World Union of Jewish Students
Chairperson) | |
Website | wujs |
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The World Union of Jewish Students (WUJS
Its headquarters are located in Jerusalem, Israel and its elected President is Yana Naftalieva.
In partnership with the Education Department of the Jewish Agency For Israel and the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, the World Union of Jewish Students (WUJS) has disseminated materials known as the "Hasbara Handbook: Promoting Israel on Campus." This guide serves as a resource for activists to effectively communicate and defend Israel's position in response to various accusations related to perceived hostilities or terrorism. The handbook underscores the strategic use of language, providing nuanced rebuttals to common criticisms. It advises on the selection of terms and phrasing to present Israel's actions and policies in a manner that is intended to resonate with uninformed or skeptical audiences on college campuses. The guide is part of a broader effort to influence campus discourse surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and to support pro-Israel advocacy.[2]
History
Founded in 1924 by
While
1924–1929
The World Union of Jewish Students was founded in 1924 by Hersch Lauterpacht, better known by his Hebrew name Zvi, an Austrian Jew who was aggrieved by the injustices regarding the admittance of Jews to European universities, which at the time had maximum quotas for Jewish students. As this quota system spread throughout Europe, Lauterpacht saw the need to spread his campaigning efforts.[3] From this the concept of an organized international union began to materialize. The union, however, only began to truly develop when Albert Einstein threw his weight behind the union. Then a lecturer in Berlin, Einstein was equally concerned with growing antisemitism across Europe, himself having been verbally attacked when lecturing. In 1925 Einstein accepted Lauterpacht's invitation to be the union's first President.
On April 30, 1924, the opening Congress was held in the
1929–1933
Although similar efforts were made to assist Jewish students coming to
1933–1939
Maurice Perlzweig, a young, British Liberal rabbi,
1962–1969
A new period of WUJS activity began with the appointment of Dan Bitan as
But the more open policy toward German Jewish students accepted by Congress was perhaps inevitable considering the new Chairperson elected at this event was Michael Hunter, a former Chairperson of the British union, which had long favored the inclusion of German Jewish students within WUJS. In general, the coming years were to be influenced greatly by Hunter's vision. Under his leadership, the World Union began its formal commitment to Zionism and affiliation with the World Zionist Organization. At the same time, perhaps ironically, it began to espouse left-wing political positions in order to continue to be meaningful to a student activist community that was increasingly liberal.
During the summer prior to Hunter's election, WUJS had already begun to move towards a more campaigning union by organizing a seminar in Brussels on "The Situation of the Jews in the Soviet Union." This led to the "European Action on Behalf of Soviet Jewry," a traveling exhibition transported to cities throughout Europe. The ultimate goal of the exhibition, the gathering of signatures for a petition, was achieved quite successfully with 15,000 signatures from the United Kingdom and another 15,000 from across Europe. The campaign received a tremendous amount of publicity, from local newspapers to the broadcast media, including the BBC World Service and Israel Radio. in May 1966, the WUJS campaign climaxed in London with a demonstration over 1,000 people strong in front of the Soviet Embassy.
The 1967
The Congress itself reflected the delicate balance required between the internal Jewish need for support for Israel and
Following the Six-Day War, the WZO, with its new Executive Chairman Aryeh Pincus, sought to reinvigorate itself. Among the routes toward this goal was the proposed formal inclusion of youth and students within the WZO. Explaining the rationale behind WUJS' agreement to affiliate with the WZO, Chairperson Hunter wrote of the "serious lack of continuity in Jewish leadership" due largely to the fact that youth were "almost totally absent from both Jewish and Zionist institutions." The World Union believed that this alienation represented a "grave danger ... for the future of the Jewish People" and thus in spite of "certain doubts and reservations" had chosen to join hands with the official Zionist movement. The relationship between WUJS and the Zionist establishment was tenuous. While it was "one of the commonest cliches repeated by Jewish leaders [that] the youth, including of course the students, should be the vanguard in the Zionist organizations," Hunter noted, in reality these young people were not given sufficient representation and were used "purely for decorative purposes." Furthermore, WUJS believed, representation in general within the Zionist Organization was problematic, as the election of delegates from many countries was non-democratic.
