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To address concerns about physical safety on campus, StandWithUs developed a pilot program for a campus safety escort service, utilizing an app-based platform available on select campuses. The program empowers students with three R’s:

Receive: Get campus-wide safety alerts, including information on areas to avoid and designated safety zones as well as evacuation routes if needed.
Report: Submit videos, photos, or voice recordings that are geo-located and time-stamped incidents that can later be used for legal purposes (when necessary).
Request: Request a safety escort to travel securely between dorms, classes, events, and back.

StandWithUs is partnering with major campus organizations to ensure the program provides effective, accessible safety solutions for Jewish and pro-Israel students.

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In times of collective grief and challenges that we are currently navigating, it is crucial not to avoid our emotions and find strength in community and action. We are navigating unprecedented pressures as individuals, communities, and a nation. Self-care is essential when stressed because it helps maintain your mental, emotional, and physical well-being, enabling you to manage stress more effectively. See below for 10 self-care tips from StandWithUs CEO Roz Rothstein.

Safety goes beyond the physical; many students are experiencing PTSD, anxiety, and trauma in the aftermath of October 7. A therapist can provide coping strategies to manage overwhelming feelings, mental exercises to regain confidence on campus, and help shift focus back to studies and extracurricular activities.

BetterHelp, an online therapy service, is offering six months of therapy at no cost for individuals who have been impacted by the war in Israel.

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The StandWithUs Saidoff Legal Department empowers students and community members through a legal response to antisemitic activity. Utilizing a team of staff attorneys and hundreds of pro bono lawyers, StandWithUs analyzes each reported incident through a legal lens and brings all StandWithUs resources to bear. A relentless force in the legal fight against antisemitism, the legal department has resolved thousands of incidents since our founding.

The department’s legal work includes filing complaints under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act against secondary schools and universities; legal actions, including sending legal demand letters and bringing lawsuits against schools, universities, and on community matters; helping individuals navigate the criminal justice system after assaults, criminal threats, and other hate crimes; representing students filing discrimination, bias, and harassment complaints in K-12 and on campuses; advising students and community members seeking guidance on responding to antisemitism; and coordinating the hundreds of lawyers in the StandWithUs Pro Bono Attorney Network. Additionally, the department offers free legal tools, resources, and workshops to educate students and community members about their rights to combat antisemitism and anti-Israel extremism.

For more information, visit the Saidoff Legal Department website.

To report an antisemitic incident, click HERE.

A StandWithUs Partner Organization

New Criminal Justice Partner Organization: After a decade of leading the legal fight against antisemitism in the U.S., StandWithUs added criminal expertise to its legal team: criminal justice support and advocacy for victims of antisemitic hate crimes; criminal defense for those targeted for standing up for Israel and the Jewish people; and a rehabilitative justice curriculum and education option available to judges sentencing perpetrators of antisemitic hate crimes. StandWithUs’ Saidoff Legal Department is one of the only groups in the U.S. that provides free victim advocacy to the Jewish and Zionist communities. Learn more here.

ABOUT THE STANDWITHUS CENTER FOR LEGAL JUSTICE:

The StandWithUs Center for Legal Justice (SCLJ) is a tax-exempt membership organization that partners with the StandWithUs Saidoff Legal Department. Comprised of students, professors, and community members, SCLJ fights antisemitism and supports Israel by representing its members as plaintiffs in impact litigation and as legal consultants in legal action to fight antisemitism.

Course Facilitators: Carly Gammill, Director, Center for Combating Antisemitism. David Smokler, Director, K-12 Educator Outreach

Time: 2 hours including 5-minute break and Q&A (additional content/time optional based on district needs)
Content: In this two-part session, school administrators* will learn about Jewish identity and how to recognize attacks against that identity (i.e., antisemitism), why gaining this understanding is crucial for those in the school environment, and how to prevent and respond to incidents of antisemitism in K-12 public schools.

Part One: Carly Gammill, Director of the Center for Combating Antisemitism, provides a deeper look at who the Jewish people are, their connection to the land of Israel, and the various forms of contemporary antisemitism.

Participants will learn:

· Who are the Jewish people? What is their connection to the land of Israel?

· What is the relationship between the American Jewish community and Israel?

· What is antisemitism, and how is it manifested?

· What is Zionism? What is the relationship between Zionism and antisemitism?

· How is antisemitism defined and investigated by the Department of Education?

Part Two: David Smokler, Director of K-12 Educator Outreach, discusses recent incidents of antisemitism in K-12 School settings and how school administrators can prevent and respond to incidents in their school communities.

Participants will learn:

· Best practices for investigating antisemitic bullying to be compliant with Title VI

· How to navigate discussions and lessons about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in K-12 schools

· How to balance student and teacher free speech rights in a charged school environment to avoid antisemitic incidents

· How to leverage distributive leadership to ensure accurate & unbiased curricular materials

*This typically includes school board members, district administrators, and building administrators, but content can be customized for specific audiences based upon individual district or school needs.

Course Facilitators: Carly Gammill, Director, Center for Combating Antisemitism, and David Smokler, Director, K-12 Educator Outreach
Time: 2 hours including 5-minute break and Q&A (additional content/time optional based on district needs)

Content: In this two-part session, teachers and other curriculum writers will learn about Jewish identity and how to recognize attacks against that identity (i.e., antisemitism), and how to spot and avoid Anti-Israel bias when writing curriculum about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Part One: Carly Gammill, Director of the Center for Combating Antisemitism, provides a deeper look at who the Jewish people are, their connection to the land of Israel, and the various forms of contemporary antisemitism.

Participants will learn:

· Who are the Jewish people? What is their connection to the land of Israel?

· What is the relationship between the American Jewish community and Israel?

· What is antisemitism, and how is it manifested?

· What is Zionism? What is the relationship between Zionism and antisemitism?

· How is antisemitism defined and investigated by the Department of Education?

Part Two: David Smokler, Director of K-12 Educator Outreach, provides an in-depth look at common pitfalls for writers of curriculum to avoid, showing clear examples of bias and providing indispensable resources for educators to use in their districts and schools.

Participants will learn:

· Best practices for evaluating sources

· How to spot bias in all types of media (social media, print journalism, television)

· How to navigate discussions and lessons about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in K-12 schools

· How to use primary sources to build learning experiences that allow students to utilize higher thinking skills

· How to ensure student assessments are free of bias

Course Facilitators: Carly Gammill, Director, Center for Combating Antisemitism, and David Smokler, Director, K-12 Educator Outreach
Time: 2 hours including 5-minute break and Q&A (additional content/time optional based on district needs)
Content: In this two-part session, teachers and other curriculum writers will learn about Jewish identity and how to recognize attacks against that identity (i.e., antisemitism), and how to spot and avoid Anti-Israel bias when writing curriculum about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Part One: Carly Gammill, Director of the Center for Combating Antisemitism, provides a deeper look at who the Jewish people are, their connection to the land of Israel, and the various forms of contemporary antisemitism.

Participants will learn:

· Who are the Jewish people? What is their connection to the land of Israel?

· What is the relationship between the American Jewish community and Israel?

· What is antisemitism, and how is it manifested?

· What is Zionism? What is the relationship between Zionism and antisemitism?

· How is antisemitism defined and investigated by the Department of Education?

Part Two: David Smokler, Director of K-12 Educator Outreach, shows teachers how they can support their Jewish students in school during this time of rising antisemitism and anti-Israel bias.

Participants will learn:

· How to navigate discussions and lessons about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in K-12 schools

· How to evaluate sources for bias – and how to make evaluating sources an effective learning experience for your students

· How to spot bias in all types of media (social media, print journalism, television) and prevent it from entering your classroom

· How to use primary sources to build learning experiences that allow students to utilize higher thinking skills

· How to respond to reports of antisemitic bullying

· How to ensure your classroom is free of bias

David Smokler is the Director of K-12 Educator Engagement at StandWithUs. After graduating from Connecticut College with education credentials and unable to find a job in a traditional school setting, David took a job teaching English to court-adjudicated boys on a cross-country covered wagon train. They travelled from Pennsylvania to southwest Texas, and each day after setting up camp, David taught writing and literature on picnic tables on the dusty grounds of prairies.

Soon after that adventure, David taught English in high schools on Cape Cod and suburban Boston while finishing his Master’s Degree in Teaching at Bridgewater State University. He published two books for teachers, Making Learning Come Alive and Interactive Learning Experiences: Increasing Student Engagement and Learning. He then went into school administration, spending fourteen years as an Assistant Principal, Principal, Special Education Administrator, and Associate Director of Education for the Massachusetts Department of Youth Services.

David calls on both his love of his Jewish culture and his experience in education in his work at StandWithUs, where he is building a grassroots network of K-12 Educators who want to fight bigotry against Jews, bring more and better education about Jews, antisemitism, and Israel to students and educators across the county, and create a vibrant community of Jews and allies to support each other, share best practices, and improve K-12 education from the ground up.

"Jewish American History" offers a brief yet comprehensive exploration of Jewish immigration to the United States and the subsequent cultural, social, and political contributions of Jewish Americans. Through key events and figures, the presentation showcases their resilience and enduring impact on American society. We will celebrate the diverse and integral role that Jewish Americans have played in shaping the nation's history and cultural identity.

Additional Resources:

Reading: Gangsters vs. Nazis: How Jewish Mobsters Battled Nazis in Wartime America

Film: Avalon (1990)

Embark on a captivating exploration of the Jewish community's profound impact on Hollywood while confronting the shadow of antisemitism in this dynamic session. From visionary filmmakers to iconic actors, we'll delve into the vibrant tapestry of Jewish creativity and resilience that has shaped the entertainment industry.

Film and Reading: An Empire of Their Own: How the Jews Invented Hollywood

Additional Resources:

Film: To Be or Not to Be (1942)

Film: The Fablemans

Film: Hollywoodism

Embark on a journey through history to uncover the courageous stories of Jewish American soldiers in World War II. From the frontlines to enduring discrimination, learn about figures like Milton Bernzweig who exemplify bravery and resilience. Through engaging stories, audience members will gain insight into the vital contributions of these unsung heroes and their lasting impact on American society.

Additional Resources:

Film: G.I. Jews

Resource: National World War 2 Museum

This presentation explores the integral role of American Jews in activist movements throughout history, from labor rights to civil rights and beyond. Despite facing discrimination, Jewish activists have consistently championed social justice causes, mobilizing communities and effecting change. They have contributed significantly to labor unions, the Civil Rights Movement, feminist activism, LGBTQ+ rights, and contemporary issues such as environmental justice and immigrant rights. Through their resilience and commitment to tikkun olam, American Jews continue to inspire collective efforts toward a more equitable and inclusive society.

This presentation explores the significant contributions of Jewish Americans to baseball, from pioneers like Lipman Pike and Hank Greenberg to modern stars. It delves into the challenges they faced, including antisemitism and the struggle for identity within America's pastime, and highlights their role in breaking down barriers in the sport. Finally, it reflects on the enduring legacy of Jewish Americans in baseball and their continuing influence on the sport's evolving narrative.

Additional Resources:

Film: Jews and Baseball; An American Love Story (2010)

Often described as the "oldest hatred," antisemitism is no relic of history. Antisemitism is a resilient virus that mutates and continues to infect societies around the world. While it may be easy to recognize blatant outbursts of antisemitism, it is much more difficult to recognize subtle expressions through stereotypes, some of which have survived and flourished for centuries! By increasing our awareness of this history, we can increase our community's immunity to this hate.

This session includes a brief history of antisemitism and the know-how to stand up to this hate. The group will ultimately see how we can uplift and empower all members of our communities by learning to lead with curiosity instead of judgment, and speaking out to spread love and acceptance instead of hatred and bigotry.

At UC Davis, StandWithUs Emerson Fellow Carly saw clear patterns of antisemitism both on and off campus and committed herself to making her school a better place for Jewish students by engaging her peers, leaders, and administrators about antisemitism and how they can support the Jewish community. Carly amplified Jewish voices and experiences at Davis through school-wide presentations, administrative meetings, briefings from experts, and more. She also hosted a Jewish Diversity Panel, where she moderated a conversation with five different speakers who shared insights on how to make spaces on campus more inclusive for Jews of all backgrounds.

From Carly: "The StandWithUs Emerson Fellowship allowed me to explore my activism in creative, innovative, and educated ways. Whenever I needed help navigating difficult situations on my campus, planning programs, or even just moral support, StandWithUs was always responsive and compassionate and helped me develop a strong sense of leadership and strategy to continue to share on my campus!"

As a StandWithUs Emerson Fellow at the University of Georgia, Gaby set the goal of strengthening and expanding her community on campus. Following a successful Israel educational course she led through Chabad, Gaby inspired this new group of students to invite their friends to get involved and learn about Israel. Through her own efforts, Gaby successfully connected with the Catholic Center, the Pride Center, and other groups and communities through collaborative events and initiatives to cultivate support and interest in Israel. Gaby also played a crucial role in planning and recruiting for Hillel of Georgia’s “Meeting the Challenge” Israel Conference, where student leaders from across the state of Georgia gathered to discuss Israel on campus and ways to lead on campus.

From Gabriela: "I am so thankful to StandWithUs for giving me the resources and support to speak out for Israel on campus. Knowing I had a community behind me, I felt empowered to reach out to other religious and minority groups to collaborate with. It is so rewarding to share my love for Israel and show others how they can form a bond of support and mutual values, whether that be through sustainable energy, pride, or religion.

As a freshman at Indiana University, Sophie started her journey with StandWithUs as a First-Year Leadership Intern (FLI), where she learned the basics of leadership and navigating Israel on campus. Later becoming a StandWithUs Emerson Fellow, Sophie decided to focus her efforts on building bridges between different communities on campus and inspiring tolerance and allyship with the Jewish community. Sophie organized the first-ever Culture Unity Dinner at Indiana University, where over 70 students of different cultures and backgrounds shared their experiences on campus and discussed ways to support each other. As a key leader of her school’s antisemitism task force, Sophie now has 70 new friends to call upon if she or the Jewish community needs support. The event was so impactful that it will be replicated in years to come!

From Sophie: "Participating in the StandWithUs Emerson Fellowship enabled me to make a huge impact on my campus and community. I was able to bridge bridges between different communities and inspire my peers to support Israel and combat antisemitism."

Feeling inspired by his training as a StandWithUs Emerson Fellow, Joel was determined to be a strong and vocal leader for the Jewish community at Brooklyn College. Joel was no stranger to polarizing, harmful anti-Israel rhetoric and bias on campus and was vigilant to stand up whenever he experienced it – even in the classroom. Upon discovering an anti-Israel article in the syllabus of one of his classes, Joel reached out to StandWithUs and worked with dedicated staff to identify the biases and incorrect information in the reading, point-by-point, and recommend an alternative, balanced source for students to read. Joel even had the courage to gift this professor with Noa Tishby’s book, A Guide to Israel: The Most Misunderstood Country on Earth, for her own reference. Joel is determined to ensure that anti-Israel bias doesn’t permeate the classroom or campus life at Brooklyn College as a whole.

From Joel: "Being a StandWithUs Emerson Fellow empowered me to stand up to antisemitism in the classroom and within student life on campus because I knew that I was not alone in the fight. I enjoyed every minute of working with the amazing staff who supported me day-to-day, and I will always cherish the friendships I made over the past year with other activists and leaders around the globe!"

Hamas is a genocidal terrorist group committed to the destruction of Israel and the murder of Jews. Hamas was founded in Gaza in 1987 as an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood, a movement dedicated to promoting Islamist extremism worldwide. They are a designated terrorist group in several countries, including the US, EU, Canada, Japan, Australia, Israel, and others. They are responsible for decades of violent terror attacks against Israeli civilians, including suicide bombings, stabbings, and shootings. They have also launched over 30,000 rockets into Israeli towns and cities. Their goals are outlined in their founding charter, which combines antisemitic conspiracy theories with the most toxic and hateful interpretations of Islamic theology.

