As our partners in Sha’ar HaNegev are facing a volatile situation, our students at UC San Diego are also facing anti-Israel rhetoric and antisemitism during “Justice in Palestine Week,” which has also been dubbed “hate week” by Jewish students.
As we always do, Hillel of San Diego, in coordination with our partners at Hillel International, Federation, ADL and other organizations, are providing critical leadership and support to our students and ensuring that they feel safe and empowered to express their Jewish identities at UCSD.
For many years, the student group Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) has led an annual week of anti-Israel activities. This year, it’s feeling very intense.
The agenda for this year’s “Justice in Palestine Week” features extreme speakers and the construction of a large wall in the center of campus featuring hateful images and spurious claims against Israel. The display is unavoidable for most students, and some Jewish students avoid walking through campus this week for fear of feeling harassed and targeted.
There are dozens of Jewish students who are taking a strong leadership role in responding to these activities and promoting a positive message about Israel. They are proudly supported by Hillel of San Diego staff, including our Jewish Agency for Israel Shlicha / Director of Israel Engagement (Israel Fellow). And at our Hillel, we’ve set up a week-long wellness retreat for students– bringing in UCSD’s Counseling and Psychological Services and offering critical mental health support and wellness programs during this time.
Next week, during “Peace in Israel Week”, we are hosting Israeli Arab Yoseph Haddad to speak on campus at the Price Center on May 16 about life in Israel as an Arab. We are also hosting an Israeli-style shuk called “Jewish Night Market” featuring food and culture on May 17. Please feel free to join us to show your support for Jewish students on our campus. Students will be tabling every day on Library Walk with educational materials around Jewish history, Zionism, and Israel. Our students have been trained to identify and address antisemitism, and are equipped to have constructive conversations across differences with peers on campus.
We are responding to a particularly disturbing incident that happened yesterday – which may or may not be related to this week’s activities – a bathroom in a campus residence hall was defaced with several swastikas. They were painted on the walls with human excrement. The students who found the disturbing images filed a bias incident report, and Hillel professionals are supporting them in ensuring the university meaningfully addresses this antisemitic incident. We have, and will continue to be in touch with the UC San Diego administration on steps they can take to ensure that our campus remains a safe and vibrant home for Jewish students.
We are in this together. Thank you for caring for the future of our Jewish community through Hillel of San Diego– together, we got this.
