Our Connections, More Important than Ever
Students at Yale participate in a People Not Numbers hostage support event
Photo: The Jewish Agency for Israel
Within one month of October 7, and amid the continuing Israel-Hamas war, global antisemitism had increased by 1,180%, according to a joint report released by the Ministry for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism, the World Zionist Organization and The Jewish Agency.
In the U.S., in just the first two weeks after October 7, the Anti-Defamation League reported that antisemitic incidents had risen by about 400% compared to the same period in 2022.
In response, our Shlichim (Israeli emissaries) worldwide organized, attended and spoke at rallies and gatherings in solidarity with Israel occurring on college campuses and in cities globally. Their role connecting Jews abroad to Israel became even more important after the war began, and working with the Shlichut Institute, they were provided with the necessary tools and resources to talk about the conflict and to pivot in their roles to better serve their communities.
“This feeling of being so far from your friends, family and people in this terrible time is unimaginably hard. But I know I am making an impact on so many people here,” said Liron, 17, from Sde Boker, who is now serving as a ShinShin (service year Israeli emissary) in Denver.
A solidarity walk with a Jewish Agency Israel Fellow at a university in Connecticut
Photo: The Jewish Agency for Israel
By the end of 2023, our Shlichim had facilitated 1,713 outreach activities, including rallies, among world Jewry, and organized 8,450 educational activities for 266,729 participants.
The rise in antisemitism and anti-Israel views was even more blatant on college campuses in North America, with a 700% increase in incidents in the month after the October 7 attacks on Israel, compared to the same period last year, according to Hillel International. These places of higher education became a battleground as Jewish and pro-Israel students were confronted by new levels of hate and experienced a lack of administrative support.
- Nati Szczupak, Director of The Jewish Agency’s Campus Israel Fellows program
“As they face surging threats on campus, students are more eager than ever to connect with their Jewish community, with Israel, and with each other. An Israel Fellow functions as the friend and mentor that brings them together, providing a valuable resource for those looking to learn about, engage with, and support their community and Israel.”
Thousands, including Jewish Agency Shlichim and employees, attend the March for Israel rally in Washington, DC in November 2023
Students have turned to our 97 Israel Fellows in North America for support as they have feared attacks and even received death threats, with some students choosing to remove their kippahs when walking on campus or taking down mezuzahs from their doors.
“On October 7, our Israel Fellow, Or, dropped everything to speak with all of the students he could to process what was going on,” said Ori, a Jewish student at a California university. “And every day since, Or has helped us.”
“My students feel scared on campus, some are afraid to go to class, to speak up,” added Or, reflecting on Jewish campus life since the war started. “I wanted to be an Israel Fellow to motivate students to combat misinformation about Israel and to be proud to be Jewish. I didn’t expect students to have to fight every day.”
In 2023 after October 7, 1,000+ antisemitic events were reported on more than 100 college campuses in North America.