No. Applying the framework of “colonialism” or “settler-colonialism” to Jews in Israel is dehumanizing and inaccurate. Israel is the ancestral homeland of the Jewish people, and this narrative erases 3,000 years of their history and identity. Historical and archeological records prove that Jews developed a unique civilization in this region over 3,000 years ago, and they have maintained deep ties to it ever since. Calling Jews living in their own homeland “colonizers” is part of an effort to dehumanize them, strip away their rights, and justify a horrific massacre by Hamas. No one can “colonize” their own home.

For more info click here.

No. Israel does not “control” Gaza. Israel withdrew every Israeli soldier and civilian from Gaza in 2005. This was a unilateral withdrawal, meaning Israel took this step without first signing a peace agreement with the Palestinians. After winning the Palestinian legislative elections in 2006, Hamas violently took over Gaza from the Palestinian Authority (PA) in 2007. They have ruled Gaza ever since, and as a result terrorists have fired over 30,000 rockets at Israel from the territory, including over 13,000 since Oct. 7, 2023.

In response, both Israel and Egypt have imposed a blockade to prevent weapons from entering Gaza. Despite ongoing threats from Hamas and other terror groups, Israel delivered thousands of tons of food, water, medicine, aid, and other materials to the territory every single week for years before the Hamas massacre on October 7th. Palestinian civilians in Gaza have still suffered tremendous hardships, mainly due to hostilities between Hamas and Israel. However, claiming that Israel “controls” Gaza means shielding the Hamas government from any accountability for the wellbeing of the people under its rule.

There are no Israeli policies or actions that could possibly justify intentionally murdering whole families, taking toddlers and the elderly hostage, or massacring hundreds of people at a music festival.

Israel (and Egypt) put a blockade in place to prevent weapons from reaching Hamas, after it violently took control of Gaza in 2007. Hamas could have ended the blockade at any point since then by stopping its terrorism against Israeli civilians, accepting Israel’s existence, and negotiating peace. If Hamas truly cared about the well-being of Palestinians, it would take these steps without hesitation.

Tragically, Hamas has chosen endless war against Israel instead of building a better future for their people. This is because Hamas does not exist to “resist the occupation” or help Palestinians achieve justice and peace. Their goals are clear; murder Jews, destroy Israel, and replace it with a brutally oppressive regime of religious supremacy. The current leader of Hamas in Gaza has said their goal is to, “wipe out Israel” and threatened to, “take down the border and tear out their hearts from their bodies.”

Hamas also gets massive funding and support from Iran’s regime - which regularly threatens Israel with annihilation. A major short term goal of this war for Hamas and their Iranian sponsors is reportedly to prevent Israel from making peace with Saudi Arabia and other Arab states.

The death of every Palestinian civilian in Gaza is a tragedy. There is no question that Palestinians have suffered immensely from violence between Hamas and Israel. However, there is a huge moral difference between the two sides of this conflict.

Hamas invaded Israel and massacred innocent people on purpose. In contrast, numerous legal and military experts have documented that Israel does not intentionally target civilians and goes beyond what the law requires by warning civilians before striking military targets.

The main reason why innocent Palestinians are still tragically killed and wounded during Israeli military operations is that Hamas and its terrorist allies have militarized Palestinian cities and neighborhoods. Terrorists fire rockets into Israel from crowded civilian areas in Gaza and embed military infrastructure in homes, schools, and hospitals. They place the people of Gaza directly in harm's way, committing war crimes against both Israelis and Palestinians. In some cases, terrorist rockets from Gaza also misfire and kill Palestinian civilians.

The only way to prevent these tragedies is for Hamas and other terrorist groups to put down their weapons, stop attacking Israeli civilians, and negotiate peace.

Both Israelis and Palestinians have suffered immensely from the current Hamas-Israel War and the broader conflict. However, accusations of “genocide” and “ethnic cleansing” are dehumanizing and false.

The word “genocide” was coined in 1944 to describe the Nazi Holocaust - an industrial scale mass murder of 6 million Jews. In contrast, four times more people have been killed during the current Syrian Civil War than on both sides of the entire Arab–Israeli conflict since 1920. Both the Israeli and Palestinian populations have grown by millions since the conflict began.

The current war began with Hamas brutally massacring Israeli civilians. Hamas is a terrorist group driven by genocidal racism (see quotes below), and its leaders have repeatedly expressed their support for genocide and ethnic cleansing against Jews. However, Israel has been able to prevent Hamas from succeeding in these horrific goals.

Israel's response to the Hamas massacre has been to strike terrorists, while warning Palestinian civilians to stay away from military targets and temporarily evacuate to safer areas in southern Gaza. Numerous legal and military experts have documented that Israel does not intentionally target civilians and often goes beyond what the law requires to avoid harming them.

Tragically, Palestinians in Gaza are still suffering immensely from this war. The main reason why innocent civilians are killed and wounded during Israeli military operations is that Hamas and its terrorist allies have militarized Palestinian cities and neighborhoods. Terrorists fire rockets into Israel from crowded civilian areas in Gaza and embed military infrastructure in homes, schools, and hospitals. They place the people of Gaza directly in harm's way and urge them to ignore Israeli warnings, committing war crimes against both Israelis and Palestinians. In some cases, terrorist rockets from Gaza also misfire and kill Palestinian civilians.

While this war is horrific for civilians, Israel has repeatedly stated that it is fighting against Hamas and not intentionally targeting innocent people in Gaza. There is no comparison between Israeli strikes against terrorists and an effort to eradicate an entire ethnic group through genocide. Similarly, there is no comparison between encouraging civilians to temporarily evacuate part of Gaza for their safety on the one hand, and ethnic cleansing on the other. Those who use these terms to slander and dehumanize Israelis are only fueling more hatred and conflict.

No. The “imbalance of power” narrative is misleading and harmful. Anyone who wants safety, freedom, and dignity for all people in the region should be thankful that Israel has more power than Hamas. The only reason Hamas hasn't succeeded in murdering millions of Israelis is because Israel has the power to stop them. If Israel had less power, even more innocent people would be dying right now.

Hamas is a terrorist organization driven by genocidal racism against Jews. Its goal is not to “resist the occupation” but to kill Jews, destroy Israel, and replace it with a brutal regime of religious supremacy. The group rules Gaza with an iron fist. It uses its power to massacre Israeli civilians and oppress Palestinians under its control. Hamas is also funded and supported by at least three powerful governments: Iran, Qatar, and Turkey. None of them have shown any interest in changing the status quo, and Iran's regime frequently threatens Israel with destruction.

Hamas could choose to end this conflict once and for all by stopping all violence against Israeli civilians, accepting Israel's existence, and negotiating peace. If the group truly wanted a better future for Palestinians, that's what it would do with its power. Unfortunately, Israel can't make Hamas choose life over endless war, destruction, and death. If Israelis had the power to do that, the conflict would have been over a long time ago. There is no easy solution to this horrible situation. However this much is clear: one-sided approaches that blame Israel, try to strip away its power, and shield Hamas from accountability will only fuel more suffering and conflict. Those who want safety, freedom, and dignity for all Israelis and Palestinians should not use the “imbalance of power” to empower Hamas or justify its massacre of Israeli civilians.

No. Some conspiracy theories suggest that Israel, the US, or the European Union want control of Gaza’s oil resources. This is untrue. The war started in response to the horrific atrocities Hamas committed on October 7th. Here are some important things to know:

Israel approved an agreement in June 2023 with Egypt and the Palestinian Authority (PA) to start developing Gaza Marine, an oil field off the coast of Gaza estimated to contain 1 trillion cubic feet of gas. This agreement would see EGAS, an Egyptian gas company, develop the site in partnership with the PA. The project was hailed by Israel’s government as an important step toward improving the PA’s economy and maintaining regional security.
Israel already has vast energy reserves. Israel’s gas fields include Tamar (10 trillion cubic feet of natural gas), Leviathan (22 trillion cubic feet of natural gas), Karish & Tanin (2.7 trillion cubic feet of natural gas) and the recently discovered Katlan/Olympus field (estimated 68 billion cubic meters of natural gas). The estimated reserves at Gaza Marine are a fraction of what Israel already has. For example, Gaza Marine would produce around 2% of what Israel’s Tamar and Leviathan fields already produce.
This war has hurt Israel’s oil production. Production at Israel’s Tamar gas field was shut down from October 9 to November 14 because it is within range of Hamas rockets. Before the shutdown, Tamar provided 70% of Israel’s energy needs.
Israel recently granted 12 licenses allowing companies to explore natural gas resources off Israel’s coast. These are for exploration next to Israel’s existing gas field, Leviathan, not near Gaza Marine.

A day after the Hamas massacre on October 7, the Iranian proxy Hezbollah in Lebanon began launching rockets and anti-tank missiles at civilian sites in northern Israel causing the displacement of 80,000 Israelis from their homes in 40 cities and towns. Hezbollah has fired over 2,000 rockets into northern Israel causing the deaths of dozens of Israeli soldiers and civilians.

In 2006, the United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 1701. It called for a ceasefire in the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, the withdrawal of Hezbollah’s forces from southern Lebanon to be replaced by Lebanese forces, the establishment of a demilitarized zone between the international border and the Litani River and the strengthening of UN peacekeeping forces (UNIFIL).

Israel withdrew its forces behind the international border. However, in violation of Resolution 1701, Hezbollah did not withdraw its forces from southern Lebanon. Rather, it has since become more entrenched, having built up its forces including innumerable missile launching sites within villages in 26 military zones throughout southern Lebanon.

The Syrian regime led by Bashar al-Assad is closely allied with Iran’s regime, which has repeatedly called for Israel’s destruction. During the Syrian Civil War (2011-present) Iranian forces intervened to support Assad as he massacred his own citizens. An estimated 580,000 – 614,000 Syrians have been killed in the fighting. Iran has provided training, combat troops and logistical, technical, and financial support. Iran also uses Syrian territory to ship weapons to its proxy Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, the Iranian government has worked to expand its influence and promote its brand of religious extremism throughout the Middle East. One of the regime’s strategic objectives is to keep Syria and Lebanon under its influence and control. Iran’s military presence in Syria, support for Hezbollah in Lebanon, and sponsorship of Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Gaza are all part of a grand strategy of encircling Israel with an “axis of resistance.”

As such, Iran has created a major strategic threat to Israel in both Syria and Lebanon. Israel has launched airstrikes in Syria targeting Iranian military sites and convoys carrying arms into Lebanon for Hezbollah. The goal is to decrease the threat of Iranian forces and proxies in these regions.

The Houthis are a Shi’ite Muslim sect in Yemen. Their official slogan is anti-American and antisemitic: “God is great, death to the U.S., death to Israel, curse the Jews, and victory for Islam.” Iran’s regime has armed the Houthis for years and North Korea also supplies the Houthis with advanced weapons. The Houthis and Iranian regime have a common enemy – Saudi Arabia. Reuters reports: “The Revolutionary Guards have been helping the Houthis with military training (on advanced weapons). A group of Houthi fighters were in Iran last month and were trained in an IRGC base in central Iran to get familiar with the new technology and the use of missiles." The Houthis and Saudis have been fighting a bloody war since 2015 that has killed nearly 400,000 people. Similar to Hamas, the Houthis recruit child soldiers and engage in hostage-taking. During the October 7th War, the Houthis have launched missile attacks targeting southern Israel and ships in the Red Sea that they claim are linked to Israel. However, most of the ships the Houthis have attacked, including one they hijacked, are not Israeli. “Commanders from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and Lebanon’s Hezbollah group are on the ground in Yemen helping to direct and oversee Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping, four regional and two Iranian sources told Reuters.” Houthi terrorism in the Red Sea violates international law and harms the global economy, with shipping companies being forced to take longer and more costly routes going around Africa. As a result, an international coalition led by the United States has begun military operations to protect ships in the region and target military sites the Houthis are using to launch attacks.

The numbers tell a very different story.

The IDF has killed an estimated 12,000 Hamas terrorists.
The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry claims over 29,000 deaths in Gaza, without distinguishing between civilians and combatant deaths. Nor does Hamas count the civilians killed by 10-20% of Hamas rockets that fail and fall into Gaza. For Hamas all Gazan casualties are civilians, all Israeli casualties are soldiers.

According to John Spencer, chair of urban warfare studies at the Modern War Institute at West Point, historical comparisons are difficult to make as they “are often poorly cited, the data used inaccurate, and crucial context left out.”

In the Israel-Hamas war “The scale and context of an enemy [Hamas] purposely entrenched in densely populated urban areas, as well as the presence of tunnels, hostages, rockets, attackers that follow the laws of war while defenders purposely do not, and proximity between the frontlines and the home front, there is basically no historical comparison for this war.”

Spencer describes how the IDF has faced over 30,000 Hamas terrorists “in over 400 miles of defensive and offensive tunnels embedded in and under civilian areas, populations and protected sites such as hospitals, mosques, schools, and United Nations facilities across multiple cities” in a strategy is to use Palestinian civilians as human shields, because their goal is not to defeat Israel's military or to hold terrain; it is far more sinister and medieval—to use the death and suffering of Palestinian civilians to rally international support to their cause and demand that Israel halt their war.”

(Read John Spencer’s full article: “Memo to the 'Experts': Stop Comparing Israel's War in Gaza to Anything. It Has No Precedent”)

In the shock and confusion of the Hamas October 7 massacre IDF units fought the Hamas terrorists in an improvised and uncoordinated defense. Israeli media has been covering a few occurrences of “friendly fire” incidents. An estimated 13 Israeli civilians are believed to have been killed in Kibbutz Be’eri by this friendly fire. The incident has received widespread coverage in the Israeli media, and the IDF is currently investigating this tragedy.

Cynically, Hamas and its supporters on social media have latched onto this tragic aspect of October 7 to spin conspiracy theories claiming Israel is behind the October 7 massacres. This is disinformation, invented to deny Hamas’s atrocities and demonize Israel.

Education is critical to identify misinformation, bias, and anti-Israel slander. Misinformation about Israel is unfortunately rampant during times of conflict. Much of this propaganda is amplified by powerful dictatorships such as Iran (the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism). The purpose of social media slogans that promote misinformation and false claims is not to uphold the rights of Palestinians to live in freedom and dignity. It is to make it harder for Israel to defend itself, strip away Jewish rights to self-determination, and end Israel's existence. This is far from the first time that propagandists around the world have aided Hamas terrorists by twisting reality and manufacturing narratives that demonize and blame Israel alone for the conflict. There are several steps you can take:

Look critically at your sources. Is your information from a news outlet with reporters based in Israel or is this a post from a social media influencer?
Look at where news articles get their information and the language they use. Is the article or post referring to Hamas “fighters” or “militants” instead of “terrorists?” Do they leave out that the Ministry of Health in Gaza is run by Hamas?
Think critically about how issues are being presented. Are there broad or dehumanizing statements vilifying entire groups of people based on their nationality, religion, or ethnicity?
Stay informed. Knowing the facts helps you identify misinformation and bias when you see it. Follow @StandWithUs to stay up-to-date on the latest news and resources to help you understand what is going on.
See our Guide to Factchecking for more tips.

BACKGROUND

Israel had a ceasefire with Hamas on October 6. Then came the Hamas invasion and mass murder, rape, and kidnapping of Israelis on October 7 leaving 1,200 dead, 250 taken hostage and nearly 15,000 wounded.
Hamas has repeatedly broken numerous ceasefires with Israel, sparking wars in 2008, 2012, 2014, 2021and on October 7. Hamas has not given any reason to trust they will honor yet another ceasefire.
Hamas is designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) by the United States, EU, Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and others.
Since October 7 Israel has proposed a number of ceasefires to free hostages that Hamas has rejected.
In November Israel and Hamas did agree to a temporary ceasefire in exchange for the release of hostages. That ceasefire lasted 7 days but was broken by Hamas and fighting resumed.
Hamas’s call for a permanent ceasefire is strategic, not humanitarian. Such a ceasefire would leave Hamas intact militarily and in control of Gaza allowing Hamas to regroup, recruit, rearm and redeploy its forces. This is a non-starter for Israel given the magnitude of the October 7 Hamas atrocities.
Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar’s strategy is for Hamas to emerge from fighting after the war, declare a historic victory by outlasting the IDF, and to claim leadership of the Palestinian national cause replacing the Palestinian Authority, led by Hamas-rival Fateh. This would be a strategic victory for the radical Islamist forces in the region, including Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen, all supported by Iran.
Hamas is attempting to return to northern Gaza reestablish its military and civil presence there while engaging directly with Israeli forces. This indicates Hamas’s intention to regain full control over Gaza. After Oct 7 this is a non-starter for Israel.

