Overview
Jewish students face unique challenges on college campuses. Given that college is naturally a time where young people explore issues robustly and engage in fierce debate about key issues, it's not surprising that the debate around Israel and Palestine may be the most intense on college campuses.
Additionally, campus administrators and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) staff face the challenge of cultivating spaces where students feel safe without stifling the free, open debate that makes the college experience so formidable. Project Shema's campus-based work is designed to support Jewish students and campus staff as they navigate these challenges.
What we offer
Standard workshops for campuses (customization available)
Exploring Jewish History & the World's Oldest Hate
Antisemitism is the oldest form of hate on earth. The Jewish people, a community of roughly 15 million people on earth, have faced marginalization, oppression, and/or horrific violence in every society, and in every era for thousands of years. Just as white supremacy is engrained in the DNA of our society, so is antisemitism. However, even amongst those who identify as Jewish, there remains a great deal of confusion about what antisemitism is and how it works. This workshop is intended to ground participants in a clear understanding of how the oldest hate works, anchored in Jewish history and the challenges of today.
Understanding the Progressive Movement & Israel
Many American Jewish students, including students on the political left, have grown concerned about the nature of the conversation around Israel and Palestine on campus. Some simply claim rampant antisemitism is to blame. Others place all the blame on Israel. The truth is obviously more complex. However, to understand what is happening in the discourse you must first understand emerging progressive movements. Without that understanding, there is no way to meaningfully engage in healthy and productive dialogue.
Systemic Racism & Jewish Allyship
College is a time many students engage meaningfully for the first time as allies in broader fights for justice. As Jews grapple with racism with renewed focus, one of the biggest challenges we face is our own misunderstandings about what racism is and how it works. Only by exploring systemic racism, and the root cause of white supremacy, can we actually understand how to combat racism in America effectively. In order for Jews to show up meaningfully in the fight against racism, we must be willing to explore these deeply complex ideas. In keeping with our Jewish values, we explore how to better support other marginalized communities, which is how we will build strong, meaningful relationships.
Exploring & Addressing Antisemitism in Progressive Spaces as Jews on Campus
Jews have long been a part of, and felt at home in, movements for justice in America. Today, Jews on campus are facing challenges on and offline as they engage as allies. This workshop is designed to help students differentiate between anti-Jewish ideas and overt bigotry and learn how to respond accordingly. Then, we explore common misunderstandings about what it means to be a Jew, what antisemitism is, and how antisemitism works. This is critical as these misperceptions create a faulty foundation for dealing with these issues and help push problematic narratives forward. Finally, we outline how to help our peers better understand and address antisemitism, and why doing so is critical for our broader fights for justice.
How to Have Effective, Productive Discussions About Israel & Antisemitism with Our Progressive Peers
Without shared values, language, experiences, or a shared view of the world, our words may be misunderstood. Or, they may be perceived as harmful, causing potentially positive dialogues to fall apart quickly. Without the ability to effectively tell our story, our concerns often go unheard. Or, we may be unable to build the personal connections necessary to engage in difficult conversations. Building upon other sessions, students will learn the skills necessary to improve their engagement with their fellow progressive peers on campus.
Understanding the World's Oldest Hate & the Jewish Experience
Campus administrators and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) staff face the challenge of cultivating spaces where students feel safe without stifling the free, open debate that makes the college experience so formidable. DEI efforts inside organizations of all kinds represent an important and necessary shift in the way we build all institutions. However, understanding the Jewish community and antisemitism are frequently being excluded from this work. There are some understandable reasons for this. However, there are also reasons for this that are built upon problematic stereotypes of Jews, a misunderstanding of who and what we are, and a lack of understanding about what antisemitism is and how it works. This workshop is designed to help address those problems and equip administrators and DEI professionals to create a truly inclusive environment that pushes back on the world's oldest hate.
