A recent movement called Open Hillel has risen up on college campuses in response to Hillel International’s “standards of partnership,” which state that “Hillel welcomes, partners with and aids the efforts of organizations, groups and speakers from diverse perspectives in support of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state.” Unfortunately, Hillel International’s idea of supporting Israel as a Jewish and democratic state does not extend to forms of support that challenge Israel to live up to that ideal.
College Hillel organizations that wish to host speakers that are critical of Israel’s policies and support the “boycott, divestment and sanction,” or BDS, strategy are unable to do so under the Hillel name. Many college Hillel organizations have bravely hosted speakers who challenge young students, Jews and non-Jews alike, to challenge Israeli policies when they no longer align with their own personal values. Last year, for example, St. Louis Hillel at Washington University made the contentious decision of sponsoring a talk by former Israeli soldier Oded Na’aman that criticized Israeli military policies. In doing so, these organizations have brought a spotlight to both the civil rights violations perpetrated by the Israeli government and to the gross censorship of any ideas that challenge Israeli policies traditionally supported by established American Jewish voices.
The very existence of these rules for a Reform Jewish organization is ridiculous. The Jewish tradition in which I was raised does not condone institutionalized censorship. If Hillel wants to continue to represent the Jewish youth of this nation, they must create an environment where we can exercise the commitment to justice and the critical thinking and power to effect change, all of which are enshrined in the Jewish tradition.
For me, these standards of partnership encapsulate my problem with the attitude of the United States Jewish establishment toward Israel. We raise young Jews in hopes of teaching them to think critically, to defend the downtrodden and — most importantly — to question everything. The Jewish tradition emphasizes these values, and they are passed down in religious schools and summer camps across the nation. Yet the message to young Jews on Israel seems to encourage suspending their critical thinking, their questioning and their concern for justice. By unspoken consent, powerful American Jewish organizations like Hillel International have marked out Israel as a no-fly zone for the very critical thinking that is so central to Jewish faith and culture.
Apparently, criticism of Israel is simply too dangerous to be permitted, and so open dialogue and a plurality of opinions can only extend to our own country and social issues. Israel, though — which we are expected to defend with our checkbooks, votes and words — cannot be questioned. Hillel’s belief that it must protect us from hearing opinions that are not in line with its beliefs is almost an insult to young Jews. That’s not the way a democracy functions, and its certainly not the way Reform Judaism should function.
Now is the time to have discussions that include diverse perspectives on Israel, including those that might make us uncomfortable. The rhetoric of Israeli politicians has become more radical, and the peace process remains stuck on the back burner. Laws continue to privilege Jews over all others living in the land of Israel, and settlement building continues on contested land, displacing thousands of Palestinians annually and furthering hostilities. Resolving the issues facing Israel requires an open debate on Israeli policy — one that asks, rather than censors, the tough questions.
BDS should be a part of that debate. It is trumpeted by some as a means of pressuring the Israeli government to strengthen democratic rights and the peace process. Jewish leaders like Rabbi Lynne Gottlieb who support these policies have a right to be heard at Hillel-sponsored events. Many of the Hillels at our peer institutions have taken a stand against Hillel International — the Hillel organizations at Swarthmore College and Wesleyan University have voted to become Open Hillels, while Hillel at Harvard University has hosted controversial speakers. I call upon our own chapter to continue its tradition of encouraging open, inclusive dialogue on this campus by declaring itself open to leaders and thinkers whose ideas might challenge our own and catalyze much-needed dialogue.