TIMELINE of CEASEFIRES and CEASEFIRE ATTEMPTS

November 21, 2023: The Israeli government voted to approve a deal with Hamas (mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the U.S.) to exchange Palestinian prisoners for Israeli hostages.
November 24: The ceasefire came into effect.
- Aid trucks immediately began entering Gaza through the Rafah Border Crossing.
- 81 Israeli women and children were released from Hamas captivity, along with one Russian-Israeli man released at Putin’s request.
- 23 hostages from Thailand and one from the Philippines were also released.
- Over 230 Palestinian prisoners convicted or accused of terrorist offenses were released by Israel.
- In total, 121 hostages have returned thus far to Israel and 11 bodies of hostages killed by Hamas.
December 1: Fighting resumed after Hamas violated terms of the temporary ceasefire deal with Israel, launched a rocket at Israel, and took credit for the brutal murder of three civilians in Jerusalem the previous day.
December 20: Hamas rejected Israel's proposal to stop fighting for one week in exchange for hostages, asserting that the release of Israeli hostages would not be considered until a permanent ceasefire was established. (Wall Street Journal)
January 22, 2024: Israel approved a plan coordinated by Egyptian and Qatari negotiators that could see the release of over 130 hostages in exchange for a temporary ceasefire of up to two months. (New York Post)
January 31: Egypt, the United States, and Israel proposed a three-stage agreement after talks in Paris. The January 31 Paris proposal did not include an end to the war. Hamas demanded the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip and discussions on the end of the war in exchanged of the release all Israeli hostages over a four-month period. Israel rejected the Hamas counterproposal as it would leave Hamas intact militarily and still ruling Gaza. Israel did not rule out the possibility of further negotiations.
February 3: Media reports that internal disagreements among Hamas leadership has prevented Hamas from making a decision on a ceasefire and hostage exchange agreement. (Wall Street Journal)
February 29: Negotiators from Israel, United States, Qatar have been meeting in Paris trying to agree on a ceasefire that would see a forty-day halt in fighting starting on March 10, the onset of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Israeli hostages would be released in exchange for Palestinian security prisoners. Aid going into Gaza would increase, including fuel and building materials. Palestinian women and children would be allowed to return to northern Gaza. (The Guardian)

PREVIOUS CEASEFIRES BROKEN BY HAMAS

Hamas launched several wars against Israel from Gaza in 2008, 2012, 2014, 2021, and the October 7 attacks.
Each of those wars were sparked by Hamas breaking previous ceasefire agreements with Israel by firing thousands of rockets toward Israeli villages, towns and cities. This also included attempts to invade Israel’s border and murder Israeli civilians.

Ilana Rose Boyer grew up in St. Louis, MO and was raised with a love and passion for Israel and has a very strong Jewish identity. Over the past several years, Ilana has experienced an increasing amount of antisemitism in various forms. While she knew she was passionate about fighting antisemitism and other forms of hate, she was unsure of how to do so in an effective way. She applied for and was named a Kenneth Leventhal High School Intern with StandWithUs, where she worked with teens around the US, Canada, and Israel, to educate her community about Israel and fighting antisemitism. Through this internship, she was able to bring her regional manager, Hailey Stern, to give various presentations to her school community about antisemitism, the history behind it, and how to fight it in the future. StandWithUs has helped Ilana find her voice in fighting against antisemitism and given her the confidence to facilitate difficult conversations regarding this topic.

Sophie Shafran is a rising junior at Indiana University, where she studies Political Science and Jewish Studies. Sophie began her journey combating antisemitism and supporting Israel in her hometown of Marlboro, New Jersey. Being the granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor and sister of two Israeli Defense Force soldiers, Sophie's passion for this fight has surrounded her entire life. When Sophie arrived in Bloomington, she was fortunate enough to be connected to StandWithUs staff from her campus Hillel, and has loved working with them ever since! StandWithUs has given Sophie the tools that she needs to operate programs and events that help to keep Indiana University a welcoming environment for all Jewish students.

Born in Mumbai, India, Dr. Barai is a distinguished physician, a respected leader of the Hindu American community, and an outspoken Zionist who helped pave the road for closer ties between Israel and India as well as between the Hindu and Jewish American communities.

Dr. Barai has had a brilliant medical career. With an MD in medicine (U of Illinois), an MD in medical oncology (Northwestern U Med School), and an MD in hematology (Rush U Medical School), he currently serves as Medical Director of the Cancer Institute, Methodist Hospitals, Clinical Professor of Medicine at Indiana University Medical School, Secretary and former President of the Medical Licensing Board of the State of Indiana, the Board of Directors of the Methodist Hospitals, the Advisory Board of the Indiana University School of Business, and the Medical Advisory Panels for U.S. Senators and Congressmen.

Dr. Barai is a recognized leader of the Hindu-American community. His public service includes serving as Trustee and former President of the Federation of Indian American Associations (FIA), founder and Former Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Manav Seva Mandir, a large Hindu temple in Chicago land area, Trustee of the Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago, Trustee of the Indian American Cultural Center NW Indiana, and many Indian American organizations. He is currently Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Indian American Cultural Center.

Dr. Barai has been very active in promoting India, U.S., and Israel relations. Indian ambassadors and consul generals turn to Dr. Barai for guidance. He hosts many Indian leaders when they visit Chicago and has accompanied some U.S. elected officials, including President Clinton, during state visits to India. When Prime Minister Modi visited the U.S., Dr. Barai made many of the arrangements and accompanied him at state functions.

His numerous commendations include special recognition by then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for Dr. Barai’s contributions to the Indo-US Civil Nuclear Treaty, India’s Minister of External Affairs. Mrs. Sushma Swaraj appointed Dr. Bharat Barai as a Trustee for India Development Foundation of Overseas Indians (IDF-OI). The U.S. government awarded him the prestigious Ellis Island Medal of Honor, and the life story of Dr. Bharat Barai and his wife, Dr. Panna Barai, is featured in the United States National Museum of Immigrations.

In his leadership role in the Indian-American community, Dr. Barai has made it a priority to establish and strengthen ties to the Jewish and Pro-Israel community. Dr. Barai was instrumental in StandWithUs’s outreach. He made it possible for StandWithUs to host events such as “Ancient Cultures-Modern Miracles,” a community celebration of 65 years of India and Israel independence, a Hindu-Jewish Festival of Lights Celebrating Chanukah and Diwali, and dozens of programs, including a memorial for Daniel Pearl, underscoring the commonalities between the two communities. When Israel was under attack by Hamas and in the media, Dr. Barai mobilized Hindu support for three Interfaith Vigils for the Victims of Hamas.

Pastor Corey Brooks, the Founder and Senior Pastor of New Beginnings Church of Chicago and Founder and CEO of Project H.O.O.D, drew national acclaim when he spent eleven months (most of 2022), day and night, in all weather to raise $35 million to build a community opportunity center in one of Chicago’s most challenged neighborhoods.

A graduate of Ball State University, the University of Florida, Dallas Theological Seminary, and Grace Theological Seminary, Pastor Brooks established New Beginnings Church of Chicago in November 2000 in the heart of Chicago’s most dangerous neighborhood. This opportunity was his first glimpse into the despair in the city of Chicago and served as the catalyst to his ongoing efforts to date.

It was in 2013 that Pastor Brooks earned the title of “Rooftop Pastor.” He spent nearly three months on the roof of the run-down Chicago motel across from his church (it was a hub of drug dealing and prostitution) to shut it down. Within three months, he raised enough money to buy the building and tear it down. The land is now earmarked to be the location of a $23 million state-of-the-art community center. The goal of the proposed community center is to offset violence, provide the support necessary to make the neighborhood a safer place, and give children the tools to reach for a brighter future.

Pastor Brooks met StandWithUs staff and members during the pandemic when store closures made baby formula scarce; StandWithUs rented a truck and vans to bring baby formula to Project H.O.O.D. StandWithUs has since partnered with Project H.O.O.D and New Beginnings Church on numerous projects, including additional food drives, implementation of Israeli technologies in Chicago’s food deserts, and a first of its kind Passover: A Musical Celebration of Freedom for over 500 of the Woodlawn community members and StandWithUs supporters. Guests to Project H.O.O.D. will find the book Start-up Nation on Pastor Brooks’ desk. He is inspired by Israel’s ability to overcome challenges and instills that inspiration into his community.

Through Project H.O.O.D., he is fulfilling the organization’s mission by raising up a new generation of peacemakers, problem solvers, leaders, and entrepreneurs and sending a message to his congregants and the Jewish community that “What unites us is greater than what divides us.”

This presentation is an overview of the many ways in which Jews resisted during the genocide. These

include spiritual and major resistance events of the genocide, such as the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, the death camp revolts, etc. A main focus will be the Bielski Family Camp — where Tuvia Bielski managed to save over 1,200 Jews in the forest. We will look at the thousands of young Jews who joined the partisans in forests across Eastern Europe in the hope of rescuing Jews from the ghettos and providing them with emergency shelter.

This presentation looks at how “upstanders” across Europe helped save the lives of Jews. Case studies include Denmark’s “rescue by the sea” of nearly all Danish Jews, giving them a new home in neutral Sweden. We will discuss the heroism of Corrie Ten Boom in Holland, Irena Sendler in Warsaw, and the diplomatic efforts of leaders like Chiune Sugihara. The presentation ends with a virtual visit to the Garden of the Righteous at Yad Vashem Museum in Israel.

This presentation explores Terezin as a case study of Nazi deception, beginning with its designation as a “spa town” for prominent Jews. The camp became a “show camp” through which the Reich toured the Red Cross and other inspectors to demonstrate the “fine” living conditions of Jews. The Nazis also filmed parts of a movie here to deceive the world about the Holocaust. Children’s art from this camp, however, tells a very different story.

Historian and sociologist Judith Buber Agassi (1924 – 2018) researched the women’s concentration camp Ravensbrück for over 10 years. This presentation will bring to light primary materials from Buber Agassi’s research, including women’s testimonies on their day-to-day lives in the camp and their struggle to maintain sanity in the harshest conditions. Together with Agassi, we will explore the question: How were the women in this camp able to survive?

In this presentation, Dr. Nili Alon Amit shares her great uncle’s photo album of pre-war Germany, including how the family lived, their professions, Jewish holidays, etc. Taken by Alfred Benjamin, the photos are an intimate portrait of one Jewish family on the eve of the Holocaust, demonstrating their sense of home and belonging, before their world would forever be severely and tragically changed. The presentation ends with Benjamin’s dramatic encounter with Adolph Hitler on the streets of Hamburg, depicted in his poem “Meeting Hitler.”

This presentation explores diary entries from the compilation Salvaged Pages (edited by Alexandra Zapruder, 2015). The volume makes an important supplement to The Diary of Anne Frank, greatly expanding students’ knowledge of the diversity of experiences among Holocaust victims and survivors. These are texts from Jewish children in temporary homes under life-threatening circumstances — hiding, ghettos, etc. Based on the book Salvaged Pages, students will be trained to respond artistically and present their personal reactions to the theme of survival, home, and identity.

In this presentation, Matt Lebovic will look at ways in which Jewish communities continued to thrive and observe Judaism even while suffering the loss of their human rights in German ghettos. Examples of how Jews created a sense of home and belonging in the ghettos include the Oneg Shabbat (Joy of Shabbat) archive of the Warsaw Ghetto, consisting of thousands of documents from the ghetto households, the underground schools in the Kaunas Ghetto, the theater productions in the Westerbork transit camp, etc. This presentation includes parts of the documentary film about the archive, Who Will Write Our History (directed by Roberta Grossman, 2018).

Hundreds of thousands of Holocaust survivors were left destitute and homeless after losing their families. Many of them were housed in Displaced Persons (DP) camps for as long as five years after the war. Inside those camps, the world saw its highest recorded birth rate among Jewish women, as well as the revival of Jewish life in creative and unexpected ways. We will look into new research into the DP camps and the survivors’ experiences in them.

This presentation is suitable for students in 6th grade and up. We will tell the stories of two remarkable women who survived the Holocaust on the road: a young child of eight in Slovakia (Kathryn Winter) and a teenager in Poland and Russia (Halina Ross). Both women wrote their stories of courage and survival on the road (Katarina by K. Winter, 1999, and When Tears Fall Short by H. Ross, 2001) and managed to survive and create homes in Israel and the U.S. Excerpts of these testimonies will be read together with the students, along with an interactive workshop where students can respond artistically to the themes of home and belonging. The students will get a chance to correspond in writing with Kathryn Winter and Halina Ross’ daughter.

9TH GRADE AND UP

This presentation is an overview of the many ways in which Jews resisted during the genocide. These include spiritual and major resistance events of the genocide, such as the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, the death camp revolts, etc. We will also look at the thousands of young Jews who joined partisans in forests across Eastern Europe, both to fight Germany and rescue other Jews from the ghettos.

9TH GRADE AND UP

The Oneg Shabbat (Joy of Shabbat) archive was buried underneath the Warsaw Ghetto and unearthed after the war. We will examine the back story of this incredible collection of artifacts, essays, and photos related to life and death in the largest Holocaust ghetto. Other examples of spiritual resistance involving the burial of photos and artifacts will be mentioned, including Lodz and Kovno. We can also arrange to screen the documentary film about the archive, Who Will Write Our History.

8TH GRADE AND UP

This presentation is an overview of the many ways in which Jews resisted during the genocide. These include spiritual and major resistance events of the genocide, such as the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, the death camp revolts, etc. A main focus will be the Bielski Family Camp — where Tuvia Bielski managed to save over 1,200 Jews in the forest. We will look at the thousands of young Jews who joined the partisans in forests across Eastern Europe in the hope of rescuing Jews from the ghettos and providing them with emergency shelter.

6th GRADE AND UP

We will tell the stories of two remarkable women who survived the Holocaust on the road: a young child of eight in Slovakia (Kathryn Winter) and a teenager in Poland and Russia (Halina Ross). Both women wrote their stories of courage and survival on the road (Katarina by K. Winter, 1999, and When Tears Fall Short by H. Ross, 2001) and managed to survive and create homes in Israel and the U.S. Excerpts of these testimonies will be read together with the students, along with an interactive workshop where students can respond artistically to the themes of resistance, home and belonging.

9TH GRADE AND UP

Screening of a short film, followed by discussion.

The film The Strength to Tell by Maale Film School follows the experiences of a group of at-risk Jerusalem teenagers, who, as part of a drama therapy program, are asked to interview the last surviving witnesses of the 1961 Eichmann Trial and create a play on their stories.

The young actors and the aging Holocaust survivors at first have little in common and show no desire to communicate, but slowly there develops between them a bond of empathy and understanding.

Maaleh School of Film

Screening of a short film by Maaleh School of Film, followed by discussion.

7th GRADE AND UP

Avigdor is a tap dancer. In Auschwitz-Birkenau, his dancing saved his life.

Today, he is 88 and lives in a retirement home. When Avigdor, a Holocaust survivor, dances on the parquet floor of his room, he laughs until he’s out of breath and with the last ounce of his strength, he pushes his tired feet to do a few more steps. For Avigdor, dancing isn’t a hobby or therapy. It’s the way to survive.

Maaleh School of Film

6TH GRADE AND UP

Eva Mozes Kor (1934-2019) was only ten years old when she arrived with her family in Auschwitz. At the gates, Eva and her twin sister Miriam were separated from their parents and other siblings, never to see them again, and brought to Dr. Mengele’s infamous experiment barracks. During the course of the war, Mengele would experiment on 3,000 twins; only 160 would survive – including Eva and Miriam.

Author Danica Davidson recorded Eva’s Story in the breathtaking book for 4th grade and up – I Will Protect You.

This presentation will discuss major themes in Eva Mozes Kor’s experiences. We can arrange a Q&A session with the author upon request.