The Zionist Congress of 1968 resolved "to grant voting and all other delegates' privileges" to
Against this backdrop, the WUJS Executive staged a walk-out from the 1969 Zionist General Council meetings. Led by
1969–1986
During these days of student
Continuing the trends set in motion in the 1960s, Congress adopted a general platform opposed to the political, economic or cultural oppression of any people. In particular, they called for the withdrawal of "all foreign forces" from
Under the leadership of President Ron Finkel (formerly of the Australian Union of Jewish Students) in the mid 1970s, and of Polish-born Aneta Josefowicz (formerly of the Danish Union of Jewish Students) in the late 1970s, WUJS ran a summer camp in Yugoslavia for Jewish students living in countries behind the Iron Curtain. In any given year, the micropolitics in Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Romania determined whether local students would be permitted to attend. WUJS officers active during these years included Ignacio Klich, Jev Gollin, and Tom Price. In 1977, Talya Fishman launched Project Areivim, a program in which qualified university graduates (American, Israeli and Latin American) took up volunteer placements that had been created for them in Jewish communities throughout Europe, and, at the same time, encouraged local Jewish University students to document the history and culture of their own Jewish communities. In its first two years, Areivim volunteers served in London, Amsterdam, Belgrade, Madrid, and Rome.
In September 1979 the WUJS congress was held in
In 1983, Dani Katz, a former AUJS vice President, was elected Chairperson, and he began negotiations toward a union between WUJS and the World Jewish Congress, a union which would help to alleviate the ongoing struggle with the Zionist system and which remains intact until today.
With tensions between WUJS and the Zionist community beginning to subside, the organization was able to return to the activist concerns of previous years. Indeed, the union entered one of its most active periods in history. In 1984 after Dani Katz stepped down for personal reasons, the Executive appointed David Makovsky as Chairperson. He was a former Network President and leader of the U.S. student campaign for Soviet Jewry. In September 1984, he walked out of a meeting of the World Presidium on Soviet Jewry because they would not include the plight of Ethiopian Jewry in their discussions.
1987–1988
In 1987, Makovsky was succeeded by another North American,
Of necessity, programming would gradually move away from the grand campaign format of preceding decades and turn toward the internal growth and development of individuals. The most striking of these new programs was the WUJS Women's Project, a leadership training initiative for young Jewish
1991–1998
Indeed, WUJS was now active on many fronts within the spectrum of Zionist activity. Committed to the rescue and absorption of Jewish immigrant communities, it was also concerned with the internal struggles of the community in Israel. In January 1991, a matter of days before the outbreak of the
Of necessity, programming would gradually move away from that at even-handedness. Palestinian leadership was included in each program, and groups were often hosted at the home of the Egyptian Ambassador. One such group to visit Israel during Dan Levy's term was the Youth League of the African National Congress. The tour, run in cooperation with the South African Union of Jewish Students, was the first official visit of an ANC delegation to Israel. On other political fronts, WUJS organized a worldwide campaign on behalf of Syrian Jewry as well as a critical visit to the Jewish communities and political bodies of war-torn Yugoslavia. Still, by the end of Levy's tenure, it was clear that while political crises and struggles would always mark the Jewish historical landscape, this was no longer the major thrust of Jewish student concern. The new priorities of literacy and personal leadership set in motion during Levy's term were fostered and enhanced by subsequent Chairpersons.
Australian David Gold, who assumed the position in 1994, termed the new direction of the World Union 'Jewish Revitalization.' In his own statements, he confessed that this would 'not generate media publicity or meetings with
At the extraordinary Congress of 1997, celebrating a century of Modern Zionism, Ilanit Sasson Melchior was elected WUJS’ first Israeli Chairperson. During her term, Sasson Melchior continued Kandiyoti's emphasis on pro-active, educational programming and at the same time expanded on the Israel-Diaspora theme of the preceding years. As part of the WUJS vision of those times, every member union visiting Israel was expected to take part in a meeting with Israeli students to explore similarities and differences. In 1998, together with the National Union of Israeli Students, WUJS spearheaded a campaign entitled 'Am Echad' to send Israeli students to Diaspora communities for Passover.
Governance and Finance
The WUJS is administered by its executive board, composed of the Presidents/Chair-people of WUJS' largest unions, 2 independent board members elected on a biannual basis and 2 positions given on a biannually rotating basis to presidents/chair-people of two smaller unions who are elected at WUJS general assembly every other year.
