progressive space.'"

Integrating tough questions about the intersection of race, religion, and politics (Penn Today) - "Through student discussions and outside lectures, one SNF Paideia Program course examined the Jewish experience, the history of prejudice, and intersectionality in Jewish identity, among other topics."

To reach students, S.F. Hillel fundraiser pours a coffee analogy - (The Jewish News of Northern California) - "San Francisco Hillel, which serves hundreds of students on multiple campuses, has stepped up by offering virtual Shabbat programs and other events for stuck-at-home students yearning for connection during the pandemic."

UGA Chabad House co-founder talks Jewish American Heritage Month (The Red & Black) - "The respect and admiration that Jewish students at UGA hold for Refson and her husband is almost palpable, and many of them credit the Chabad House with the continuation of their Jewish faith through college."

Anti-Israel Graffiti Found on College Campus Under Consideration as a Hate Crime (Newsweek) - "The Bates Leftist Coalition, in conjunction with 14 other student groups, issued a social media statement denouncing the college's decision to ask the police to investigate the graffiti."

CSG response to the Israel-Palestine conflict draws mixed reactions from U-M community (The Michigan Daily) - "The statement drew mixed reactions from the campus community, with some believing that the statement was biased and one-sided, and others believing that CSG did what was necessary to support Palestinian students on campus."

LSU Jewish students react to Student Government post in support of Palestine (Reveille) - "LSU's Student Government posted a "March for Palestine" event infographic on their Instagram page, and many Jewish students with Israeli heritage feel it was an inappropriate and offensive move."