Part 2 of “A Middle East Overview” provides a foundation for understanding the current dynamics in the region. It will explain how the complex nature of modern relationships between these countries has developed over time. This program will provide a greater understanding of the relationships between Israel’s neighbors so that we can more accurately recognize how these relationships influence the decisions these countries make regarding Israel.

Duration: 30–45 Minutes

A: Of course! StandWithUs is here to support ALL students who want to develop as leaders and make an impact in their community. We are happy to help you develop empowering programs and create initiatives in your schools and local communities, start a Jewish or Israel club at your school, provide you with mentorship and materials for your programs, and connect you with other like-minded students in your region. Additionally, the Teen Leadership Council is a perfect opportunity for students to begin their journey with StandWithUs!

PIJ is an internationally recognized terrorist organization. Its main areas of operation are Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, and Syria. Backed by the Iranian and Syrian regimes, PIJ is the second-largest terrorist group in Gaza after Hamas, which rules the territory. PIJ seeks Israel’s destruction and is directly responsible for murdering many innocent Israeli civilians through suicide bombings, rocketfire, shootings, and other attacks.

Attempts to arrest Bassam al-Saadi have been ongoing for months, reportedly due to PIJ’s growing efforts to launch attacks against Israel and the rise in radicalism from the West Bank under al-Saadi’s leadership. Al-Saadi had been acquiring funds, weapons, and training for PIJ terrorists from Iran, to help recruit and pay terrorists to carry out violent operations. He was also responsible for facilitating an agreement between PIJ, Hamas, and smaller terrorist factions within the Jenin refugee camp to work together. Bassam al-Saadi’s arrest follows over 50 arrests of other members of PIJ in the area.

According to the IDF, 10-20 terrorists have been killed by their strikes. Unfortunately there have been reports that a 5 year old girl was also tragically killed. The IDF’s policy is to go out of its way to avoid harming innocent people during military operations. Unfortunately, much like Hamas and other terrorist groups, PIJ uses human shields in its conflict with Israel. It embeds terrorist operatives and weapons in Palestinian civilian areas, while attacking or threatening Israeli civilians. While the IDF still has a responsibility to do everything it can to prevent civilian casualties, tragedies are almost inevitable when fighting an enemy like PIJ.

As of this writing, Hamas has not gotten directly involved in the fighting. However, they cooperate with and have expressed support for PIJ. In addition to engaging in terrorism against Israelis, Hamas is also supposed to be responsible for governing Gaza. Meanwhile, PIJ is only concerned with “resistance” - meaning attacks against Israel. Hamas likely has the power to stop PIJ from continuing its attacks. It can also let PIJ attack without getting directly involved, as it is doing now. In the worst case, Hamas will decide to enter the conflict, which would then become much more intense and destructive for Israelis and Palestinians alike.

No. The "imbalance of power" narrative is misleading and harmful. Anyone who wants safety, freedom, and dignity for all people in the region should be thankful that Israel has more power than Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other terrorist groups that control Gaza. The only reason terrorists haven't been able to murder hundreds, thousands, or even millions of Israelis is because Israel has the power to stop them. If Israel had less power, more innocent people would be dying right now.

Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) is a terrorist organization driven by genocidal racism. Its goal is not to "resist the occupation" but to kill Jews, destroy Israel, and replace it with a brutal regime of religious supremacy. It uses its power to fire thousands of rockets at Israeli civilians and uphold an oppressive regime (Hamas) that harms Palestinians in Gaza. PIJ is also funded and supported by Iran, a regional power that frequently threatens Israel with destruction.

PIJ and other terrorist groups could choose to end this conflict once and for all by stopping all violence against Israeli civilians, accepting Israel's existence, and negotiating peace. If the group truly wanted a better future for Palestinians, that's what it would do with its power. Unfortunately, Israel can't force terrorist groups to choose life over endless war, destruction, and death. If Israelis had the power to do that, the conflict would have been over a long time ago.

There is no easy solution to this horrible situation. However this much is clear: one-sided approaches that blame Israel, try to strip away its power, and shield terrorist groups from accountability will only fuel more suffering and conflict. Those who want safety, freedom, and dignity for all Israelis and Palestinians should not use the "imbalance of power" to empower PIJ, Hamas, or other terrorist organizations.

There are a number of resources you can access to stay informed & up to date on the current conflict. We encourage you to share these resources with others as well.

Review the information and sources shared above and below.
Follow the Times of Israel’s Live Blog HERE.
Listen to the Times of Israel Daily Briefing Podcast.
Follow StandWithUs on Instagram and Twitter.

Review general StandWithUs resources like Answering Tough Questions.

We believe all students benefit from learning about the history and diverse experiences of the American Jewish community. Jews are an example of religious and ethnic identity being interconnected - a concept that is important for students to explore. Jewish experiences with oppression, immigration, fighting for human rights alongside other groups, and contributing to American culture have much to offer students of all backgrounds.

As Jewish Studies scholar Jill Fields writes, “Key concepts and frameworks central to ethnic studies analysis draw upon the Jewish experience.... Diaspora, ghetto, model minority, melting pot, and genocide are all terms that emerged from and were named by the experiences of Jews.” Many Jews also identify with one or more of the four groups which are the focus of ethnic studies (Black, Latino, Asian, and Native Americans). Furthermore, learning about all forms of antisemitism is crucial to building a full understanding of racism, white supremacy, and discrimination in America, particularly in light of the increase in violent hate crimes against the Jewish community in recent years. Finally, it is important for education about American Jews to not be limited to the history of the Holocaust. It should include the stories of Jewish refugees and immigrants from the Arab world, Iran, Israel, Central and South America, Europe, the former Soviet Union, and beyond.

Our community has already been able to make this case with some success. From 2019-2021, Jewish community members and high school students across California called for their stories to be included in ethnic studies. For example, Anna, a Latina Jewish high school student, believes ethnic studies should, “reflect the full diversity of the Jewish people. In light of rising antisemitism in high schools and beyond, it must also teach students about this dangerous hatred. Learning about antisemitism in all its forms is crucial to building a full understanding of racism and discrimination in America.”

Because of activists like Anna, the California Department of Education and the State Board of Education officially approved content about Jews for use in K-12 ethnic studies courses. The California Regional Ethnic Studies Collaborative (CRESC) built on this further by including Jewish Americans in its planned resource hub and professional development opportunities. Additionally, the U.S. National Antisemitism Strategy released in 2023 calls for the inclusion of, "Jewish studies in ethnic studies and history curricula."

In most cases, legislation, educational standards, and course outlines for ethnic studies are not problematic on the surface. Often, they include language, values, and goals we support. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple.

Big picture, our challenge stems from university ethnic studies departments, many of which are institutionally biased against Israel and Zionism. Too often, this descends into antisemitism with Jews and Israelis being smeared and dehumanized as privileged, white supremacist, colonial oppressors. The most egregious examples occurred in 2020 and 2021 in the San Francisco State University (SFSU) College of Ethnic Studies. An academic program within this department organized multiple events glorifying convicted terrorists from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a U.S. designated terrorist group.

While not all ethnic studies academics promote these destructive ideas, there has been far too little resistance within the field. Some also mistakenly view the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through the lens of racism and colonialism in America. As such, ignorance, misleading claims, bias, and hate filter down to activists and educators who advocate for ethnic studies and teach the subject in K-12 classrooms.

This is why we have seen problems with the development of ethnic studies curriculums. If a committee of local “experts in the field” is formed to write curriculum and/or standards for ethnic studies courses, chances are that at least a few members will push anti-Israel bias and even antisemitism. Others involved likely won't know or care enough to push back without the active involvement of our community. As such, if we're not part of the process of curriculum development and implementation, we can expect that the outcome will be harmful to us.

The most prominent example is the K-12 Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum (ESMC) written by the California Department of Education (primarily meant for public high schools). The first draft of the ESMC from 2019 included deeply offensive antisemitic content, anti-Israel narratives, and other one-sided political agendas. Now, the writers of that first draft are actively promoting this bias in school districts across the state. A California State University (CSU) professor who leads this campaign is on record smearing the Anti-Defamation League as a “white supremacist” organization.

Anti-Israel bias has appeared in Arab American Studies materials, which are framed as part of Asian American studies (while Jewish immigrant communities from the same exact region are arbitrarily excluded for the most part). We have also seen misleading comparisons between the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and various injustices faced by Black, Latino, Native American, and other communities in the U.S. Some examples include:

Israelis being falsely accused of the same atrocities that European colonizers/imperialists committed against Native Americans and other indigenous populations.
Israelis being framed as whites oppressing people of color (in this case Palestinians), including accusations of “Jim Crow segregation”.
Equating Israel security barrier which was built to prevent terrorism with U.S. border policies meant to restrict immigration.
Comparing Israel’s politicies toward Arabs and Palestinians to apartheid, trying to evoke U.S. campaigns against South African apartheid.

The fact that most Israeli Jews would be considered people of color in an American context is often ignored as well. So are the experiences of Jews who lived in Europe as second class citizens at best, and then faced a genocide fueled by white supremacy.

These dehumanizing narratives erase 3,000 years of Jewish history, identity, and rights in the land of Israel, and rely on many misleading claims about the conflict. To learn more about anti-Israel/anti-Zionist themes you may come across, see Answering Tough Questions about Israel.

Some purists believe including education about Jews (and sometimes other groups like Armenian and Arab Americans) would dilute the focus on Black, Latino, Asian, and Native American communities. Others, such as "Liberated" ethnic studies scholars and activists, are politically motivated to include one-sided Palestinian perspectives, and exclude Jewish and Israeli voices. Thankfully, the final draft of California’s ESMC recognized that Jews belong in K-12 ethnic studies education.

At StandWithUs, we believe there is no contradiction between focusing on the four main groups, and also including material about Jewish Americans, Arab Americans, Armenian Americans and others.

Jewish students feel the effects of rising hatred and ignorance every day, including through antisemitic bullying, defacement of school property with antisemitic symbols, and even harmful comments from teachers. Pushing back begins with more complete and accurate education. Moreover, it is important to acknowledge that antisemitism is at the core of white supremacist ideology (along with other extremist far left and Islamist ideologies). The positive goals of ethnic studies education can’t be fully achieved if this reality is excluded, because students will receive an incomplete picture of hate and discrimination.

The critical ethnic studies approach incorporates critical race theory (CRT). Other approaches to ethnic studies do not, or may include the work of CRT scholars alongside many other perspectives.

CRT is a body of scholarship and an academic movement which began in the 1970s and 80s, with the work of Derrick Bell, Kimberlé Crenshaw, Richard Delgado, and other legal scholars. It is based on the premise that U.S. laws and institutions are inherently racist, and that race itself is a social construct that is used to oppress and exploit people of color. CRT argues that this system of white supremacy creates and maintains social, economic, and political inequalities between white people and everyone else. Tenets of CRT have crossed over into many disciplines, especially in the social sciences and humanities.

In recent years, CRT has become an increasingly controversial and partisan issue in K-12 education. Some argue it is crucial to educating about and combating racism. Others argue it is divisive and harmful, shaming white students and making students of color feel victimized and powerless.

For StandWithUs, much of the CRT debate falls outside of our mission to educate about Israel and fight antisemitism in a non-partisan manner. Studying biases and blindspots in various institutions (as many CRT scholars do) can help create a better understanding of antisemitism and life in the United States . However, concepts from CRT and critical ethnic studies can also be used to promote anti-Israel bias and antisemitism, as discussed in question #2 of this FAQ. When that line is crossed, we will always take action against hatred and misinformation.

The U.S. National Antisemitism Strategy, released in 2023, urges schools and school districts to take numerous actions to fight anti-Jewish bigotry. These including teaching about Jewish Americans, "in ethnic studies and history curricula." The Strategy can be a useful tool to persuade school districts to step up their efforts to educate about the Jewish community and fight antisemitism.

Additionally, you can encourage your local school or school district to adopt the policies below to help ensure social sciences courses, including ethnic studies, do not promote hatred or bias. The language is general, but addresses many of our key concerns. Most of it is based on existing educational policy in California and other states, and you are welcome to use it as you engage with local education officials. The last paragraph covers the issue of transparency regarding educational materials being used in classrooms, which is lacking in too many local school districts.

Ethnic Studies/Social Sciences curriculum, instruction, instructional materials, lesson plans, and courses shall meet all of the following requirements:

1. Be appropriate for use with pupils of all races, religions, nationalities, genders, sexual orientations, and diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds, pupils with disabilities, and English learners;

2. Not reflect or promote, directly or indirectly, any bias, bigotry, or discrimination against any person or group of persons on the basis of any category protected by (CITE RELEVANT STATE EDUCATION ANTI-DISCRIMINATION LAW);

3. Not promote religious doctrine;

4. In K–12 education it is imperative that students are exposed to multiple perspectives, taught to think critically and form their own opinions, by:

(a) Using age appropriate curriculum, resources, and materials that include a balance of topics, authors, and concepts, including primary and secondary sources that represent multiple, and sometimes opposing, points of view or perspectives;

(b) Representing diverse stories and opinions within ethnic groups to avoid reducing a group to a single story (staying within the realm of inclusion and humanizing discourse); and

(c) Not demanding student or teacher conformity with any ideological point of view, nor acceptance of personal blame for historical or present day social wrongs because of accidents of membership in any race, religion, ethnicity, or gender;

(d) Presenting various points of view consistent with accepted standards of professional responsibility, rather than advocacy, personal opinion, bias or partisanship.

At the beginning of each school year, or, for a pupil who enrolls in a school after the beginning of the school year, at the time of that pupil’s enrollment, the school district shall notify the parent or guardian of each pupil about instruction in Ethnic Studies. The notice shall advise the parent or guardian that written and audiovisual educational materials used in Ethnic Studies classes are available for inspection.

There are many available resources that you can ask your local school district and individual schools to use in classrooms. There are also lesson plans in development which will be specifically adapted to the field of ethnic studies, and we will share those as soon as they are available. As of now, we recommend the following:

StandWithUs: The Jewish People: A Beautiful Tapestry booklet
JIMENA: Antisemitism and Jewish Middle Eastern Americans lesson plan and Oral History video series
Facing History: The Roots and Impacts of Antisemitism lesson plan
ADL: Online Antisemitism Course & Antisemitism Uncovered guide
Institute for Curriculum Services: Jewish Americans lesson plan and other curriculum resources
For Critical Thinkers: Video Series on the Arab-Israeli conflict
Sephardic Heritage Museum: The Syrian Jewish Community video series
Unpacked: Video series about Israel and Jews
Unpacked: Video series about Antisemitism
Unpacked: Video series about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Jewish Book Council: Reading lists
American Jewish Committee: Translate Hate glossary
US Holocaust Memorial Museum: Educational resources

We also recommend the following museums for virtual programs and field trips:

There are teacher training and professional development programs offered from various institutions:

Another good way to promote education about the Jewish community is to get your school district to officially recognize May as Jewish Heritage Month. Celebrated annually in May, Jewish American Heritage Month is an opportunity to expand students’ understanding of diversity and familiarize students and teachers with the resilience of Jews in the face of oppression, and their contributions to American history, society, and culture.

This is a helpful resource from the Library of Congress:

https://www.jewishheritagemonth.gov/for-teachers/

The International Holocaust Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism is a comprehensive definition adopted by over 30 democratic countries, including the United States. It is also included in the final California Department of Education’s Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum. The reason for its widespread acceptance is that it reflects the real life experience of Jews facing different forms of this hatred today. Schools and school districts can use IHRA as a tool to educate students about all forms of antisemitism, past and present. It is also a tool to help determine whether an incident of hatred or discrimination has occurred.

If you would like to work on getting IHRA adopted in your community, please contact k12education@standwithus.com.

Review school board meetings

Visit the website of your local school board and check their meeting agendas regularly for mentions of “ethnic studies”; “diversity, equity, and inclusion”; and other issues that may be relevant to our community.

Research the policies of your local school district:

Many school districts already have helpful policies in place, but they may not be enforced unless people like you hold education officials accountable. For example, in Los Angeles Unified School District, teachers are contractually obligated to offer, “a fair and balanced academic presentation of various points of view consistent with accepted standards of professional responsibility, rather than advocacy, personal opinion, bias or partisanship.”

