Brandeis Israel Public Affairs Committee
Like us on facebook:
Past Events and Initiatives
Meeting with ElMehdi Boudra- Sep. 16, 2013
On Monday, September 16, Elmehdi Boudra, a Moroccan Arab, spoke with BIPAC about his experiences forming a Jewish culture club in Morocco, the Holocaust conference he organized, and his trip to Israel.
Questions were asked about how people from Boudra's community perceive what he does and if they accept his work. He said that his family and community were hesitant at first, but that now both support his work. He expressed hope that he can continue to learn more and spread his message of acceptance.
Conversation with IDF Spokesperson Barak Raz- Oct. 14, 2013
Roughly 60 students came to hear Barak Raz, the former chief IDF Spokesperson for the Judea & Samaria Division of IDF Central Command--the IDF's largest and most complex division, speak about the experiences he had while representing Israel to the rest of the world. Barak was responsible for implementing a proactive strategic communications policy, serving as strategic advisor to the division's commander, and partaking in strategic and tactical planning for the division, its brigades, and its specialized units. In addition, Barak also supervised all of the division's media and public diplomacy efforts, working with organizations and individuals from Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and around the world, including government officials, NGOs, human rights organizations, etc. There were many questions asked, followed by lively discussion.
A Night with Former Governor and Democratic Candidate for President Michael Dukakis– Oct. 24, 2013
BIPAC was privileged to host a dinner for 20 influential student leaders from diverse groups such as Queer Policy Alliance (QPA), Martin Luther King & Friends (MLK), Student Union, and many more. The distinguished guest of the night was Former Massachusetts Governor and Democratic Candidate for President Michael Dukakis, along with his lovely wife, Kitty Dukakis. Students sat side by side with the governor as they ate dinner together and discussed issues of importance to Brandeis, Israel, and Massachusetts in safe and honest environment.
Israel 101: Understanding the Middle East with Iftah Burman- Oct. 22, 2013
Together with Hillel at Brandeis and the Brandeis Zionist Alliance, BIPAC co-sponsored an event that detailed the history of the Middle East. With over 70 students in attendance, Burman, who founded the Middle East Learning Academy, spoke about the history of the region from the early 20th century to the modern day, illustrating both sides of the conflict. Students emerged with a greater understanding of why the Middle East is such a volitile region. BIPAC hopes that this is only the first part of a series of educational events.
An informal discussion with Martin Luther King & Friends, Brandeis Black Student Organization and BIPAC
For the first time in years, over 30 members of the black and jewish communities at Brandeis came together to talk about how the two peoples can come together. BIPAC was able to explain why Israel was so important to the Jewish people, and why support for Israel on campus is equally as important. To facilitate the discussion, an Israeli-Ethiopian Graduate Student from Brandeis spoke to the group about her identity as an Israeli who came from Ethiopia at a very young age. She spoke of the hardships that she faced in Israel as well as how far the Ethiopian community had come since immigrating to Israel. Students from both communities asked questions and learned more about the Ethiopian community. Then, students came together to discuss how they could create relationships of mutual understanding between both communities at Brandeis. They decided that there should not be a distance that now exists between the two of them, and that working together through issues that matter to both groups, specifically Israel for BIPAC, great bonds can be created for all students.
Brandeis Student Leader Petition
Each year, BIPAC gathers a student leader petition that is published as a full page ad in The Justice, Brandeis University's most prominent paper. Last year BIPAC was able to garner over 30 signatures from student leaders as diverse as the student body president to the president of the environmental club to the economics club. The relationships we form with these student leaders lead to greater cooperation in future semesters as has already shown to pay off in our programming for this year.
Lobbying
During the first half of the semester we have already lobbied two of our political officials, Senator Ed Markey and Senator Elizabeth Warren. We focused on the following issues:
• Keeping Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon
• Maintaining foreign aid to Israel
• Maintaining stability in the Middle East
• Direct Negotiations with the PA rather than indirect, illegal channels.
• Urging the European Union to designate Hezbollah as a terrorist organization
• The importance of the U.S.-Israel relationship
At right: BIPAC members right after a lobbying appointment at Senator Elizabeth Warren's office on November 15, 2013
