AUJS up and running
The Australasian Union of Jewish Students (AUJS) has launched the 2013 academic year with its first Israel campaign. The campaign, entitled ‘My Israel’, is a positive campaign that gives voices to Israelis representing the many diverse communities and groups that exist in Israeli society.
The ‘My Israel’ campaign will aim to capture the vibrancy and diversity of Israel through personal anecdotes told by ordinary Israelis with exceptional stories to tell that, combined, capture the Israeli spirit.
The campaign will be run on AUJS campuses during the week beginning March 12 across Australia & New Zealand with each campus able to tailor the campaign to fit in with its own unique environment. Campuses will be putting up thousands of posters, containing nine Israeli stories and faces, as well as hundreds of stickers. The campaign will also run online, with a campaign website – www.aujs.com.au/myisrael – set up and the AUJS social media.
The campaign was designed by a committee of AUJS student leaders in all regions of Australia & New Zealand. It will aim to portray a true and personal image of Israel that contradicts the often biased and uninformed anti-Israel rhetoric on campuses – quite in contrast with hateful weeks such as the so-called ‘Israel Apartheid Week’.
The campaign has already been well-received globally with students overseas opting to also use the posters on their campuses, including in the USA.
Each speaker answered the prompt ‘My Israel is’, with a wide range of responses that highlight diversity and multiculturalism in Israel while promoting peace and tolerance. Speakers include Jews, Christians & Muslims, and even the first Ethiopian woman to become a Member of the Israeli Knesset (Parliament), Penina Tamano-Shata.
“My Israel is diversity, pride and freedom, it is where I can be a part of a small ethnicity without feeling a minority,” said Shuki Hasson, a Druze student and one of the faces of the campaign.
AUJS National Political Affairs Director Dean Sherr said the campaign was part of a broad strategy moving towards advocacy through education while rejecting hate and animosity. “Our aim with this campaign is to educate students with a positive message about the real spirit of Israel that is so evident to anyone who has actually visited the country,” said Sherr, who is co-ordinating the campaign.
“My Israel will show Israel for what it truly is – a unique nation of diversity and multiculturalism, and the best way to show that is from the mouths of real Israelis with typically Israeli stories.”
Dangerous business this. Focusing on an Ethoipian Israeli’s success as politician can put the focus on the fact that Israel deliberately gave anti-fertility drugs to Ethiopian Jewish women before they emigrated to Israel. Or the fact that Black Israeli have been systematically discriminated againt in employment, education and housing leading to militant protests by black Jews.
Dont hold your breathe Ben I have been following the AUJS activities or more like non activities for years most likely they will hand our bagels on campus all 3 of them ( that’s if AUJS can round up that many )
Regretfully AUJS have no leadership from our Jewish community and adhere to the make no waves , dont give any oxygen doctrine .
that is precisely why the Palestinians their socialist thug allies and of course the anti Zionist jewish activist supporters rule the campus
Of course it helps the Palestinians that they have our largest Jewish community funded study dept on side and more sympathetic to their cause than that of the Israeli Jews.
Just like our leadership aujs believe doing nothing
Turning the other cheek and being afraid if their own shadow will help our cause and they naively believe the bad guys will just be ignored
How sad.
I knew it was in the pipeline, but had forgotten about it until I saw this video today.
“My Israel: Abdol Abugosh ” This is the guy in the poster
Wow, You mean AUJS will start a Israeli Advocacy program at our Universities and give the Palestinian, Arab , Muslims some competition on Campus I guess its better late then never . It is about time . { better not let MR Baker know at ACJC ]
Burdy
Students for Palestine have already begun activity with a mass BDS rally. When will the AUJS respond to their campaign directly ?