If your school district is considering ethnic studies courses, reach out to board members and/or district staff to find out how the process works, who the decision makers are, what the timeline is, when the public can give feedback, and how to get involved.
Take the time to get to know and build personal relationships with school board members and other decision makers. They have to listen to you as their constituent, but will be more receptive if you establish a level of trust, mutual respect, and shared values.

StandWithUs is an international non-profit Israel education organization. We are inspired by our love for Israel and the belief that education is the road to peace.

StandWithUs is dedicated to educating people of all ages about Israel and to combating the extremism and anti-Semitism that often distorts the issues. We believe that knowledge of the facts will correct common prejudices about the Arab-Israeli conflict, and will promote discussions and policies that can help promote peace in the region.

We educate via cutting-edge campaigns, materials, speakers, programs, conferences and missions to Israel. We reach millions of people globally via a multitude of social media platforms in 18 different languages. We ensure that the story of Israel’s achievements and ongoing challenges is told in middle schools, in high schools, on college campuses and in communities around the world.

Headquartered in Los Angeles, StandWithUs has eighteen offices and chapters across the U.S., Canada, Israel and in the UK, with our flagship Education Center in the heart of Jerusalem. We also host programs in Latin America, South Africa, China, Europe and Australia.

StandWithUs has the highest Charity Navigator rating - 4 out of 4 stars - and the highest rating on GuideStar - platinum level.

StandWithUs is non-partisan, meaning that we are neither left wing, nor right wing. While we educate about political issues, we do not identify with one side of the political spectrum. Our board of directors, donors, staff and supporters are from all over the political map. They come together in the StandWithUs family because they believe in the work we do as an education organization.

Because we are non-partisan, we do not endorse or oppose any Israeli political leadership or campaign for specific political parties anywhere else in the world. Nor do we take a position on controversial issues within Israeli society, such as settlements or debates over religion and state. Our approach to such issues is two-fold. First, if the discussion features misinformation about Israel or a lack of context (which happens frequently), we aim to correct the record and add relevant context. Second, we educate about and facilitate discussions featuring conflicting perspectives about the topic at hand. Our goal is to empower people to make such discourse more factual and constructive through education.

Many of our members are simply unable to work on the front lines, but they CAN support those who do. We do not require a membership fee because we feel that everyone should receive our alerts, but we have a multitude of critical projects that need funding and generate ongoing operational costs.

If you wish to make a donation, please visit our website: www.standwithus.com/donate OR call our office at 310-836-6140.

StandWithUs, also known as the Israel Emergency Alliance, is a 501(c)(3) organization. Your gift to StandWithUs made locally in the USA, Canada, the UK and in Israel is fully tax deductible to the extent provided by law.

Each year, StandWithUs members and donors generously host private dinners and events at their homes in an effort to increase momentum in the lead-up to the annual Festival of Lights gala in December. Herzl Dinners are hosted by board members, donors, or local members, gathering an intimate group of StandWithUs supporters to discuss the organisation’s efforts and hear from high level speakers. To learn more about Herzl Dinners and further involvement with our organisation’s fundraising efforts, please contact Gary Ratner at GaryR@standwithus.com or at (310) 836-6140 ext. 101.

StandWithUs’s professional staff, members, and volunteers are available to provide you with resources and information to combat anti-Israel activity in your community. Our staff of campus professionals work with students on college and university campuses, providing them with training and education, resources, and funding for events. In communities, StandWithUs is present and available to provide you with information and resources to combat anti-Israel events and activity. Please view our resources (brochures, flyers, signs, factsheets, etc.) on a plethora of topics and issues online on this website, or contact your local StandWithUs chapter for further support.

There are numerous other ways to contribute to StandWithUs, including hosting an event at your house, introducing us to your community and friends, and by supporting a specific project or initiative undertaken by StandWithUs. If you have any other ideas on how to contribute, or if you want to contribute to StandWithUs, please contact Gary Ratner at GaryR@standwithus.com or at (310) 836-6140 ext. 101.

Many of our donors and supporters want to honor a living or departed loved one by making a sizeable donation to StandWithUs over a multi-year period, and naming a project or department after that individual. StandWithUs is continuously working on developing new and existing projects, and expanding our efforts worldwide. We are happy to help you with a naming opportunity, and develop a longstanding relationship with StandWithUs. For more information, please contact Gary Ratner at GaryR@standwithus.com or at (310) 836-6140 ext. 101.

StandWithUs is an independent, non-governmental nonprofit organization. As such it does not receive funding or direction from the Israeli government.

In 2015, a proposed collaboration with the Prime Minister’s Office was discussed, under which StandWithUs would have retained full, independent control over messaging. However, as noted in this article, the program never materialized.

While we see value in partnerships with governmental agencies, as a matter of policy we have chosen not to accept such funding to underscore our commitment to remaining independent and non-politically aligned in our educational efforts.

The definition of advocacy is public support for a specific policy. As a non-partisan education organization, StandWithUs does not advocate for or encourage its employees or students to advocate for any policy of the government of Israel.

Our work is inspired by our shared love for Israel, our belief that education is the road to peace, and our commitment to stand up for Israel and the Jewish people. Our staff are united in advancing education which recognizes and respects the basic rights of the Jewish people to self-determination in their ancestral homeland. This includes support for Zionism and the existence of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, along with active opposition to rhetoric and campaigns that deny or seek to end Israel's existence.

Historical and current issues related to the policies, beliefs and values of Zionism and Israel are part of the education that StandWithUs aims to provide. Our approach to controversial Israeli policies and actions is two-fold. First, if the discussion features misinformation about Israel or a lack of context (which happens frequently), we aim to correct the record and add relevant context. Second, we educate about and facilitate discussions featuring conflicting perspectives about various topics. As such, we cover criticisms of Israel and counterarguments, and generally do not take official positions against Israeli policy. It is also important to note that our mission and goals do not include stifling critical discourse about Israel or the conflict. One of our goals is to empower people to make such discourse more factual and rational, by correcting misinformation and adding context.

There are cases where we do advocate for or against certain policies related to Israel, antisemitism, and education issues, particularly in the United States. Whenever we take such steps, we do so in a way that is non-partisan and advances our mission to educate about Israel and fight antisemitism. For example, we have supported bipartisan anti-BDS laws at a state level and pushed for the federal government to adopt the IHRA definition of antisemitism. Nevertheless, because we spend the vast majority of our time doing education rather than advocacy, we consider ourselves an education organization first and foremost.

Yes, StandWithUs is open to criticism and open conversations about Israel representing different points of view. We unequivocally support free speech and democratic debate. At the same time we take issue with criticism of Israel that is factually inaccurate, misleading, lacking in context, or antisemitic under the IHRA definition. Our approach to such rhetoric is to engage and educate constructively, unless it becomes clear that the criticism is being expressed in bad faith.

As an organization, StandWithUs is openly opposed to Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaigns and seeks to educate about why the goals of BDS, along with many of its tactics, are hateful and antithetical to peace and justice for Israelis and Palestinians. However, opposition to BDS does not mean that StandWithUs considers every BDS supporter a malicious antisemite. Nor do we reject dialogue about issues that some BDS supporters raise with regards to specific Israeli policies.

StandWithUs staff are committed to education about Israel and to providing students with the resources to become more effective educators in topics – general and specific – that they would like to share with their peers. There is nothing off limits in terms of subject matter. The absence of discussion about a particular issue in StandWithUs educational programs is not intended to prevent the development of an open and honest discussion about all matters related to Israel, including engaging with criticism of Israel. What matters is that criticism of Israel is conducted within the limits of free speech and doesn’t cross into antisemitism. StandWithUs has developed materials on how to identify antisemitism and criticize Israel without descending into hateful rhetoric.

Every individual that takes part in StandWithUs educational programs is equally valued. Our commitment to education is non-discriminatory on all grounds, including that of political views.

As an organization that empowers people to tell Israel’s story, StandWithUs’ materials do contain presuppositions that Zionism, defined as support for the right of the Jewish people to self-determination, is just and should be normalized as such. Our education is framed in relationship to this world view. StandWithUs seeks to tell Israel’s story, not anyone else’s, by presenting facts and evidence in a way that connects to different audiences and leaves a lasting impression about why supporting Israel's continued existence as a thriving country is a just cause. This is not an endorsement of specific partisan political views and does not negate criticism of various Israeli government policies. We also reject the idea that support for the Jewish right to self-determination must inherently come at the expense of Palestinians or anyone else.

‘Telling Israel’s story’ shouldn’t be confused with ‘Telling the Israeli government's story’ or ‘Arguing for the legitimacy of one view about Israel’. We engage with many forms of Zionism across the political spectrum, which are tied together by a core belief in the basic right of the Jewish people to self-determination in their ancestral home.

Our policy is to never generalize about or blame Palestinians or Arabs as a whole. We direct our criticism specifically at Palestinian leaders and terrorist groups, Arab governments, Iran's regime, and others when they engage in antisemitism, promote violence, perpetuate conflict, and oppress their own citizens. We expose their extremism, hatred, and human rights abuses consistently because there is unfortunately a lack of such criticism and accountability on social media and in the international community. We believe it is important for the public to be aware of what these actors are saying and doing.

If you have questions about specific content coming from StandWithUs, please reach out to us.

Yes, we are open to Zionists who vocally call for Israel to give up the West Bank, along with those who vocally argue that Israel cannot do so until Palestinian leaders are willing to make peace, those who believe Israel can't be secure without the IDF having a presence along the border between the West Bank and Jordan, those who believe Jews have inalienable rights to live in Judea and Samaria (aka the West Bank), and more. All are welcome to take part in our educational programs and engage with us.

What we will not do is provide resources or organizational backing for events, campaigns, etc that are meant to advocate for one of these political positions, as opposed to educating about the issue in a holistic way using facts and context. We recognize that there are people of good will inside and outside of Israel who have different political and ideological views about many important issues, and it is not our mission to decide who is right. We also respect Israel's democratic process, and do not believe it is our place to tell Israelis what they should do to protect themselves from terrorism and build a more peaceful future with their neighbors.

Racist terrorist groups in Gaza, led by Hamas, launched a deadly assault aimed at overwhelming Israel's defenses and massacring Israeli civilians.
Hamas began by firing rockets at Jerusalem on May 10th, 2021. From May 10-21, they fired over 4,000 rockets at Israeli civilians.
Hamas and its allies are committing a double war crime: firing at Israeli civilian communities from within Palestinian civilian communities.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have responded with hundreds of strikes aimed at stopping terrorists in Gaza from murdering Israelis.
Hamas encouraged mob violence by Arab extremists in Israel and Jewish extremists retaliated with mob violence of their own. Jewish and Arab leaders across the Israeli political spectrum strongly condemned this, and people from both communities have held rallies calling for peace.

It was a horrific tragedy for Israeli and Palestinian civilians.
Several Israelis were murdered and hundreds injured by terrorist attacks from Gaza. This includes both Jewish and Arab citizens of Israel.
Millions of Israelis live under the threat of being murdered. The only reason more haven't died is that Israel built bomb shelters in most Israeli homes and its Iron Dome defense system has shot down countless incoming rockets.
Over one hundred people have been killed in Gaza. Initial reports indicate most were members of Hamas and other terrorist groups.
Palestinian civilians have suffered immensely, with an unknown number killed thusfar. In some cases, this was because terrorist rockets aimed at Israel misfired and fell in Gaza. In others, it was because Israel struck terrorists and military infrastructure located in civilian areas. Hamas terrorists are endangering civilians in Gaza to protect themselves.

Hamas is an internationally recognized terrorist group, driven by a toxic mix of genocidal racism and religious extremism. They do not exist to "resist the occupation" or help Palestinians achieve justice and peace. Their goal is to murder Jews, destroy Israel, and replace it with a brutally oppressive regime of religious supremacy. Read the Hamas Charter here.
Hamas rules Gaza and is heavily funded by Iran's regime, which often makes genocidal threats to destroy Israel. Hamas uses its funding to oppress Palestinians in Gaza and fuel its endless war against Israel, instead of making peace and building a better future for its people.
Hamas is competing for political power with Fatah - a rival faction which rules over Palestinian communities in the West Bank. The group wants to expand its influence over the West Bank and Arab communities in Israel.

In its conflict with Hamas, Israel is driven by its responsibility to protect Israelis of all backgrounds from terrorism. This is the right and duty of every country, and Israel is no exception.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) code of ethics requires its soldiers to do everything they can to protect innocent life. This means following the laws of war and taking every precaution to target only terrorists, even as those terrorists use innocent Palestinians in Gaza as human shields.
Bigger picture, Israel has held four elections since April, 2019 and has not had a stable government since then. As such, it does not currently have a unified approach to resolving the conflict overall. Past Israeli governments repeatedly offered Palestinian leaders an independent state in the West Bank and Gaza in return for peace. All of these offers have been rejected.

The death of Palestinian civilians in Gaza is a tragedy which should never happen. There is no question that Palestinians have suffered the most deaths and injuries from violence between Hamas and Israel.
The main reason Palestinians in Gaza are killed is because Hamas and its allies have militarized their neighborhoods. Terrorists fire rockets at Israeli civilians from crowded civilian areas in Gaza and embed military infrastructure in homes, schools, and hospitals.
Numerous legal and military experts have documented how the IDF does not intentionally target civilians as a matter of policy, and goes beyond what the law requires by warning civilians before striking military targets. Nevertheless, it has proven impossible to stop terrorists in Gaza from attacking innocent Israelis without harming innocent Palestinians in the process. This is because Hamas and its allies intentionally put civilians directly in harm’s way
In some cases, terrorist rockets from Gaza misfired and killed Palestinian civilians. For example, according Defense for Children – Palestine: “a homemade rocket fired by a Palestinian armed group fell short and killed eight Palestinians, including two children”.
The only way to prevent such tragedies is for Hamas and other terrorist groups to permanently stop their attacks against Israeli civilians.

No. In 2005 Israel removed every Israeli soldier and civilian from Gaza, hoping to advance the cause of peace.
Hamas and other terrorist group responded by dramatically increasing their attacks against Israeli civilians. Since 2005, over 20,000 rockets have been fired at Israel from Gaza.
Hamas won Palestinian legislative elections in 2006 and took over Gaza in 2007 by defeating Fatah in a violent coup. It has ruled the territory with an iron fist ever since.
The U.S., the EU, and others demanded that Hamas commit to non-violence, recognize Israel, and accept all previous agreements between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).
Hamas refused, choosing to continue its endless war against Israel. Israel responded with a blockade aimed at stopping weapons from entering Gaza, while still helping to deliver civilian goods, humanitarian aid, water, electricity, and more to Palestinian civilians. Egypt has imposed similar restrictions along its border with Gaza.

Hamas used religious and political unrest in Jerusalem to justify its all out assault against Israeli civilians. Tensions and violence had been building between Palestinians and Israelis throughout the holy month of Ramadan, beginning in mid-April, 2021.
For over 100 years, Palestinian leaders have promoted mass violence and antisemitism by falsely claiming that Jews and/or Israelis were threatening Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem. This is only the most recent example.
On April 30th, Palestinian Authority President and Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas postponed Palestinian elections. He blamed Israel but was more likely motivated by concern that Hamas would defeat his allies at the polls.
Many analysts believe Hamas incited riots in Jerusalem and launched massive rocket attacks against Israel in response to Abbas postponing the elections. Hamas may believe that branding themselves as “defenders of Jerusalem” will increase their political power and weaken Fatah.

