By Tracy Frydberg, ICB Contributor
“Jews and Latinos—how did you put the two together?”
University of Texas senior Melissa Macaya is often asked this question by students when first hearing about the Latino-Jewish Student Coalition that she started on campus this fall.
This coalition is part of a greater initiative, the Building Latino-Jewish Bridges on Campus Program, started by the American Jewish Committee/Project Interchange with The David Project and National Hispana Leadership Institute. The project’s aim is to establish a partnership between Hispanic and Jewish students to support Israel on campus, and further the Latino community’s interests, such as education and immigration reform.
Edward Retta, a recent participant in an AJC-sponsored program for Latino leaders, said that Jews and Latinos are natural partners. “We share many common things such as, the experience of being minorities, the idea of wandering and displacement, the search for belonging, the desires for better, more secure lives, and success and stability for our children and our children's children.”
The director of AJC's Latino and Latin American Institute, Dina Siegel Vann, said that the idea for this project came about quite naturally, “On the U.S. campus, there is both increasing anti-Israel sentiment and increasing bigotry and racism,” she said. As the Latino population in America grows, the importance of building bridges between the communities becomes increasingly clear.
The program brought together 22 Jewish and Latino female students from Boston University, Brandeis University, University of California, Irvine, and the University of Texas at Austin. They gathered in Washington D.C. last summer for several days of intensive training on coalition building before setting off on a trip to Israel. While in Israel, participants heard from a wide variety of speakers and continued to form greater understanding and appreciation for one another’s culture and the importance of Israel.
Upon arriving on their campuses in the fall, the students worked to create a program that would articulate the case for Latino-Jewish cooperation while highlighting the common goals of both communities to set the framework for long-term initiatives on campus.
Students from Brandeis and Boston University chose to focus on the cultural similarities of both communities for their first event.
Boston University junior Sabrina Pratts, a Latina participant, explained that her group focused on fostering mutual appreciation of Jewish and Latino culture. She said that for their event, “We worked with Hillel. In the center of campus, we handed out falafel, empanadas, mix CDs, and our 'Jewtina' cookbook.
"Right now we are starting with cultural information," Pratts continued, noting that making personal connections is the first step toward building lasting coalitions. "For Latinos that are interested, we connect them with BU Students for Israel.”
Brandeis University participants hosted a dinner for Latino and Jewish students. Students participated in a “fishbowl” activity where a series of questions were asked separately to the Latino and Jewish attendees. The activity highlighted both communities’ distinct cultural heritage.
Brandeis sophomore Naomi Volk said that students at the event formed a new level of mutual understanding. “The Jewish people have experienced being an immigrant community and we bonded over that," she explained. "Our history is their present.”
Junior Asia Garcia, a Latina participant from Brandeis, said that because of the very large Jewish community at her school, Latino students can feel alienated from the rest of campus. “It will be beneficial for everyone to integrate with each other more,” she said.
UT and UC Irvine each have held events that focused on Jewish and Latino culture and the issues facing each community. At UT, students established the Latino-Jewish Student Coalition (LJSC) and hosted a campus-wide event with Spanish desserts and Israeli cuisine to spread awareness about the new organization. The next day, they gathered members of Texans for Israel and LULAC, the Latino organization on campus, for a dinner. The event featured prominent speakers and leaders from across Texas, including Texas State Rep. Joaquin Castro.
Sophomore Celeste Orta, a Latina participant from UT remarked that, “Many people came with curiosity to see how the communities of UT benefit from the LJSC. We were able to provide our audience with information and ideas on how they could continue with our coalition.”
At UC Irvine’s first event, students distributed Israeli and Latino food and information on their coalition. Senior Courtney Kravitz, a Jewish participant from UC Irvine said that the first event was successful in engaging the greater student body. The second event featured Orange County’s AJC Director, Rabbi Marc Dworkin, and prominent Latina lawyer Norma Garcia. The speakers are currently working on forming a Latino-Jewish coalition in the greater California community.
Kravitz said that this coalition is particularly important at UC Irvine, because the campus has experienced rising anti-Israel sentiment. “Pro-Israel activism [is] a lot harder on my campus," she said. "We need more people on our side.”
All participants agreed that they now have a greater understanding of the mutual benefits in forming a coalition with one another.
Melissa Macaya reflected, “This project reiterated the importance of building the Latino-Jewish coalition on campus and motivated me to tell others about why this coalition matters. The project was an effective call to action. I must admit that before going on the trip to Israel, I was skeptical as to why this coalition was relevant. After the trip, I became a true believer of the cause and the events we hosted at UT Austin solidified this belief even more.
"Latinos and Jews must find strength in their similarities to achieve their goals," she continued. "It is up to us to establish a foundation on campus that will serve as a stepping stone for future Latino and Jewish leaders to work together.”
AJC launched the Building Bridges initiative in hopes that the pro-Israel community will join the Latino community in supporting their issues on campus, while the Latino community will become partners on campus in support of Israel. Siegel Vann explained that for the new coalitions to work, “There needs to be a reciprocal relationship. We expect Jews to be supportive of issues such as immigration as well.”
Retta, who also spoke at the UT Austin event, explained why Latinos can identify with and should support Israel. “The nation of Israel is a prime example of a people collectively not giving in to hostility and external pressures, but rather taking responsibility for their own fate, future and security. In spite of many challenges and real threats, the Israelis have a determination to succeed and not lay the blame for their woes at the feet of others. This, the Latinos in the USA desperately need to gain.”
AJC plans a co-ed version of the program in the future, and currently is looking at other campuses and partners, but Siegel Vann emphasized that motivated students can form independent coalitions. The first step, she said, is to, “Understand the Latino constituency and know the organizations on campus.”
After reaching out to potential partner organizations, she said, the pro-Israel community “Must articulate the case for Israel and try to create a space for conversation and action.”
“Personal relations are vital," she added. "Creating those will guarantee a successful coalition and partnership.”
Noting that pro-Israel groups have gained a friend and ally in the Latino community on campuses that participated in the initiative, Siegel Vann is looking to the future with anticipation. ”This is just the beginning," she concluded. "Many see Israel advocacy as uni-dimensional, but we hope to create more awareness.”
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