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In Our Name: Jewish Students at Columbia University Say "We Are Proud to Be Zionists"

(Forward) We are Jewish students at Columbia University who are deeply engaged with our culture and history. We would like to speak in our name. Most of us did not choose to be political activists. We do not bang on drums and chant catchy slogans. Those who demonize us under the cloak of anti-Zionism forced us into our activism and to publicly defend our Jewish identities. We proudly believe in the Jewish People's right to self-determination in our historic homeland as a fundamental tenet of our Jewish identity. Contrary to what many have tried to sell you - no, Judaism cannot be separated from Israel. Our religious texts are replete with references to Israel, Zion, and Jerusalem. The Land of Israel is filled with archaeological remnants of a Jewish presence spanning centuries. Despite generations of living in exile, the Jewish People never ceased dreaming of returning to our homeland. Many of us are not religiously observant, yet Zionism remains a pillar of our Jewish identities. We connect to Israel as the only place in the modern world where Jews can safely take ownership of their own destiny. Our experiences at Columbia in the last six months are a poignant reminder of just that. In every generation, the Jewish People are blamed and scapegoated as responsible for the societal evil of the time. In Europe, we were the victims of genocide because we were not European enough. Today, we face the accusation of being too European, painted as colonizers and oppressors. We are proud of Israel. The only democracy in the Middle East, Israel is home to millions of Mizrachi Jews (Jews of Middle Eastern descent), Ashkenazi Jews (Jews of Central and Eastern European descent), and Ethiopian Jews, as well as millions of Arab Israelis, over one million Muslims, and hundreds of thousands of Christians and Druze.
2024-05-12 00:00:00
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