On April 13th, 2021, as the holy month of Ramadan began, some Palestinian youth began posting TikTok videos of themselves assaulting Jews in Jerusalem. This led to retaliation by Jewish extremists, clashes, and police arresting people from both sides.
Palestinians also clashed with police in reaction to barriers being put up outside Damascus gate in Jerusalem. This is an area where Palestinians often spend time together after breaking the Ramadan fast. The barriers were ultimately removed on April 25th, but Hamas used this unrest to justify firing rockets at Israel. Israel responded with limited strikes against Hamas targets.
On April 30th, Mahmoud Abbas postponed Palestinian elections, angering Hamas.
In the beginning of May, clashes broke out in a Jerusalem neighborhood called Sheikh Jarrah. There has been a decades-long legal dispute between Jews and Palestinians over property there, which came to a head because Israel's High Court was set to rule on the issue on May 10th, 2021. Click here for “Sheikh Jarrah: 10 Essential Facts”.
On May 7th, Hamas leader Fathi Hammad urged Palestinians in Jerusalem to "cut off the heads of the Jews with knives." At the same time, Hamas started fires across southern Israel using incendiary balloons.
From May 8-10, riots broke out at the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif (the holiest site in Judaism and third holiest site in Islam), with pro-Hamas slogans being chanted. Tensions skyrocketed as police tried to disperse the riots and rioters attacked them with stones and other weapons. 300 Palestinians and 21 Israelis were reportedly injured. Mob violence against Jews broke out elsewhere in the city as well.
On May 10th, Hamas demanded that Israel withdraw from the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif by 6pm. Immediately after the deadline, it began firing massive numbers of rockets at Israeli communities, including Jerusalem which it claims to "love" and want to "protect".
Israeli police have been criticized for various actions throughout this period. However, Israel also took numerous steps to reduce tensions and violence. This included delaying the court hearing on Sheikh Jarrah until June, arresting Jewish extremists, rerouting and then cancelling a march through the Old City celebrating Jerusalem Day, and limiting its initial response to Hamas rockets and arson attacks. None of this helped, because Hamas was determined to spark a violent conflict.
Historically, only Israel has been able to consistently uphold religious freedom for all in Jerusalem. On May 13, 2021, despite the ongoing conflict, over 100,000 Muslims gathered on the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif for Eid Al-Fitr, a holiday marking the end of Ramadan.

No. The "imbalance of power" narrative is misleading and harmful. Anyone who wants safety, freedom, and dignity for all people in the region should be thankful that Israel has more power than Hamas. The only reason Hamas hasn't succeeded in murdering hundreds, thousands, or even millions of Israelis is because Israel has the power to stop them. If Israel had less power, more innocent people would be dying right now.

Hamas is a terrorist organization driven by genocidal racism. Its goal is not to "resist the occupation" but to kill Jews, destroy Israel, and replace it with a brutal regime of religious supremacy. The group rules Gaza with an iron fist. It uses its power to fire thousands of rockets at Israeli civilians and oppress Palestinians under its control. Hamas is also funded and supported by at least three powerful governments: Iran, Qatar, and Turkey. None of them have shown any interest in changing the status quo, and Iran's regime frequently threatens Israel with destruction.

Hamas could choose to end this conflict once and for all by stopping all violence against Israeli civilians, accepting Israel's existence, and negotiating peace. If the group truly wanted a better future for Palestinians, that's what it would do with its power. Unfortunately, Israel can't make Hamas choose life over endless war, destruction, and death. If Israelis had the power to do that, the conflict would have been over a long time ago.

There is no easy solution to this horrible situtation. However this much is clear: one-sided approaches that blame Israel, try to strip away its power, and shield Hamas from accountability will only fuel more suffering and conflict. Those who want safety, freedom, and dignity for all Israelis and Palestinians should not use the "imbalance of power" to empower Hamas.

No, that would only empower and embolden Hamas to continue its crimes against Israelis and Palestinians.

While almost all Democratic and Republican leaders support Israel's right to defend itself, a few Members of Congress are now loudly promoting a bill to cut U.S. military aid to Israel. This came immediately after the racist terrorist group Hamas launched a massive assault against Israeli civilians, leading to another tragic conflict in the region.

If Hamas terrorism is followed by decreased support for Israel, Hamas will see that terrorism works. It will likely commit many more atrocities, hoping Israel will lose even more support as a result.

Instead of promoting these destructive ideas from thousands of miles away, responsible leaders should support bills like H.R. 261. This bill would sanction foreign supporters and funders of Hamas.

Do research before sharing anything about this issue, to avoid spreading misleading content and fueling more conflict.
Unequivocally condemn terrorism against Israeli civilians and support Israel’s right to protect its citizens.
Humanize Israelis and Palestinians - avoid any negative statements about either community as a whole and call out hateful rhetoric when you hear it.
Pressure the governments of Iran, Qatar, and Turkey to stop funding and supporting Hamas and its terrorist allies in Gaza.
Urge the Palestinian Authority to stop incitement and financial rewards for violence, and return to peace negotiations with Israel.
Support organizations on the ground like Hand in Hand, which are working for peace and coexistence in this difficult time.

Stroll through the colorful alleyways of the sixth neighborhood built outside the walls of the Old City. Comprised of 32 different and smaller neighborhoods, Nachlaot was founded by Jewish immigrants from around the world who endowed each neighborhood with their own identity. We will discover the incredible characteristics and the diverse cultures that have made Nachlaot into a haven for Haredim and hipsters alike.

Duration: 1–1.25 hours

Launched in 2011 as a joint initiative of El Al Israel Airlines, StandWithUs, the Jewish Agency for Israel, and the Israeli Foreign Ministry, this program places pilots and flight attendants at the forefront of Israeli diplomacy. The El Al ambassadors, dressed in uniform, offer a unique perspective about Israel and share their personal stories and diverse cultures with a variety of organizations, schools, universities, and congregations in cities throughout the world. Participating ambassadors undergo training and volunteer their time during layovers between flights—and are happy to also do so through virtual platforms until flights resume. More than 500,000 people worldwide have participated in these “people-to-people” programs. The ambassadors can speak on a variety of topics, such as: Israeli society and multiculturalism, IDF service stories, women in Israel, LGBT communities in Israel, aliyah stories, testimony of second generation to Holocaust survivors (especially around Holocaust Memorial Day), young adult communities, life in Israel today, behind the scenes of El Al flights, air crew members’ favorite stories from flights to Israel, and parenthood in Israel.

Duration: 1 hour

Stroll through the colorful alleyways of the sixth neighborhood built outside the walls of the Old City. Comprised of 32 different and smaller neighborhoods, Nachlaot was founded by Jewish immigrants from around the world who endowed each neighborhood with their own identity. We will discover the incredible characteristics and the diverse cultures that have made Nachlaot into a haven for Haredim and hipsters alike.

Duration: 1–1.25 hours

Part 2 of “A Middle East Overview” provides a foundation for understanding the current dynamics in the region. It will explain how the complex nature of modern relationships between these countries has developed over time. This program will provide a greater understanding of the relationships between Israel’s neighbors so that we can more accurately recognize how these relationships influence the decisions these countries make regarding Israel.

Duration: 30–45 Minutes

This informational presentation will examine the history of the West Bank/Judea and Samaria and how we arrived at where we are today. We will discuss control over the area and how it has changed in the last 100 years, resolutions and agreements that were passed or signed, settlement communities and the controversies surrounding them, possible solutions, and proposed compromises. This is a fact-based and content-driven presentation that does not push any one political agenda but allows the participants to decide for themselves how they feel about this complex and disputed area.

Duration: 1–1.5 hours

This practical presentation discusses core concepts and misconceptions regarding Israel, Zionism, and the Jewish people and provides the audience with the tools needed to explain these topics to those less informed. Moreover, we will also tackle the core claims made against Israel’s right to exist, providing the necessary knowledge and skills to challenge those arguments and ultimately show how these expressions of anti-Zionism are, in fact, antisemitism.

Duration: 1 hour

Sometimes the difference between antisemitism vs. legitimate criticism is black and white, but often it’s difficult to evaluate and distinguish between the two. This program gives you a tool kit to identify the difference, empowers you to participate in difficult conversations about this topic, and inspires you to be creative and thoughtful with the language you use to introduce, defend, and celebrate Israel.

Duration: 45 minutes

An examination of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, how Title VI protection has been recognized regarding various religious and ethnic groups, and the responsibilities of college administrators to protect Jewish and Israeli students from discrimination on campus. We look to recent Title VI lawsuits and the Executive Order formally recognizing Title VI protection for Jewish students on campuses to guide this discussion.

Duration: 1 hour

Stroll through the colorful alleyways of the sixth neighborhood built outside the walls of the Old City. Comprised of 32 different and smaller neighborhoods, Nachlaot was founded by Jewish immigrants from around the world who endowed each neighborhood with their own identity. We will discover the incredible characteristics and the diverse cultures that have made Nachlaot into a haven for Haredim and hipsters alike.

Duration: 1–1.25 hours

Part 2 of “A Middle East Overview” provides a foundation for understanding the current dynamics in the region. It will explain how the complex nature of modern relationships between these countries has developed over time. This program will provide a greater understanding of the relationships between Israel’s neighbors so that we can more accurately recognize how these relationships influence the decisions these countries make regarding Israel.

Duration: 30–45 Minutes

This informational presentation will examine the history of the West Bank/Judea and Samaria and how we arrived at where we are today. We will discuss control over the area and how it has changed in the last 100 years, resolutions and agreements that were passed or signed, settlement communities and the controversies surrounding them, possible solutions, and proposed compromises. This is a fact-based and content-driven presentation that does not push any one political agenda but allows the participants to decide for themselves how they feel about this complex and disputed area.

Duration: 1–1.5 hours

This practical presentation discusses core concepts and misconceptions regarding Israel, Zionism, and the Jewish people and provides the audience with the tools needed to explain these topics to those less informed. Moreover, we will also tackle the core claims made against Israel’s right to exist, providing the necessary knowledge and skills to challenge those arguments and ultimately show how these expressions of anti-Zionism are, in fact, antisemitism.

Duration: 1–1.5 hours

An in-depth look at the rights of and current legal issues facing Jewish and pro-Israel students, faculty, and community members. We will focus on select examples of antisemitism or anti-Israel activity on U.S. campuses and in communities nationwide and how the StandWithUs Saidoff Legal Department empowers the pro-Israel community to fight back and enforce the pro-Israel communities’ rights when they are infringed upon.

Duration: 1 Hour

Students on college campuses are consistently challenged with questions about Israel, and, more often than not, they struggle to respond. This practical workshop will allow the audience to share the most difficult questions they’ve faced, receive answers rooted in the facts, as well gain the tools to respond effectively to the different audiences they may encounter. Topics that are covered usually include the claim of stolen land, apartheid, occupation, settlements, roots of the conflict, and many others.

Duration: 1–1.5 hours

Your personal story is your superpower. Learn to tell Israel's story while integrating yours. This session focuses on a “people-to-people” diplomacy approach; where we will empower participants to take their experiences and relationships with Israel back to their campuses, communities, and organizations — so they have more informative conversations about Israel. In a world where the battle for hearts and minds is sometimes based more on emotion than on rationale, personal encounters and experiences have a huge impact on engaging with others about Israel.

Duration: 1 hour

An in-depth look at the rights of and current legal issues facing Jewish and pro-Israel students, faculty, and community members. We will focus on select examples of antisemitism or anti-Israel activity on U.S. campuses and in communities nationwide and how the StandWithUs Saidoff Legal Department empowers the pro-Israel community to fight back and enforce the pro-Israel communities’ rights when they are infringed upon.

Duration: 1 Hour

Students on college campuses are consistently challenged with questions about Israel, and, more often than not, they struggle to respond. This practical workshop will allow the audience to share the most difficult questions they’ve faced, receive answers rooted in the facts, as well gain the tools to respond effectively to the different audiences they may encounter. Topics that are covered usually include the claim of stolen land, apartheid, occupation, settlements, roots of the conflict, and many others.

Duration: 1–1.5 hours

Your personal story is your superpower. Learn to tell Israel's story while integrating yours. This session focuses on a “people-to-people” diplomacy approach; where we will empower participants to take their experiences and relationships with Israel back to their campuses, communities, and organizations — so they have more informative conversations about Israel. In a world where the battle for hearts and minds is sometimes based more on emotion than on rationale, personal encounters and experiences have a huge impact on engaging with others about Israel.

Duration: 1 hour

An in-depth look at the rights of and current legal issues facing Jewish and pro-Israel students, faculty, and community members. We will focus on select examples of antisemitism or anti-Israel activity on U.S. campuses and in communities nationwide and how the StandWithUs Saidoff Legal Department empowers the pro-Israel community to fight back and enforce the pro-Israel communities’ rights when they are infringed upon.

Duration: 1 Hour

Strategies to Combat Online Hate delves into two critical and timely themes in one session. First, we explore best practice for identifying and responding to antisemitism and anti-Zionism online. Then we focus on legal rights and legal tools in the online world. Participants will learn strategizes for online activity; what does free speech mean in an online context; what to do when you see something online that likely violates corporate policy or criminal laws and more. This empowering session provides real-world tools and strategies for the online world.

Launched in 2011 as a joint initiative of El Al Israel Airlines, StandWithUs, the Jewish Agency for Israel, and the Israeli Foreign Ministry, this program places pilots and flight attendants at the forefront of Israeli diplomacy. The El Al ambassadors, dressed in uniform, offer a unique perspective about Israel and share their personal stories and diverse cultures with a variety of organizations, schools, universities, and congregations in cities throughout the world. Participating ambassadors undergo training and volunteer their time during layovers between flights—and are happy to also do so through virtual platforms until flights resume. More than 500,000 people worldwide have participated in these “people-to-people” programs. The ambassadors can speak on a variety of topics, such as: Israeli society and multiculturalism, IDF service stories, women in Israel, LGBT communities in Israel, aliyah stories, testimony of second generation to Holocaust survivors (especially around Holocaust Memorial Day), young adult communities, life in Israel today, behind the scenes of El Al flights, air crew members’ favorite stories from flights to Israel, and parenthood in Israel.

Duration: 1 hour

An in-depth look at the rights of and current legal issues facing Jewish and pro-Israel students, faculty, and community members. We will focus on select examples of antisemitism or anti-Israel activity on U.S. campuses and in communities nationwide and how the StandWithUs Saidoff Legal Department empowers the pro-Israel community to fight back and enforce the pro-Israel communities’ rights when they are infringed upon.

Duration: 1 Hour

An examination of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, how Title VI protection has been recognized regarding various religious and ethnic groups, and the responsibilities of college administrators to protect Jewish and Israeli students from discrimination on campus. We look to recent Title VI lawsuits and the Executive Order formally recognizing Title VI protection for Jewish students on campuses to guide this discussion.

Duration: 1 hour

Strategies to Combat Online Hate delves into two critical and timely themes in one session. First, we explore best practice for identifying and responding to antisemitism and anti-Zionism online. Then we focus on legal rights and legal tools in the online world. Participants will learn strategizes for online activity; what does free speech mean in an online context; what to do when you see something online that likely violates corporate policy or criminal laws and more. This empowering session provides real-world tools and strategies for the online world.

The 21st century has introduced humanity to new environmental challenges caused by climate change. Many communities around the world suffer natural disasters caused by water shortages, desertification, and pollution. Israelis are not strangers to these environmental issues, and Israel’s continuous concern regarding these issues brought forth major innovations that are now assisting the world. Israeli innovation is at the forefront of the international fight against the pollution of water sources and land as well as in the race to find life-saving water sources in Africa and across North America.

Duration: 1 Hour

What do you think of when asked, “Who lives in Israel?” In the U.S., when we think about the Jewish community, many of us have only been exposed to a particular group. Many people associate the features of the American Jewish community with the structure of Israeli society. Israel, however, has an extremely diverse population. The Jewish majority includes representatives of communities from across the globe, and the non-Jewish minority is composed of members of many faiths and ethnicities, diverse among themselves. We will learn more about the challenges facing Israeli society and the different parts that are the Israeli puzzle. By the end of the program, we might have a different answer to the question, “Who lives in Israel?”

Duration: 1 Hour

Today, it seems as though antisemitism is prevalent everywhere we look. How widespread is antisemitism in reality? How do we recognize antisemitism, and does it always look the same? Through role-play, we will understand that the person who makes antisemitic comments could be someone close to us. This program teaches participants how to address a challenging or hurtful comment without confrontation, while we attempt to educate one another. We will learn how to recognize antisemitism and how to discuss it with others in an effective manner.

Duration: 1 Hour

Since its inception, Israel has always found its way into American pop culture. Throughout modern history, Hollywood has shifted back and forth between admiration to criticism of the Jewish state and, in recent years, has been active in addressing the calls for the cultural boycott of Israel, both positively and negatively. While we will visit the different reactions to the calls for cultural boycott, we will not use this program to explore the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. We will ask ourselves, what is the role of celebrities in the development of our own personal connection to Israel? Can we experience Israel through the eyes of celebrities? And can their experience of Israel affect our own?

