The New School’s Fight Over Hillel |
On many college campuses, Jewish student spaces have increasingly become targets for ideological confrontation when associated with Israel. The issue is no longer just political disagreement over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but a growing expectation that Jewish students must distance themselves from mainstream Jewish organizations in order to comfortably participate in campus life. The recent controversy surrounding Hillel at The New School is a clear example of this trend and raises a larger question: when does “criticism of Israel” begin to undermine Jewish communal life itself?
On May 1st, The New School’s student senate voted to place the local Hillel “not in good standing” and attempted to pull funding, supposedly because of Hillel International’s relationship to programs such as Birthright and other Israel engagement initiatives. They alleged that “extensive ties to violations of international law by Hillel International,” including that it “sent students to logistically support over 700 soldiers.” They demanded that for Hillel to continue enjoying an official membership in the academic community, their leadership would have to cut ties with Hillel International and disavow all offered trips to........