President: Yana Naftalieva
CEO: Shelly Wolkowicz
- Treasurer: Nadav Vieder
Board Members
- Bruno Polevoj (ČUŽM)
- Hannah Sarkin (JYP)
- Jacobo Cohen Mann (FEMEJJ)
- Joey Zeleznikow (UGEI)
- Char Rayd (SAUJS)
- Flor Kaplun (FEJJLA)
- Michelle Brenner Anidjar (EUJS)
- Sam Kramer (UJS)
- Shilat Cohen (NUIS)
- Youval Oukanine (UEJF)
- Zachary Morris (AUJS)
Permanent Members
- Australasian Union of Jewish Students (AUJS): Australasia
- European Union of Jewish Students (EUJS): Europe
- National Union of Israeli Students (NUIS): Israel
- Union des étudiants juifs de France (UEJF): France
- Union of Jewish Students of the UK & Ireland (UJS): United Kingdom & Ireland
- South African Union of Jewish Students (SAUJS): South Africa
As of 2017, the majority of funding came from the Jewish National Fund, World Zionist Organization and World Jewish Congress, in addition to private donations and alumni.[8]
Members
Full Members
Country | Name | Abbrev. |
---|---|---|
Australia | Australasian Union of Jewish Students | AUJS |
Austria | Jüdische Österreichische HochschülerInnen | JÖH |
Belgium | Union des Étudiants Juifs de Belgique | UEJB |
Chile | Federación De Estudiantes Judíos Chile | FEJ |
Czech Republic | Česká Unie Židovské Mládeže | ČUŽM |
Denmark | Dansk Jødisk Ungdomssammenslutning | DJUS |
Europe | European Union of Jewish Students | EUJS |
France | Union des étudiants juifs de France | UEJF |
Georgia | Georgian Union of Jewish Students | |
Germany | Jüdische Studierendenunion Deutschland | JSUD |
Greece | Hellenic Jewish Students | ENE |
Hungary | Zsidó Fiatalok Magyarországi Egyesülete | HUJS |
India | Jewish Youth Pioneers | JYP |
Ireland | Union of Jewish Students of the UK & Ireland | UJS |
Israel | National Union of Israeli Students | NUIS |
Italy | Unione Giovani Ebrei d'Italia | UGEI |
Latin America | Federación de Jóvenes Judíos de Latinoamérica | FEJJLA |
Lithuania | Lithuanian Union of Jewish Students | LUJS |
Luxembourg | Union des Jeunes Gens Israélites du Luxembourg | UJGIL |
Macedonia | Macedonian Jewish Community Youth Club | MEM |
Mexico | Federación Mexicana de Jóvenes Judíos | FeMeJJ |
Netherlands | Joodse Studenten en Jongerenvereniging | IJAR |
New Zealand | Australasian Union of Jewish Students | AUJS-NZ |
Portugal | Portuguese Union of Jewish Students | |
Russia | Russian Union of Jewish Students | RUJS |
Serbia | Serbian Union of Jewish Students | |
Slovakia | Slovenka Unia Zidovskej Mladeze | SUZM |
Spain | Federación de Jovenes Judios de España | FEJJE |
South Africa | South African Union of Jewish Students | SAUJS |
Sweden | Judiska ungdomsförbundet i Sverige | JUS |
Switzerland | Swiss Union of Jewish Students | SUJS |
Turkey | Turkish Union of Jewish Students | TUJS |
United Kingdom | Union of Jewish Students of the UK & Ireland | UJS |
Ukraine | Ukrainian Union of Jewish Students | UUJS |
The WUJS Student Awards
The annual WUJS Student Awards were established at WUJS Congress 2014, by Andi Gergely and Yos Tarshish, to recognise the hard work and dedication of Jewish students who have made an exceptional contribution to Jewish life on campus. These students devote countless hours of their time on top of university work, extracurriculars and spending time with their friends to ensure that Jewish student life on campus is thriving, vibrant, safe, and fun. The winners of the awards are listed below. Awards are given in three categories: Union Awards, Individual Awards and Congress Awards. The Individual and Congress Awards were instituted for the third annual WUJS Awards held in January 2017.