Duration: 1 Hour

One reason we love Israel is because it certainly always gives us something to talk about. Israel can be beautiful and complicated, and discussions we have about Israel can be exactly the same. Join us and bring your most complicated questions! This is not your average “Israel 101”! In approaching some of our most confusing topics, we will connect the dots of history, social issues, and current events (and so much more) to paint a more complete picture of Israel. We may not always agree with each other on specific topics, situations, or policies, but that doesn’t stop us from loving Israel!

Duration: 1 Hour

Israeli elections and coalition building are complicated enough without trying to understand Israeli politics. Through an activity that has absolutely NOTHING to do with politics or political figures, we will learn everything we need to know about building a functioning coalition for the Knesset. Different dessert parties will work together to form a delicious coalition, but not all desserts go well together. As we learn about this process, we will also conclude with an update on what has “currently” been going on with the election process.

Duration: 1 Hour

Part 2 of “A Middle East Overview” provides a foundation for understanding the current dynamics in the region. It will explain how the complex nature of modern relationships between these countries has developed over time. This program will provide a greater understanding of the relationships between Israel’s neighbors so that we can more accurately recognize how these relationships influence the decisions these countries make regarding Israel.

Duration: 30–45 Minutes

This informational presentation will examine the history of the West Bank/Judea and Samaria and how we arrived at where we are today. We will discuss control over the area and how it has changed in the last 100 years, resolutions and agreements that were passed or signed, settlement communities and the controversies surrounding them, possible solutions, and proposed compromises. This is a fact-based and content-driven presentation that does not push any one political agenda but allows the participants to decide for themselves how they feel about this complex and disputed area.

Duration: 1–1.5 hours

This practical presentation discusses core concepts and misconceptions regarding Israel, Zionism, and the Jewish people and provides the audience with the tools needed to explain these topics to those less informed. Moreover, we will also tackle the core claims made against Israel’s right to exist, providing the necessary knowledge and skills to challenge those arguments and ultimately show how these expressions of anti-Zionism are, in fact, antisemitism.

Duration: 1–1.5 hours

An in-depth look at the rights of and current legal issues facing Jewish and pro-Israel students, faculty, and community members. We will focus on select examples of antisemitism or anti-Israel activity on U.S. campuses and in communities nationwide and how the StandWithUs Saidoff Legal Department empowers the pro-Israel community to fight back and enforce the pro-Israel communities’ rights when they are infringed upon.

Duration: 1 Hour

An examination of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, how Title VI protection has been recognized regarding various religious and ethnic groups, and the responsibilities of college administrators to protect Jewish and Israeli students from discrimination on campus. We look to recent Title VI lawsuits and the Executive Order formally recognizing Title VI protection for Jewish students on campuses to guide this discussion.

Duration: 1 hour

Designed for independent learners, this series was created for those who are looking for engaging Israel content that will deliver new insights and inspire dialogue; providing even the most Israel-savvy with new ways to understand the values that guide the State of Israel. Go to iLINK for more information.

Three 30-minute lessons can be implemented as a school-at-home option or for independent learning and engagement. After completing all three lessons, pre-teens and teens, ages 11 to 14, have the opportunity to compete in an essay-writing contest for Amazon gift cards.

In a digital world that often incites the rise in antisemitism, social media has become the most effective tool being used on the front lines of Israel activism. This presentation will introduce you to the world of social media and it's imapct upon us. Together we will explore a variety of practices for each platform, the importance of your voice and focus on effective methods for organic content creation.

Duration: 60 minutes

An in-depth look at the rights of and current legal issues facing Jewish and pro-Israel students, faculty, and community members. We will focus on select examples of antisemitism or anti-Israel activity on U.S. campuses and in communities nationwide and how the StandWithUs Saidoff Legal Department empowers the pro-Israel community to fight back and enforce the pro-Israel communities’ rights when they are infringed upon.

Duration: 1 Hour

An examination of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, how Title VI protection has been recognized regarding various religious and ethnic groups, and the responsibilities of college administrators to protect Jewish and Israeli students from discrimination on campus. We look to recent Title VI lawsuits and the Executive Order formally recognizing Title VI protection for Jewish students on campuses to guide this discussion.

Duration: 1 Hour

Strategies to Combat Online Hate delves into two critical and timely themes in one session. First, StanWithUs’ Assistant Director of Campus Strategy explores best practice for identifying and responding to antisemitism and anti-Zionism online. Then, the StandWithUs Saidoff Legal Department Director focuses on legal rights and legal tools in the online world. Participants will learn strategizes for online activity, such as when to block comments and manage time during antisemitic flare ups; how to respond to influencers and celebrities spewing misinformation and disinformation; what does free speech mean in an online context; what to do when you see something online that likely violates corporate policy or criminal laws. This empowering session provides real-world tools and strategies for the online world.

Part 2 of “A Middle East Overview” provides a foundation for understanding the current dynamics in the region. It will explain how the complex nature of modern relationships between these countries has developed over time. This program will provide a greater understanding of the relationships between Israel’s neighbors so that we can more accurately recognize how these relationships influence the decisions these countries make regarding Israel.

Duration: 30–45 Minutes

This informational presentation will examine the history of the West Bank/Judea and Samaria and how we arrived at where we are today. We will discuss control over the area and how it has changed in the last 100 years, resolutions and agreements that were passed or signed, settlement communities and the controversies surrounding them, possible solutions, and proposed compromises. This is a fact-based and content-driven presentation that does not push any one political agenda but allows the participants to decide for themselves how they feel about this complex and disputed area.

Duration: 1–1.5 hours

Launched in 2011 as a joint initiative of El Al Israel Airlines, StandWithUs, the Jewish Agency for Israel, and the Israeli Foreign Ministry, this program places pilots and flight attendants at the forefront of Israeli diplomacy. The El Al ambassadors, dressed in uniform, offer a unique perspective about Israel and share their personal stories and diverse cultures with a variety of organizations, schools, universities, and congregations in cities throughout the world. Participating ambassadors undergo training and volunteer their time during layovers between flights—and are happy to also do so through virtual platforms until flights resume. More than 500,000 people worldwide have participated in these “people-to-people” programs. The ambassadors can speak on a variety of topics, such as: Israeli society and multiculturalism, IDF service stories, women in Israel, LGBT communities in Israel, aliyah stories, testimony of second generation to Holocaust survivors (especially around Holocaust Memorial Day), young adult communities, life in Israel today, behind the scenes of El Al flights, air crew members’ favorite stories from flights to Israel, and parenthood in Israel.

Duration: 1 hour

Learn how to respond to the most common claims made against Israel

We often hear accusations made against Israel that we know are false but we do not always know how to articulate why it is false or what to say to combat these accusations. This session will focus on exploring common accusations made against Israel like apartheid, segregation and more, why these accusations are inaccurate, and how to respond to these accusations.

Explore new anti-Israel trends using the same old tactics on campus and how to combat them

Introduction into anti-Israel and antisemitic movements like the BDS, Deadly Exchange, Study Abroad Boycotts, Fact-Finding Mission Boycotts, etc, including their tactics on campus and how to effectively overcome them through a proactive strategy of our own. This presentation can be modified to specifically focus on resolutions or referendums, or one specific campaign as well.

Part 2 of “A Middle East Overview” provides a foundation for understanding the current dynamics in the region. It will explain how the complex nature of modern relationships between these countries has developed over time. This program will provide a greater understanding of the relationships between Israel’s neighbors so that we can more accurately recognize how these relationships influence the decisions these countries make regarding Israel.

Duration: 30–45 Minutes

This informational presentation will examine the history of the West Bank/Judea and Samaria and how we arrived at where we are today. We will discuss control over the area and how it has changed in the last 100 years, resolutions and agreements that were passed or signed, settlement communities and the controversies surrounding them, possible solutions, and proposed compromises. This is a fact-based and content-driven presentation that does not push any one political agenda but allows the participants to decide for themselves how they feel about this complex and disputed area.

Duration: 1–1.5 hours

Stroll through the colorful alleyways of the sixth neighborhood built outside the walls of the Old City. Comprised of 32 different and smaller neighborhoods, Nachlaot was founded by Jewish immigrants from around the world who endowed each neighborhood with their own identity. We will discover the incredible characteristics and the diverse cultures that have made Nachlaot into a haven for Haredim and hipsters alike.

Duration: 1–1.25 hours

This practical presentation discusses core concepts and misconceptions regarding Israel, Zionism, and the Jewish people and provides the audience with the tools needed to explain these topics to those less informed. Moreover, we will also tackle the core claims made against Israel’s right to exist, providing the necessary knowledge and skills to challenge those arguments and ultimately show how these expressions of anti-Zionism are, in fact, antisemitism.

Duration: 1 hour

Sometimes the difference between antisemitism vs. legitimate criticism is black and white, but often it’s difficult to evaluate and distinguish between the two. This program gives you a tool kit to identify the difference, empowers you to participate in difficult conversations about this topic, and inspires you to be creative and thoughtful with the language you use to introduce, defend, and celebrate Israel.

Duration: 45 minutes

Stroll through the colorful alleyways of the sixth neighborhood built outside the walls of the Old City. Comprised of 32 different and smaller neighborhoods, Nachlaot was founded by Jewish immigrants from around the world who endowed each neighborhood with their own identity. We will discover the incredible characteristics and the diverse cultures that have made Nachlaot into a haven for Haredim and hipsters alike.

Duration: 1–1.25 hours

Stroll through the colorful alleyways of the sixth neighborhood built outside the walls of the Old City. Comprised of 32 different and smaller neighborhoods, Nachlaot was founded by Jewish immigrants from around the world who endowed each neighborhood with their own identity. We will discover the incredible characteristics and the diverse cultures that have made Nachlaot into a haven for Haredim and hipsters alike.

Duration: 1–1.25 hours

Part 2 of “A Middle East Overview” provides a foundation for understanding the current dynamics in the region. It will explain how the complex nature of modern relationships between these countries has developed over time. This program will provide a greater understanding of the relationships between Israel’s neighbors so that we can more accurately recognize how these relationships influence the decisions these countries make regarding Israel.

Duration: 30–45 Minutes

This informational presentation will examine the history of the West Bank/Judea and Samaria and how we arrived at where we are today. We will discuss control over the area and how it has changed in the last 100 years, resolutions and agreements that were passed or signed, settlement communities and the controversies surrounding them, possible solutions, and proposed compromises. This is a fact-based and content-driven presentation that does not push any one political agenda but allows the participants to decide for themselves how they feel about this complex and disputed area.

Duration: 1–1.5 hours

We all have a connection to Israel—whether we realize it or not. Some of us are in the discovery process of that connection, while others just need the words to describe it. In this program, you will be inspired by one unique story of how Israel changed someone’s entire life, but you will also learn how to share the story of your connection that invites others to discover and explore their own.

Duration: 1 Hour

This program builds on “Understanding the Foundation of the Middle East” and explores the current dynamics in the region. It explains how the complex nature of modern relationships between the regions’ countries has developed over time. This program will provide a greater understanding of the relationships between Israel’s neighbors so that we can more accurately recognize how these relationships influence the decisions these countries make in relation to Israel.

Duration: 30–45 Minutes

When it comes to educating about Israel as a student leader, the transition from high school to college is different for everyone. Every college campus is unique. Many high school students have questions about what their potential college campus is like for Jewish students/the pro-Israel community. In this webinar, we will hear about what this transition looks like, the new trends on campus when it comes to pro-Israel and anti-Israel activity, and what high school students should know now to prepare for their future.

Duration: 30 Minutes

Sometimes the difference between antisemitism vs. legitimate criticism is black and white, but everyone needs the skills to distinguish between the two. This program is a tool kit to identify antisemitism and shares the tools to push back against it, whether in a one-on-one conversation or on a larger platform, by evaluating recent examples of antisemitism and legitimate criticism.

Duration: 45 Minutes

In a digital world that often incites the rise in antisemitism, social media has become the most effective tool being used on the front lines of Israel activism. This presentation will introduce you to the world of social media and it's imapct upon us. Together we will explore a variety of practices for each platform, the importance of your voice and focus on effective methods for organic content creation.

Duration: 60 minutes

Develop the knowledge and skills needed to implement new goals and combat any issue that comes your way on campus

This session will explore different scenarios related to anti-Israel or antisemitic issues like BDS campaigns or professor issues and proactive opportunities that students may encounter on campus or in high school. Through exploring various case studies, students will learn how to address these scenarios and the best practices they can use to get the best results possible. This session can also be given to high school students on how to prepare for campus.

Engage every member of your team and community successfully

The goal is to inspire students who prefer or feel more comfortable working behind the scenes, share with them how they can get involved, and build strategic plans with them so they can help with Israel education in a way they are comfortable with. This session can be tailored for the club leadership plan of how to get more introverted students involved behind the scenes, or for introverted students who have shown interest in getting involved.

Effectively organize and mobilize your community to accomplish your collective goals

This session explores the importance of organizing and mobilizing our community in pursuit of implementing proactive strategies and responding to issues we are concerned about effectively to bring about our predetermined outcome on campus. The Assistant Director of Campus Strategy will review best practices required of organizing and mobilizing, organizing vs. mobilizing, what to do at each stage, and how to do so effectively. This session can also include working with students to set an organizing and mobilizing strategy plan of their own.

Becoming a brand ambassador and effective tabling strategies

Part I explores what it means to be an effective ambassador for Israel on campus who is the "face" of the movement; covering best practices for engagement, branding, and programming. Part II delves into tabling and advertisement of club events and campaigns on campus; taking the concepts from Brand Ambassador and putting them into practice. It includes a step-by-step breakdown that dissects club displays, pitches, activities, and overall structure.This session can also focus solely on virtual programs or in-person and virtual programs.

Build beneficial bridges with success

This session focuses on effective methods to form new relationships and build long-term coalitions on campus. Combined with exploring long-term and short-term strategies to effectively lobby members of student government, administration, and more. This session can work on both relationship/ effective coalition building and lobbying or just on relationship/coalition building or lobbying.

Navigate diverse perspectives about Israel in the pro-Israel world

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is complex and Israel's history is very detailed nuanced. Even those of us who identify as pro-Israel all have different perspectives on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Israeli policies. Across the spectrum provides pro-Israel students with a safe space to respectfully explore diverse perspectives on Israel and the conflict.

Our Signature StandWithUs Campus Programs

Experiential Israel Programs (EIPs) are a new, innovative form of Israel education created by StandWithUs. We designed our EIPs using principles from experiential marketing—a technique major companies employ to reach consumers in areas with large amounts of foot traffic (see examples here). For us, this means creating interactive displays about Israel that are engaging, visually appealing, and relevant to the personal lives of participants. Learn all about these programs and how you can bring them to your campus.

This practical presentation discusses core concepts and misconceptions regarding Israel, Zionism, and the Jewish people and provides the audience with the tools needed to explain these topics to those less informed. Moreover, we will also tackle the core claims made against Israel’s right to exist, providing the necessary knowledge and skills to challenge those arguments and ultimately show how these expressions of anti-Zionism are, in fact, antisemitism.

Duration: 1 hour

Sometimes the difference between antisemitism vs. legitimate criticism is black and white, but often it’s difficult to evaluate and distinguish between the two. This program gives you a tool kit to identify the difference, empowers you to participate in difficult conversations about this topic, and inspires you to be creative and thoughtful with the language you use to introduce, defend, and celebrate Israel.

Duration: 45 minutes

Eligibility Requirements:

Must be a rising junior (11th) or senior (12th) in high school in the United States or Canada

Applicants must be self-identified leaders, who want to cultivate their leadership skills, learn about Israel, combat antisemitism, and make an impact in their schools and communities

Must be nominated by a teacher, mentor, or community leader who can speak to the applicant’s skillset

Participants will be expected to attend 2 conferences, 2 meetings each month, and run 4 programs throughout the Leventhal Internship. The most outstanding Leventhal Intern will be declared the regional winner and receive $500 toward a future flight to Israel.

