Image by wikipedia

The Wesleyan Jewish Community, in an act of open defiance against its parent-organization Hillel International, hosted a “Jewish Voice for Peace Shabbat” on February 27, according to a statement issued by Wesleyan’s “Open Hillel” chapter.

The group Jewish Voice for Peace advocates for the global boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel, and therefore is barred from all Hillel-affiliated events or institutions under the Hillel International “Standards of Partnership.”

The Wesleyan Jewish Community flouted the ban by hosting JVP in what the statement called “an unprecedented event.”

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

The Shabbat took place only two days after Harvard Hillel welcomed pro-BDS advocate Dorothy Zellner to speak on a panel about her civil rights activism in the 1960s. Some saw this invitation as a break from Hillel’s policy of excluding any pro-BDS speakers. But Rabbi Jonah Steinberg, director of Harvard Hillel, explained that he believed he was within the guidelines since Zellner was speaking primarily about her civil rights work, only mentioning her BDS support in passing.

These events are the latest in a series of confrontations between Hillel International and a growing cluster of dissenters operating under the umbrella “Open Hillel,” which launched in 2013. At the heart of the debate is whether anti-Zionists should be given voice within Hillel’s walls.

The Open Hillel activists claim that Hillel’s Standards of Partnership render dialogue with Palestinians and their sympathizers impossible, which is “detrimental to the goal of encouraging mutual understanding, cooperation, and peace.” Hillel International dismisses this idea, arguing that anti-Zionist views don’t lack avenues of exposure yet Hillel need not be one of them.

Fittingly, both sides cite support from their namesake, the great Talmudic sage Rabbi Hillel. In a resolution passed in December 2013 by the Swarthmore College Hillel chapter declaring itself an Open Hillel, the students portrayed themselves as following the example of “Rabbi Hillel, who was famed for encouraging debate in contrast with Rabbi Shammai.” Eric Fingerhut, President and CEO of Hillel International, responded with another maxim of Rabbi Hillel: “If I am not for myself, who will be for me?”

Hillel International did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a gift today!

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$90 $180

$360

Other amount