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January 30, 2009
Hillel busy on campus
Student organizations active in wake of Gaza war.
REBECA KUROPATWA
The Jewish Students Association (JSA)/Hillel has been around Manitoba campuses for decades. Today, there are 800-1,000 JSA/Hillel members all over Manitoba.
JSA/Hillel organizes a variety of programs throughout the year, at minimal or no cost to students. Program topics include issues related to Israel, genocide and leadership.
In recent weeks, JSA/Hillel has been putting special focus on the subject of Israel, offering all campus students three free seminars with local and international speakers in support of the recent events in Gaza and regarding some tension that occured at the University of Manitoba campus last week.
On Jan. 6, the University of Manitoba's JSA/Hillel had an information booth on campus concerning the situation in Gaza. The campus's Muslim Students Association (MSA) then set up their own booth explaining their perspective on Gaza. Some students found the MSA's posters offensive. The two organizations are now in dialogue to move on in a peace-building direction.
The first of the seminars was held on Jan. 21. Guest speaker/facilitator David Borzykowski, a Birthright alumni, a Canadian Friends of Hebrew University student and a master's in political science student, spoke about Peace and Tolerance in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.
At the second seminar, on Jan. 23, Lawrence Muscant, deputy director of the David Project, spoke on the subject of Making the Case for Israel: The Arab-Israel Conflict. The project bolsters the Jewish community's responses in defence of Israel with educational programs, advocacy training and campaigns.
On Jan. 28, the third seminar featured Garry Hill, chief executive officer of Cega Services, conducting an educational workshop about Israel: The Real Deal. Cega Services provides international information and referral services in the areas of human resources, criminal justice and literacy. Hill has written human rights and criminal justice training manuals for the United Nations, developed training programs for prison staff in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Israel, and appeared on Oprah and various American network news shows.
Director of JSA/Hillel Winnipeg Samantha Loxton said, "From all my experience working with diverse groups and individuals, I have to honestly say that nothing is more rewarding than working with students. They are dreamers and visionaries, and there's nothing they can't or won't accomplish. It's refreshing and uber-motivating to work with a demographic that doesn't understand or comply to the word 'no.'
"Student tuition and books often absorb most of a student's budget for the year," continued Loxton. "Many students are working one, if not two, jobs, just to be able to afford all of the necessary expenses of going to school. JSA/Hillel Winnipeg appreciates that their academics is what should come first, so we ensure that all programs are affordable and accessible for all students on campus.
"It's important to ensure we have this organization on campus so students can be heard, advocating for Israel and for the Jewish community," concluded Loxton. "It's equally significant for students on campus to have a familiar place where they feel at home and are encouraged to grow intellectually, spiritually and socially."
Rebeca Kuropatwa is a Winnipeg freelance writer.
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