Conferences: The High School Internship Conference will take place on in the fall and the International Conference dates will take place in the spring

Mentorship Meetings (MM): Leventhal Interns will meet with their regional manager once a month. The MM will cover the personal and professional goals of the student, Israel education, and program planning.

Continuing Education Seminar (CES): CES meetings are held once a month and cover many topics, including Israeli internal politics, the Israeli-Palestinian and Israeli-Arab conflict, and international relations, as well as education about identity, antisemitism, and diaspora Jewish communities.

WhatsApp Participation: We encourage Leventhal Interns to participate in the regional WhatsApp chat. Regional Managers will send links regarding current events and various topics for students to continue learning in between the meetings.

Educational Programs: Leventhal Interns are required to put on 4 educational programs for their peers. Possible locations or audiences include a high school Israel or Jewish club, a youth group, a place of worship, or in a classroom. Programs should have one Israel education or combating antisemitism component in order to count as a StandWithUs Kenneth Leventhal High School Internship program. Program ideas include but are not limited to:

▪ A film screening and discussion

▪ A powerpoint presentation

▪ An external speaker, including a Holocaust survivor

▪ Gamification of a topic

▪ Culture events

Interns are required to submit comprehensive reports to their StandWithUs Regional Manager within 1 week after the scheduled event. This includes 4 photos of participants engaged in the program, a short, written report about the event and the impact the event had on the participants. If a Leventhal Intern requires finances for the program, it must be approved by the Regional Manager before the program. Leventhal Interns have access to $200 for programming.

Legacy Building and Recruitment: It is recommended that StandWithUs Kenneth Leventhal High School Interns recruit replacements from their schools or youth group for the following internship class.

An in-depth look at the rights of and current legal issues facing Jewish and pro-Israel students, faculty, and community members. We will focus on select examples of antisemitism or anti-Israel activity on U.S. campuses and in communities nationwide and how the StandWithUs Saidoff Legal Department empowers the pro-Israel community to fight back and enforce the pro-Israel communities’ rights when they are infringed upon.

Duration: 1 Hour

An examination of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, how Title VI protection has been recognized regarding various religious and ethnic groups, and the responsibilities of college administrators to protect Jewish and Israeli students from discrimination on campus. We look to recent Title VI lawsuits and the Executive Order formally recognizing Title VI protection for Jewish students on campuses to guide this discussion.

Duration: 1 hour

An in-depth look at the rights of and current legal issues facing Jewish and pro-Israel students, faculty, and community members. We will focus on select examples of antisemitism or anti-Israel activity on U.S. campuses and in communities nationwide and how the StandWithUs Saidoff Legal Department empowers the pro-Israel community to fight back and enforce the pro-Israel communities’ rights when they are infringed upon.

Duration: 1 Hour

An examination of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, how Title VI protection has been recognized regarding various religious and ethnic groups, and the responsibilities of college administrators to protect Jewish and Israeli students from discrimination on campus. We look to recent Title VI lawsuits and the Executive Order formally recognizing Title VI protection for Jewish students on campuses to guide this discussion.

Duration: 1 Hour

An in-depth look at the rights of and current legal issues facing Jewish and pro-Israel students, faculty, and community members. We will focus on select examples of antisemitism or anti-Israel activity on U.S. campuses and in communities nationwide and how the StandWithUs Saidoff Legal Department empowers the pro-Israel community to fight back and enforce the pro-Israel communities’ rights when they are infringed upon.

Duration: 1 Hour

Strategies to Combat Online Hate delves into two critical and timely themes in one session. First, we explore best practice for identifying and responding to antisemitism and anti-Zionism online. Then we focus on legal rights and legal tools in the online world. Participants will learn strategizes for online activity; what does free speech mean in an online context; what to do when you see something online that likely violates corporate policy or criminal laws and more. This empowering session provides real-world tools and strategies for the online world.

9TH GRADE AND UP

Anna Salton Eisen will share the stories of her two Holocaust survivor parents, George and Ruth Salton. In her dynamic, multimedia presentation, Anna travels with her family back to Poland to uncover their secrets – George, as a survivor of ten concentration camps in Poland, Germany, and France; and Ruth, a witness to the German invasion of Warsaw in September 1939 and later an underground operative for the Bricha movement that found hidden Jewish children. Through her father’s original Holocaust artwork and her own archival research, Anna searches for and discovers the children of her father’s fellow concentration camp prisoners and several of his American liberators and shares these emotional reunions.

The Assembly, a film written and directed by Hershey Felder and filmed in Poland, was inspired by the work of Holocaust survivor Eva Libitzky, who lost all of her family in the Holocaust during World War II. For the last 40 years of her life, Libitzky made it her mission to tell her harrowing life story at hundreds of school assemblies to ensure the young people of America never forget what happened in Europe 80 years ago. The film tells Eva Libitzky’s story along scenes from a guided tour to Auschwitz and tells the story of learning by the diverse group of students on tour.

8TH GRADE AND UP

In his book recording the testimonies of his parents, Fela and Joska, Henry Michalski recounts the courage and survival of two teenagers who managed to escape Poland through Ukraine, the Siberian gulag, Kazachstan, DP camps, and finally in the U.S. Henry Michalsky, a history teacher, tells this story in a fascinating and reader-friendly manner, in a book that is highly valuable as a history teaching resource.

This presentation talks about the Michalski’s survival story as an example of keeping one’s human values in the harshest conditions. It includes a Q&A with the author.

6TH GRADE AND UP

Eva Mozes Kor (1934-2019) was only ten when she arrived with her family in Auschwitz. At the gates, Eva and her twin sister Miriam were separated from their parents and other siblings, never to see them again, and brought to Dr. Mengele’s infamous experiment barracks. During the course of the war, Mengele would experiment on 3,000 twins; only 160 would survive – including Eva and Miriam.

Author Danica Davidson recorded Eva’s Story in the breathtaking book for 4th grade and up – I Will Protect You.

This presentation will discuss major themes in Eva Mozes Kor’s experiences. We can arrange a Q&A session with the author upon request.

6th GRADE AND UP

We will tell the stories of two remarkable women who survived the Holocaust on the road: a young child of eight in Slovakia (Kathryn Winter) and a teenager in Poland and Russia (Halina Ross). Both women wrote their stories of courage and survival on the road (Katarina by K. Winter, 1999, and When Tears Fall Short by H. Ross, 2001) and managed to survive and create homes in Israel and the U.S. Excerpts of these testimonies will be read together with the students, along with an interactive workshop where students can respond artistically to the themes of home and belonging. The students will get a chance to correspond in writing with Kathryn Winter and Halina Ross’ daughter.

6TH GRADE AND UP

This presentation tells the story of Avraham Perlmutter, who was just ten years old when his life changed forever. It is based on Perlmutter’s autobiography, Determined, and is a story of courage, hope, and human values. It highlights the story of the Netherlands during WWII, the Righteous Among the Nations who helped Avraham hide and escape, and the founding of the State of Israel where Avraham fought during its War of Independence.

This presentation will be given by Avraham’s daughter, Dr. Keren Perlmutter, in partnership with StandWithUs Holocaust Education Center. There is also an optional documentary film screening followed by a Q&A.

Screening of a short film, followed by discussion.

9TH GRADE AND UP

The film The Strength to Tell by Ma’ale School of Film graduates follows the experiences of a group of “at risk” Jerusalem teenagers, who, as part of a drama therapy program, are asked to interview the last surviving witnesses of the 1961 Eichmann Trial and create a play on their stories.

The young actors and the aging Holocaust Survivors at first have little in common and show no desire to communicate, but slowly there develops between them a bond of empathy and understanding.

Screening of a short film, followed by Q&A with the directors.

7th GRADE AND UP

Avigdor is a tap dancer. In Auschwitz-Birkenau, his dancing saved his life.

Today, he is 88 and lives in a retirement home. When Avigdor, a Holocaust survivor, dances on the parquet floor of his room, he laughs until he’s out of breath, and with the last ounce of his strength, he pushes his tired feet to do a few more steps.

For Avigdor, dancing isn’t a hobby or therapy. It’s the way to survive.

The StandWithUs Holocaust Education is available to partner with your class, school, or group. We have many seminars and projects that use art – including films, painting, or music – to help students learn about and process their emotions related to the Holocaust. We understand there is a through-line between historic antisemitism and current events, as Jews are being heavily targeted around the world. We custom-make every seminar and project to ensure the experience is as relevant as possible for your classmates.

We are proud to partner with Writing on the Wall to encourage people to express their emotions through art. Founded in the aftermath of Oct. 7 and based in Israel, Writing on the Wall invites original pieces in any genre – art, photography, essay, poetry, short fiction. The group holds webinars for the public and also solicits long-form essays. The HEC can arrange for your class, school, or group to meet with one of the founders of Writing on the Wall via Zoom.

https://writingonthewall.io/

The HEC is proud to partner again with Light from the Synagogue. This international project asks synagogues to keep their lights on to commemorate the Night of Broken Glass in Nazi Germany, Nov. 9-10, 1938. Communities are also asked to conduct Jewish learning to commemorate the survival of Jewish life and culture during and after the Holocaust. Our HEC staff can help your synagogue, school, or group take part in Light from the Synagogue this November.

https://landing.zst.co.il/or_dolek2023_en/

The HEC is proud to partner with Dr. Elizabeth Hadara Hlavek, an art therapist in private practice in Annapolis, Maryland. She has published on the phenomena of Holocaust artwork in the field of art therapy and uses Holocaust-era artwork to support the inclusion of logotherapy -- or making meaning -- in her approach. We can arrange for Dr. Hlavek to introduce your class, school, or group to this fascinating topic.

8TH GRADE AND UP

In his book recording the testimonies of his parents, Fela and Joska, Henry Michalski recounts the courage and survival of two teenagers who managed to escape Poland through Ukraine, the Siberian gulag, Kazachstan, DP camps, and finally in the U.S. Henry Michalsky, a history teacher, tells this story in a fascinating and reader-friendly manner, in a book that is highly valuable as a history teaching resource.

This presentation talks about the Michalski’s survival story as an example of keeping one’s human values in the harshest conditions. It includes a Q&A with the author.

The Jewish Dog is the riveting theatrical adaptation of the acclaimed bestselling novel by Israeli author Asher Kravitz. This profoundly human story lets audiences face the horrors of the Holocaust through the perspective of a curious Jewish dog named Cyrus, who lives with a German-Jewish family. The play – suitable for children age 10+ -- has been performed around the world and the HEC can arrange for your class or group to meet with writer and director, Yonatan Esterkin, on Zoom.

https://thewallis.org/show-details/the-jewish-dog

StandWithUs is proud to partner with "Rise", a touring rock musical about women resisters in the Holocaust. You can book a seminar with an HEC educator and the play's creator and producer, Joshua Daniel Hershfield, where your students will view clips from the musical and learn the real-life stories of women who prepared groundwork for revolts in the ghettos by - for example - smuggling arms and messages across Nazi-occupied Poland.

Website: www.risetherockmusical.com

The Assembly is an exceptional Holocaust film in which the life of survivor Eva Libitzky is used to inspire eight young artists who travel to Poland. There, the artists uncover aspects of Jewish life from before, during, and after the war. Throughout the journey, the students perform musical theater songs that relate to Libitzky’s experience and their own personal narratives. The HEC can arrange a screening for your class or school, as well as a talk with Moses Libitzky, Eva’s son and the force behind this important film.

https://jewishfilmfestivals.org/films/2022/the-assembly/

7th Grade and up

StandWithUs is proud to partner with Rise, a touring rock musical about women resisters in the Holocaust. You can book a seminar with an HEC educator and/or the play's creator and producer, Joshua Daniel Hershfield, where your students will learn the real-life stories of women who prepared the groundwork for revolts in ghettos. Joshua will also speak about volunteering in Israel after October 7.

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Martial Arts Training

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Antisemitism Training for Public School Administrators

Preventing Bias: A Workshop for Teachers and Curriculum Writers

Antisemitism Training for Teachers

Read David Smokler's Bio

Jewish American Heritage Month

The Tribe Who Built Tinseltown

Gefilte Fish and Gondi: The Rich Tapestry of Jewish American Foods

Jewish American Soldiers in World War 2

Jewish Americans and Social Activism

From Sandy Koufax to Max Fried; The Story of Jewish Americans and America's Favorite Pastime

Resilience and Remembrance: The Jewish American Fight Against Antisemitism

Read Carly Klinger's Bio

Read Gabriela Lefkovits' Bio

Read Sophia Shafran's Bio

Read Joel Nasar's Bio

What is Hamas?

Aren’t Israelis colonizers, and isn’t violence against them justified in the name of decolonization?

Doesn’t Israel control Gaza?

Isn’t Hamas just resisting the occupation, blockade, and other Israeli actions?

Israel has killed civilians in Gaza, so how are they different from Hamas?

Accusations of “ethnic cleansing” and “genocide”

Isn’t Israel to blame because it is more powerful than Hamas?

Didn’t Israel start this war because it wants Gaza’s oil?

Why is Israel attacking Lebanon?

Why is Israel attacking Syria?

Who are the Houthis in Yemen?

Are civilian casualties in Gaza the “worst in modern history” as claimed by Hamas supporters?

Did IDF troops kill Israeli civilians on October 7?

How can I identify misinformation?

Is Israel avoiding a ceasefire with Hamas?

Read Ilana Rose Boyer's Bio

Read Sophie Shafran's Bio

Read Dr. Bharat H. Barai Bio

Read Pastor Corey Brooks Bio

An Introduction to the Holocaust

A Home in the Forest: The Bielski Family Camp

Providing Emergency Homes & Rescuing Jews from Certain Death: The Righteous Among the Nations

Terezin: Children Dreaming of Home

The World of Anne Frank

Women of the Holocaust — Remembering Home in Ravensbrück

In Search of Home–Living Photography and Poetry of Alfred Benjamin

Home, Up Close and Personal – Young Writers’ Diaries of the Holocaust

Making Home in the Ghettos

Homes in a Vanished World: The Photography of Roman Vishniac

Remaking Home – Life in the Post-War DP Camps

Surviving Away From Home – Personal Survival Stories of Kathryn Winter and Halina Ross

AN INTRODUCTION TO THE HOLOCAUST - A basic overview of the Holocaust including testimonies.

JEWISH RESISTANCE IN THE HOLOCAUST - An overview of the many ways in which Jews resisted during the genocide.

RIGHTEOUS AMONG THE NATIONS WHO RESCUED JEWS - Learning from the examples of heroes who risked their lives to save others.

TELLING OUR HISTORY: THE ONEG SHABBAT ARCHIVE - Learn about a courageous group of people who collected data while they were being starved, tortured, and trapped by the Nazis.

WOMEN IN THE HOLOCAUST— THE STORY OF RAVENSBRÜCK - A case study of a concentration and death camp for women in Nazi Germany.

THE BIELSKI FAMILY PARTISAN CAMP - Tuvia Bielski managed to save over 1,200 Jews in the forest; what was their story?

PERSONAL SURVIVAL STORIES OF KATHRYN WINTER AND HALINA ROSS - We will tell the stories of two remarkable women who survived the Holocaust on the road: a young child of eight in Slovakia and a teenager in Poland and Russia.

FILM SCREENING: THE STRENGTH TO TELL - This short film shows how society can benefit from testimonies of survivors.

FILM SCREENING: ROSENZWEIG BORN TO DANCE - This short film tells the story of Avigdor Rosenzweig, a tap dancer; in Auschwitz-Birkenau, he resisted and survived by his art.

CHILDREN’S RESISTANCE – THE STORY OF HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR EVA MOZES KOR, AS TOLD BY AUTHOR DANICA DAVIDSON - Eva was a Mengele Twin at the age of 10. This presentation tells her story of resistance and survival.

Israel 101

Conflict in the 21st Century

A Middle East Overview: Part 2

Dual Narratives

Q: Can I participate in the StandWithUs Kenneth Leventhal High School Internship or Teen Leadership Council if I haven’t been to Israel?

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Q: Can I get community service hours or volunteer credits for the internship for my school?

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Q: On average, how many hours a week will I need to dedicate to the Leventhal Internship?

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