Sunday, August 11, 5 pm
After years of successful Sababa Sunday and Bringing Israel Home programs, a group of Jewish college students from Tidewater thought something needed to be added to the pro-Israel advocacy of the community.
Comprised of Melissa Eichelbaum, Sam Sacks, Eric Smith, Rachel Gross, Jacob Levy, Ross Glasser, and Marissa Simon, the group discussed how they are exposed to a lot of different backgrounds that challenge them to solidify and fight for their beliefs. Even though they may be more than 5,000 miles away from Israel, they are affected by events in the Middle East daily. Hateful comments about Israel are not rare on today’s college campuses.
The David Project understands that it is not always easy to express a reason for believing in something, such as Israel’s right to exist. Educating, training, and empowering students to be thoughtful, strategic, and persuasive advocates for the State of Israel are The David Project’s goals. This year, the Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater presents Bringing Israel Home in partnership with The David Project (davidproject.org).
The event will have two components, one for college students and one for parents.
Beginning at 5pm, all local college students are invited for pizza and conversation with professionals from The David Project. Rabbi Jake Rubin, executive director at the Brody Jewish Center at UVa, and Sue Kurtz, executive director at the Malcolm Rosenberg Hillel Center at Virginia Tech will also join the discussion.
Rabbi Rubin and Kurtz will also serve as part of a panel discussion with The David Project at 7 pm for parents of college students. This discussion will focus on what’s happening regarding Israel education and advocacy on Virginia campuses, as well as campuses nationwide.
The event takes place on the Sandler Family Campus. For more information or to RSVP for the student or parent program, contact Robin Mancoll at rmancoll@ujft.org by August 7. Students are asked to join the Facebook group “Bringing Israel Home” to stay up to date.
by Melissa Eichelbaum