Union Awards
Year | Campaign of the Year Award | Israel Engagement Award | Interfaith Award | Maurice L. Perlzweig Award for Social Action | Developing Local JSA of the Year | Local JSA of the Year | Developing Union Award | Union of the Year Award |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2014 | South African Union of Jewish Students (SAUJS) and the Union of Jewish Students of the UK & Ireland (UJS) | Australasian Union of Jewish Students | Jüdische Österreichische HochschülerInnen (JOH) | Not yet established | Not yet established | Not yet established | Ukrainian Union of Jewish Students and Federación De Estudiantes Judíos Chile (FEJ) | Union des Etudiants Juifs de France (UEJF) |
2015 | Union of Jewish Students of the UK & Ireland (UJS) | Union of Jewish Students of the UK & Ireland (UJS) | European Union of Jewish Students (EUJS) | Federación De Estudiantes Judíos Chile (FEJ) | Not yet established | Not yet established | Dutch Union of Jewish Students (IJAR) | Australasian Union of Jewish Students (AUJS) |
2016 | Union of Jewish Students of the UK & Ireland (UJS) | Realize Israel | Sacha Ephrussi & Yoni Stone, Oxford Jewish Society (UK) | Challah for Hunger | Not yet established | Not yet established | Lithuanian Union of Jewish Students | Federación De Estudiantes Judíos Chile (FEJ) |
2017 | American Union of Jewish Students | South African Union of Jewish Students (SAUJS) | Union of Jewish Students of the UK & Ireland (UJS) | Federación Mexicana de Jóvenes Judíos (FeMeJJ) | ARIEL Geneva (Switzerland) | Leeds Jewish Society (UK) | German Union of Jewish Students (JSUD) | Jüdische Österreichische HochschülerInnen (JOH) |
2018 | Jewish Student Union Germany (JSUD) and the Australasian Union of Jewish Students (AUJS) | South African Union of Jewish Students (SAUJS) | Jüdische Österreichische HochschülerInnen (JOH) | South African Union of Jewish Students (SAUJS) | JEvents (Italy) | Bund jüdischer Studenten Baden (Germany) | Unione Giovani Ebrei d'Italia (UGEI) | Union of Jewish Students of the UK & Ireland (UJS) |
2020 | Federación Mexicana de Jóvenes Judíos (FeMeJJ) | Federación de Jóvenes Judíos de Latinoamérica (FeJJLa) | Unione Giovani Ebrei d'Italia (UGEI) | Jüdische Österreichische HochschülerInnen (JOH) | AUJS Queensland (Australia) | Monash Jewish Students' Society (Australia) | Union des Etudiants Juifs de Belgique (UEJB) | European Union of Jewish Students (EUJS) |
2021 | ||||||||
2022 | ||||||||
2023 | German Union of Jewish Students (JSUD) |
Individual awards
Year | Local JSA Leader of the Year | Union Leader of the Year Award | Political Activist of the Year Award | Emerging Jewish Leadership Award | Hersch Lauterpacht Award* |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2014 | Not yet established | Not yet established | Not yet established | Not yet established | Jane Braden Golay, Switzerland |
2015 | Not yet established | Not yet established | Not yet established | Not yet established | Sacha Reingewirtz, France |
2016 | Not yet established | Michael Fisher, Australia | Izzy Lenga, UK | Ivona Gacevic, Serbia | Nethanel Cohen Solal, France |
2017 | Daniel Kahan, Australia | Josh Seitler, UK | Ariel Zohar, Australia | Lauren Keilis, UK and Adela Cojab, USA | Ariel Bohorodzaner, Chile |
2018 | Yanir Grindler, South Africa | Gabriel Nissan, Mexico | Ziev Shani, South Africa | Ruben Gerczikow, Austria | Adam Fineberg, UK |
2019 | Benjamin Hess, Austria | ||||
2020 | Joshua Kirsh, Australia | Ruben Gerczikow, Germany | Lara Guttmann and Sashi Turkof, Austria | Gabi Farber, South Africa | |
2021 | |||||
2022 | |||||
2023 | Hanna Veiler, Germany | David Fiorentini, Italy |
- The Hersch Lauterpacht Award is given each year to a student who has given an outstanding contribution to Jewish student life. The award is given in memory of Hersch Lauterpacht, the Founder and Inaugural Chairperson of WUJS.
Congress Awards
Year | Outstanding Congress Delegation Award | Outstanding Congress Delegate Award |
---|---|---|
2016 | Federación Mexicana de Jóvenes Judíos | Ronel Jacob, India |
2017 | Australasian Union of Jewish Students | Nurit Becker, Mexico |
See also
- CampusJ
- Chabad on Campus Foundation
- Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life
- MASORTI on Campus
- Religion and the internet
References
- ^ WUJS http://www.wujs.org.il/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12&Itemid=140 Archived 2011-02-01 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Hasbara Handbook - Promoting Israel On Campus". Digital Library of the Middle East - DLME. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
- ^ WUJS http://wujs.org.il/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=13&Itemid=153
- ^ "Intersection of Torah and the environment". www.jewishsussex.com. Retrieved Sep 28, 2014.
- ^ "Jewish lessons examine why bad things happen". www.recordnet.com. Archived from the original on March 10, 2016. Retrieved Sep 28, 2014.
- ^ WUJS HISTORY http://wujs.org.il/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14&Itemid=226 Archived 2011-07-21 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ WUJS http://wujs.org.il/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=15&Itemid=153 Archived 2011-07-21 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Frydberg, Tracy (4 January 2018). "In Jerusalem, a 94-year-old World Jewish Student Congress rediscovers its voice". Times of Israel. Archived from the original on 11 October 2019. Retrieved 11 October 2019.